The late Arthur Lunan maintained a diary of his service in the RAN from 1941 to 1946. His brother-in-law William Moody digitised this and added some family photographs. William and ...
Biographies and personal histories
Occasional Paper 135: Was Heihachiro Tōgō Japan’s Horatio Nelson?
In this paper Richard Broinowski makes an interesting comparison between Admiral Lord Nelson and Japan’s Heihachiro Tōgō born in 1847 to a samurai family and hero of the battle of Tsushima Strait during which the fledgling Japanese Navy achieved a Trafalgar like victory over the Russian Fleet. ...
Letter: Roylen Cruises – Alfred ‘Happy’ Hawkins
I enjoyed the article in the recent Review regarding Roylen Cruises. It reminded me that one of the youngest RAN Prisoners of War later worked as a deckhand for Roylen ...
A Garden Island Apprenticeship
The December 2021 edition of this magazine contained an article How did we get 16-inch Gun Projectiles to Australia?This came from the memoirs of Geoff Davidson, and using the same ...
The Arthur Lunan Story: Part II
The late Arthur Lunan maintained a diary of his service in the RAN from 1941 to 1946. His brother in law William Moody digitised this and added some family photographs. ...
Jan Stockwin – Naval Shipwright and Author
By Greg Swinden Jan (Julian) Adrian Stockwin was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England on 15 January 1944. His initial education was at an English grammar school where he performed poorly: ...
Farewell Sydney and Kenneth Butler
By Darrell White ASMA The original oil on canvas artwork Farewell Sydney was commissioned by the Western Australia Cricket Association (now WA Cricket) and made possible by a donation from ...
Occasional Paper 132: The First Admiral: Admiral Sir G. Francis Hyde, KCB, CVO, CBE
By Lieutenant Commander A.W. Grazebrook First published in the June 1974 edition of the Naval Historical Review. The majority of the more senior retired officers of the Royal Australian Navy ...
‘Bimbashi’ Mcpherson: A Life in Egypt
By Walter Burroughs A casual browse through the bookshelves of opportunity shops can produce some surprises. Disorganised, with no rhyme or reason to subject matter, it is as well to ...
James Gorman VC
By Greg Swinden If not for a newly released book and the recent death of a medal collector the name of Victoria Cross (VC) winner James Gorman would have remained ...
Occasional Paper 129: Service on the Fleet Commander’s Staff, 1964: A Personal Reflection
By John Ingram The following personal reflection by Commander John Ingram OAM RAN RTD describes his experience and observations of the fateful collision between HMA Ships Melbourne and Voyager on ...
The Arthur Lunan Story: Part 1
The late Arthur Lunan maintained a diary of his wartime service in the RAN from 1941 to 1946. His brother-in-law William Moody has digitised this and added some family ...
The Parker Family and their Contribution to the RAN
With the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, there have been many fine tributes to his memory. A number of these mention an Australian born Private ...
Letter: Lieutenant Commander Ernest Thomas Lees DSO RANR
Dear Editor Regarding the article on Lieutenant Commander Ernest Thomas Lees DSO RANR in the September 2021 NHR (‘Naval Sub Lieutenant awarded the Distinguished Service Order’), I have unearthed some ...
Letter: Lew Lind
Dear Walter, Re LEW LIND Thank you for your reply, 15 September 2021, I would be honoured if you used my letter as a Letter to the Editor in your ...
Letter: Rethymnon – More on Lew Lind
Dear Walter I just wanted to thank you sincerely for your help. I seem to have involved you and members of your family considerably in the search. Perhaps you would ...
Occasional Paper 125: Captain Edward Fegen and the Loss of HMS Jervis Bay
By Lloyd Skinner During the Second World War, just 23 Victoria Crosses were awarded to the servicemen of the Royal Navy. One of the courageous few awarded the honour ‘For ...
Lieutenant Commander Michael T Hickie R.N, R.A.N, Ret’d. D.S.C, Arctic Star, Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy
Michael Timothy Hickie was born on 17th October 1922, in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, North West India. His parents were both from distinguished British Raj families. Mike was then educated in UK, ...
Occasional Paper 121: Captain Morton Henry Moyes, OBE, RAN 1896-1981
By Martin Linsley Morton Moyes was a man to admire. ‘He was a true leader – a simple man – a modest man – in very truth a gentle man.’ ...
Book Review: Prince Philip Revealed
Prince Philip Revealed by Ingrid Seward. Published in 2020 by Simon & Schuster, available in hard cover, paperback and e-book. Her Majesty the Queen, whilst speaking at the Banqueting House ...
Book Review: Guy Griffiths: The Life and Times of an Australian Admiral
Guy Griffiths: The Life and Times of an Australian Admiral. Paperback by Peter Jones, Australian Scholarly Publishing, Melbourne, 2021. After the highly effective Vietnam deployment of HMAS Hobart in 1967 ...
Mission Creep in the Dardanelles
By CMDR Max Speedy DSC RAN Rtd Captain Arthur Edward Dunn CBE RD ADC RNR was married to my great-aunt and as a result I have his voluminous papers and ...
Melville Neilson Cumming: An Albany hero known by many names
By David Theodore, Curator, Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum Melville, Skinny or Bob? Over a lifetime a person can be identified by a number of names. From all official documents ...
A/Captain Ross V. Wheatley OBE, RAN: A distinguished officer wrongly criticised
By Hector Donohue and Mike Turner Ross Wheatley was born in Adelaide on 19 December 1900, joined the Naval College in 1914 and subsequently specialised as a hydrographer, qualifying as ...
Naval Sub Lieutenant awarded the Distinguished Service Order
By Colin Randall Many years ago I was involved in the coal mining industry based in the Hunter region and became a member of the Newcastle Club. The club remembers ...