Biographies and personal histories

Perth Survivor story

Bee, W.A. ("Buzzer") · Sep 11, 1987 ·

‘AND THE DAWN CAME UP LIKE THUNDER out of Java across the Bay’. These few words echoing an amended version of the famous song ‘On the Road to Mandalay’, seemed ...

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Lost Letter Throws New Light on Sydney-Emden Action

Bywater, G (Naval Archives) · Jun 11, 1987 ·

Locating the Letter: As part of a general clean up and rationalisation of cabinets belonging to the Naval Historian, the Navy Archives staff dug through a number of filing cabinets ...

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Wartime Submarine Service

Piggott, Lieut. Cdr. F.M., RD, MNI, RNR. Rtd., · Mar 11, 1987 ·

Recollections of Lieut. Cdr. Piggott of his wartime service in submarines. PRIOR TO WORLD WAR II and general hostilities I had been serving as an officer in the Merchant Service ...

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HMAS Perth POW – Moji Maru Incident

Bee, W.A. ("Buzzer") · Mar 11, 1987 ·

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TWO MONTHS since our group arrived in Singapore from Java when the news was received that we were on the move again. Although rumours were strong ...

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Perth and the Aftermath

Noble, SBA A.M. · Jun 9, 1986 ·

SBA Noble joined HMAS Perth three months before she sunk. His story is simple and frank but reflects the hardships suffered by her survivors. For his work in attending the ...

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Turkish Treatment of British Naval Prisoners

Trimmer, L.S. Henry · Dec 9, 1984 ·

Little has been written on the treatment of naval prisoners in Turkish prisoner of war camps in World War I. Although this report was written by a Royal Navy sailor ...

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Ruby Boye – Coastwatcher Heroine

Zammitt, Alan · Sep 9, 1984 ·

MRS. RUBY BOYE-JONES lived with her husband, Mr. Skov Boye, at Vanikoro, a small tropical island in the Santa Cruz group of the then British Solomon Islands Protectorate at the ...

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HMAS Manoora Enters the Pacific War

Chatto, A.K. · Jun 23, 1984 ·

Extracts from the War Diary of former member, the late A.K. Chatto HMAS MANOORA sailed from Sydney at 1800 Saturday, November 22 1941. After clearing the swept channel we took ...

Memories of HMS Renown

Rettie, Alexander · Jun 21, 1984 ·

I actually joined the ship at the age of 16 years, as a boy rating. My early experience with the RENOWN was during the 1914-18 war. Much of our time ...

Queer Jobs

Oliver, Cdr (E) H.G.D. , RAN · Mar 9, 1984 ·

The last story I wrote for a magazine was about a punitive expedition in HMAS Adelaide to Malaita in 1927, after a bold, bad black, blighter called Bassiana had murdered Mr ...

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Gunboats on the Yangtse: 1920 to 1937

Taylor, R.A. CPO, RN · Mar 6, 1984 ·

A transcript of an address presented to The Naval Historical Society of Australia by CPO R.A. Taylor, RN. TO DESCRIBE CHINA in any form of speech, with all its complexities ...

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Obituary: Harry Adlam

Zammitt, Alan · Jun 20, 1983 ·

HAROLD CHARLES (HARRY) ADLAM grew up in Penshurst, Sydney. Economics dictated that he leave school at the age of 14. However, he educated himself and ended up with a better ...

The Loss of HMS Dorsetshire

Creasy,John · Jun 6, 1983 ·

This vivid eyewitness account of the sinking of the 8-inch cruiser, HMS Dorsetshire by Japanese bombers in 1942 was extracted from a war-time booklet published to raise funds for building ...

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We Did It Better In My Day

Collins, Vice Admiral Sir John · Dec 5, 1982 ·

Old timers are quite critical of the modern generation, and particularly in service matters. Whenever we see a parade or a ceremonial, we always seem to compare the show with ...

Bastock, John – Naval Artist & Writer

A.N. Other · Dec 3, 1982 ·

WHEN ONE ENTERS THE WARDROOM of the FFG HMAS Adelaide the first object to catch one’s eye is a fine painting of the cruiser Adelaide in 1944 in her wartime ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 6-Conclusion )

Zammitt, Alan · Oct 25, 1982 ·

ON 21ST OCTOBER, six Sea Furies attacked the suspected invasion junks, sinking 7 and damaging 15. Two Sea Furies were detailed to assist HMAS Murchison negotiate shallow water hazards which ...

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Family Saga -The Westons & The Johnstons – 1764 Onwards

Weston, Bert E. · Jun 30, 1982 ·

FROM TIME TO TIME the Naval Historical Review has featured the biography of some officer, living or dead, who had reached high rank and was noted for his service in ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 5)

Zammitt, Alan · Jun 25, 1982 ·

CROSSING THE BAY OF BISCAY Sydney ran into bad weather, losing the starboard lower boom, and the canopies of the starboard motor boats being stove in. In the Mediterranean we ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 4)

Zammitt, Alan · Mar 25, 1982 ·

THE KANIMBLA SAILED from Devonport on September 9th, called at Gibraltar, and arrived at Genoa, Italy, to embark displaced persons who were being brought to Australia to make a new ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 3)

Zammitt, Alan · Dec 25, 1981 ·

THE AUSTRALIA CONTINUED HER REFIT at Garden Island until May 1947. The ship’s company was greatly reduced, but there was always a reasonable number living on board. Harry Adlam left ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 2)

Zammitt, Alan · Sep 25, 1981 ·

BY 1943 THE TIDE HAD TURNED against the Japanese and Australia was in action supporting landings at Arawe and Cape Gloucester in December of that year. In February 1944 Australia ...

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I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 1)

Zammitt, Alan · Jun 25, 1981 ·

IN JUNE 1955 the ship’s company of HMAS Sydney fell in on the flight deck, and Captain George Oldham, DSC, RAN, presented to Vie Zammit, the ship’s canteen manager, a ...

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Perth Survivor story

Lost Letter Throws New Light on Sydney-Emden Action

Wartime Submarine Service

HMAS Perth POW – Moji Maru Incident

Perth and the Aftermath

Turkish Treatment of British Naval Prisoners

Ruby Boye – Coastwatcher Heroine

HMAS Manoora Enters the Pacific War

Memories of HMS Renown

Queer Jobs

Gunboats on the Yangtse: 1920 to 1937

Obituary: Harry Adlam

The Loss of HMS Dorsetshire

We Did It Better In My Day

Bastock, John – Naval Artist & Writer

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 6-Conclusion )

Family Saga -The Westons & The Johnstons – 1764 Onwards

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 5)

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 4)

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 3)

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 2)

I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 1)

Garden Island Dockyard 1943-46

The Will of an Old Sea Dog

Bomb Alley, 1942

Biographies and personal histories

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