Biographies and personal histories

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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Erle Alwin Greglach Boyd

Swinden, Greg · Mar 21, 2010 ·

Forgotten Hero of the RAN Amongst the thousands of men and women who have served in the RAN there have been heroes and rogues, scholars and scoundrels. In a career ...

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WW1 Losses || “Too Far Away Thy Grave to See…”

Wright, Ken · Dec 21, 2009 ·

From the beginning of recorded history until now, war has been the curse of mankind and by its very nature means the death of many of the combatants and the ...

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Louis Antoine de Bougainville and his Exploration of the Pacific

Dunstan, Timothy, SBLT, NEOC 39 RANC · Dec 21, 2009 ·

Introduction Usually in one’s lifetime, a person will witness or experience one event that will, or has the ability, to change the world. This event will stand out in history, ...

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Search for Bracegirdle Sundial

Dutton, Ken, Professor Emeritus · Dec 21, 2009 ·

Professor Dutton is a member of the Arts and Library Committee of the Newcastle Club One of Australia’s most distinguished naval officers was Rear Admiral Sir Leighton S. Bracegirdle, KCVO, ...

Address to Trafalgar Night Dinner

Goldrick, James, Commodore, RAN · Dec 21, 2009 ·

At HMAS Penguin on Friday, 17 October 2008 I am not here to talk about a battle but to reflect on just what it is that makes Nelson the ‘immortal ...

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The Australians at Jutland

Swinden, Greg · Sep 21, 2009 ·

The Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 was the major naval battle of World War I. For a few short hours on that day the British Grand Fleet and ...

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Admirable Ancestors

Graham-Smith, Mick · Sep 21, 2009 ·

This is a copy of a lecture recently delivered to the WA Chapter of the Naval Historical Society of Australia by Mick Graham-Smith Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. ...

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Organisation of Coastwatching in the New Guinea WW 2

Wright, Ken · Sep 10, 2009 ·

People over-impressed by spies and espionage are fond of quoting the observation attributed to the French General Napoleon Bonaparte around 1795 when he estimated that a spy in the right ...

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Obituary: Jenny of ‘Jenny’s Side Party’, Hong Kong

Mobley, Mark, (Naval Reservist) · Jun 21, 2009 ·

Mrs Ng Muk Kah, BEM Generations of sailors who visited Hong Kong will mourn the death of Jenny. She was a much loved living legend who, for all the colony’s ...

Leadership: Sir Ernest Shackleton – 1874-1922

Taylor, Megan, Midshipman, RAN · Dec 5, 2008 ·

‘Superhuman effort isn’t worth a damn unless it achieves results.’ Ernest Shackleton, 1916 ‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It ...

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AE2 – Unsung Hero of Gallipoli

Spencer, Mark · Dec 5, 2008 ·

On May 24, 1914, Australia acquired its first submarines from England as part of a new post‑federation initiative to achieve more autonomy in the protection of our shores. These were ...

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A Letter from HMAS Sydney

Barrey, R.B., Flying Officer · Sep 5, 2008 ·

Editor’s note: This letter was written by Flying Officer R.B. Barrey who was the pilot of the Walrus Amphibian aircraft in HMAS Sydney in 1941. He did not survive the ...

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Leadership: Captain Alfred T. Mahan USN

Waring, P.S., Midshipman, RAN · Sep 5, 2008 ·

Academic leadership, writings on the history of seapower and his influence on the international struggle for command of the sea pre-WWI (submitted as an entry in the RANC Graduation Naval ...

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Lifeboat No. 7 – 23 days at sea

McIntosh, Ian, Sub-Lieutenant, RN · Sep 5, 2008 ·

Note: Sub Lieutenant McIntosh RN was later to become Vice Admiral Sir Ian McIntosh, RN, KBE CB DSO DSC I was brought up on the family property Camperdown in Victoria’s ...

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Letters: Obituary of Rear Admiral Dovers

Letter Writer · Jun 12, 2008 ·

Dear Sir, I note Tony Howland’s obituary [your Editor assures you he is in fact alive and well!] published in the December 07 edition. I have also read other obituaries ...

Biographies and personal histories

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