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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Naval history / Biographies and personal histories

Biographies and personal histories

Our First Engineer Admiral Vice Admiral Sir William Clarkson, KBE, CMG, RAN.

A.N. Other · Dec 24, 2012 ·

By Chris Clark When Engineer Rear-Admiral Sir William Clarkson retired from the Royal Australian Navy on 1 November 1922 with the honorary rank of Vice-Admiral, it brought to a close ...

Translators in the RAN – Theodore Eric Nave

A.N. Other · Dec 3, 2012 ·

By Sub-Lieutenant Y.L. Zhang This essay came a close second in the Naval History Prize of the New Entry Officer Course intake No. 46. Sub- Lieutenant Yanyi Zhang is a ...

The Early Surgeons of the RAN

A.N. Other · Jun 11, 2012 ·

By Richard Gardner Richard Gardner’s father was a well-known surgeon and a close friend of Surgeon Rear Admiral W. (Billie) Carr. Richard joined the RAN on his 18th birthday in ...

Book Review: In Good Hands – The Life of Dr Sam Stening, POW

Book reviewer · Jun 1, 2012 ·

By Ian Pfennigwerth. Published by Bellona, Sydney, 2012. Paperback, 334 pages with b&w photographs and illustrations. rrp $29.95. Also available for purchase from the author at: www.nautilushistory.com.au. In providing this biography ...

Nursing Memories of HMAS Penguin

A.N. Other · Jun 1, 2012 ·

By Christina Heath  Christina Heath (nee King) served in the RAN Nursing Service first in a permanent role and later on a part-time basis in a reserve capacity for over ...

Royal Naval Hospital Haslar 1753 – 2007

A.N. Other · Jun 1, 2012 ·

By Malcolm Stening   Malcolm Stening was one of four brothers, two of whom served as medical officers in the RAN during WWII. His elder brother Samuel (Sam) served in HMAS ...

Rear-Admiral Lionel Lockwood CBE MVO DSC MD (Melb) BSc.FRACP FACMA RAN (1902 – 1987)

A.N. Other · Jun 1, 2012 ·

  By Commander Neil Westphalen, RAN LIONEL LOCKWOOD was born in Natimuk, Victoria on 13 January 1902, the eldest of four children to Alfred Wright Lockwood, a journalist and owner ...

Wardmaster Lieutenant Commander E. Mullins, DSM, RAN (1882-1960)

Swinden, Greg · Jun 1, 2012 ·

THOMAS EDWARD MULLINS was born in Leicester, England on 15 May 1882 and joined the RAN as a Sick Berth Steward 1st Class on 7 May 1912. He had six ...

A chip off the Old Rock

A.N. Other · Mar 13, 2012 ·

We recently received a visit from one of our overseas members David Lort-Phillips from Pembrokeshire in Wales. As one of David’s relatives John Lort Stokes was one time captain of ...

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The Career of Vice Admiral Mortimer L’Estrange Silver, CBE, RN.

A.N. Other · Mar 3, 2012 ·

By Midshipman D.M. Greenwood, RAN  Damian Greenwood was born in Hong Kong. After completing high school at Forbes in NSW he attended the University of Hong Kong where he gained ...

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The Sound of Musical Submarines

A.N. Other · Mar 3, 2012 ·

By Peter Judge The September 2011 edition of the Naval Historical Review contained an interesting summary on submarine warfare which brings into perspective some little known facts concerning Baron von ...

Submarine Duty 1918

A.N. Other · Sep 4, 2011 ·

By the late Captain W.J. Cowling, as told by his daughter Mrs C.M. Wood. At the beginning of WWI the Royal Navy (RN) had 70 submarines in commission, which was ...

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Obituary: Bob Nicholls – A Tribute

Pfennigwerth, Ian · Jun 14, 2011 ·

Only a few of us are fortunate enough to live a life as interesting and as varied as did Bob Nicholls, who died suddenly on 10 March 2011. Born in ...

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Bob Nicholls – A Tribute

Pfennigwerth, Ian · Jun 14, 2011 ·

Only a few of us are fortunate enough to live a life as interesting and as varied as did Bob Nicholls, who died suddenly on 10 March 2011. Born in ...

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Chief Petty Officer Claude Choules (3.3.1901 – 5.5.2011) – The last veteran of two World Wars

A.N. Other · Jun 14, 2011 ·

Claude Choules was the last known combat veteran living in Australia who had served in both world wars. When he died recently, in Western Australia, our last tangible link with ...

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Supply Chief Petty Officer Louis Nicholas Sampson (1907-1941)

Swinden, Greg · Jun 14, 2011 ·

Louis Nicholas ‘Sam’ Sampson born at St Peters, Adelaide on 30 September 1907 was the eldest child of Nicholas and Olive Sampson. In his early childhood he lived at Crystal ...

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They Also Served – Leading Cook Francis Bassett ‘Dick’ Emms

Swinden, Greg · Mar 10, 2011 ·

Francis Bassett ‘Dick’ Emms was born at Launceston, Tasmania on 28 November 1909, the eldest of four children of Henry Joseph Emms, a blacksmith’s assistant and tailor, and Stella Marion ...

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Gallipoli 1915

A.N. Other · Mar 10, 2011 ·

One of our long standing members, Norman Rivett, has recently unearthed a valuable original manuscript of a first hand account by a member of the Royal Naval Division which served ...

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Australian Sailors at Zeebrugge, 1918

Periodical, Semaphore · Sep 10, 2010 ·

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the March, 2007 issue of Semaphore, the newsletter of the Sea Power Centre of Australia.  We are grateful for their ongoing permission to ...

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U-Boat Battle – Convoy ONS5

Downes, A.M., Captain · Sep 10, 2010 ·

This article is an edited version of a talk given by Captain A.M. Downes to the Company of Master Mariners, Sydney Branch, on 24th November 1993. Tonight I want to ...

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RMS Operations by the RAN in the Pacific – World War II

Turner, Mike · Jun 10, 2010 ·

RMS officers in the RAN conducted numerous Rendering Mines Safe (RMS) operations along the Australian coast and at islands to the north of Australia. Most of the RMS operations were ...

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RMS Operations by the RAN in Europe – World War II

Turner, Mike · Jun 7, 2010 ·

Bombs and mines were rendered safe by the RAN in the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East during World War II. RAN personnel were highly decorated for their extraordinary ...

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Obituary: Captain John Frederick Bell, RAN, (Retired)

Wright, W Graham, Captain, RAN (Retired) · Mar 21, 2010 ·

William Shakespeare wrote: ‘The good men do is oft interred with their bones’. So that this will not happen here, I will tell you about John Bell, the boy, which ...

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Obituary: Commander H.K. Duncan, OAM, RAN

Fogarty, Michael · Mar 21, 2010 ·

The commanding officer attempted to light his cigarette. He had gathered his officers in the wardroom to brief them on a dramatic change to the ship’s 1967 program. HMAS Duchess ...

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Coastwatchers – Thank God Such Men Lived

Wright, Ken · Mar 21, 2010 ·

Their contribution was out of all proportion to their numbers. The Coastwatchers Memorial Lighthouse was erected in 1959 at Kalibobo Point in Madang, Papua New Guinea, by public subscription and ...

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