A Young Boy’s Options In 1922 I was 15 years of age and wondering what life held for me in the way of a career. Queensland at that time was ...
Naval history
Queen Bee – Radio-Controlled Target Aircraft of the 1930s
Navies ignore threat of aircraft The emergence of airpower as a formidable weapon at the end of WW I was to a large extent ignored by Allied Navies as a ...
Some Truths About Darwin and the Air Raid – 19 Feb 1942
Australian Government releases RFT for Patrol Boats
The Australian Government has released a Request for Tender (RFT) for a replacement fleet to the Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boats that provide the frontline of Australia’s defences against people ...
Book Review: The Pirate of Tobruk – Biography of Commander Alfred Palmer RNR
Book Review: Batavia’s Graveyard
Title: Batavia’s Graveyard Author: Mike Dash Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London The Dutch East India Company vessel Batavia ran aground upon Morning Reef in the early hours of the 4th ...
Obituary: Captain Brian de Courcy-Ireland RN (1900-2001)
Joining the Royal Naval College at Osborne on the Isle of Wight in 1913 at the age of 13, Brian de Courcy-Ireland was subjected to the spartan naval discipline of ...
Former HMAS Nirimba Site – Memorial Garden
On Saturday 3rd of November 2001, in overcast conditions, the Memorial Garden at the former HMAS NIRIMBA site, was formally dedicated. The service was conducted in front of some 150 ...
Commander Frederick Darley RN & the Wanhsien Incident
HMS Thanet and HMAS Vampire – Malayan Night Action
HMAS Maryborough & Charles Moses-Escape from Java 1942
Rear Admiral Gordon (“Buster”) Crabb RAN DSC CBE (1917-2001)
REAR ADMIRAL Gordon John Branstone CRABB, DSC • Born London 5 July 1917, of Commander & Mrs S.G. Crabb • Entered RANC, Flinders Naval Depot 1932 • Awarded Kings Medal ...
Obituary: Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot KBE AO (1922-2001)
Born at Corowa, NSW and educated at Geelong Grammar School. Anthony Synnot joined the RAN as a cadet midshipman in 1939 as a Special Entry and trained in Britain with Prince ...
The Capture of Hong Kong in 1941 – The Naval Battle
Lieut. R B Stannard VC – HMS Arab – Norway 1940
The Contribution of Merchant Seamen During the Fall of Crete – 1941
It is not always appreciated that British and Australian merchant seamen served ashore (probably inadvertently) during the withdrawal of Allied forces from Greece and subsequently, Crete. One such story deserves ...
Malaya – Permission to open fire
During the Confrontation period 1963-67 there were often little incidents which came to light from the very different experiences enjoyed by the many vessels from several navies who participated. This ...
Book Review: Stoker’s Submarine
Title: Stoker’s Submarine Authors: Fred & Elizabeth Brenchley Publisher: Harper Collins Nearly every Australian could tell you the history of the landing at Anzac Cove, on 25 April 1915, of ...
Book review: Memoirs: Mostly Musical
Title: Memoirs Mostly Musical Author: Cedric Ashton Publisher: self-published The reviewer found it most difficult to be objective in his assessment of this book, but to one who is fond of music ...
Cedric H Ashton MBE (1910-2001) – Artist, Musician, Sailor
In the company of Cedric Ashton one covers a tranquillity of life – artist, musician, sailor and a man’s man of capital ship dimensions! Cedric spent his teenage years in ...
X-Lighters in WWI and at Gallipoli
Carrier Flying – the Greatest Sport
I-52 – Japan’s Golden Submarine – Sunk in the Atlantic in 1944
Remains of the Kriegsmarine Handed to the Allies – 1945
Of the heavy ships only the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the light cruisers Nurnberg and Leipzig remained afloat (the latter a virtual wreck after being accidentally rammed by Prinz ...
