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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Publications / Occasional papers

Occasional papers

Occassional Paper 102: Cliff House and South Head: Early History

Webmaster · Mar 3, 2021 ·

A pictorial history of the Defence site established on Sydney’s South Head in 1877. Now known as HMAS Watson the site is located above Camp Cove. The notes were prepared after a research request for more information on the history of Cliff House. Cliff House, located in the heritage precinct of HMAS Watson is today the residence of the Commander Australian Fleet. ...

Occasional Paper 101: RAN Torpedo Factory, Neutral Bay

Editorial Staff · Feb 4, 2021 ·

By Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN In 1942, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Torpedo Factory, located at Neutral Bay, Sydney commenced operations. Previously, the Torpedo Depot at Garden Island across the ...

Occasional Paper 100: Operation Estes

Editorial Staff · Feb 2, 2021 ·

By Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN Beginning in 1980, Operation Estes saw the government call upon the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to conduct regular surface patrols around Bass Strait. Aerial and ...

Occasional Paper 99: HMAS Tarakan fire 71 years ago

David Stratton · Feb 2, 2021 ·

With Australian’s focussed on celebrating Australia day and long weekends the anniversary of the tragic explosion and fire in HMAS Tarakan (I) on 25 January 1950 passes relatively unnoticed most ...

Occasional Paper 98: Life Line- the Rescue of Tony Bullimore

A.N. Other · Dec 7, 2020 ·

The rescue of yachtsmen in the Southern Ocean has been headline news on several occasions in recent decades. Of particular interest was the rescue of Tony Bullimore in January 1997. ...

Occasional Paper 97: The Lost Patrol

A.N. Other · Dec 4, 2020 ·

By Eric Deshon  The following story was first published in the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) Volunteers’ Quarterly newsletter ‘All Hands’, Issue 103 in June 2018. It is based on ...

Occasional Paper 96: RAN Encounters with Papua New Guinea’s Big Rivers

Editorial Staff · Nov 18, 2020 ·

By David Michael The passing of Commodore Sam Bateman RAN, (Rtd) in October 2020 reminded many people of his Command of the PNG based patrol boat, HMAS Aitape and its ...

Occasional Paper 95: Grandfather was a cableman

Editorial Staff · Nov 18, 2020 ·

By Fairlie Clifton Fairlie Clifton is a long-term member of the Naval Historical Society and foundation member of the Australian National Maritime Museum where she volunteers as a guide. Her ...

Occasional Paper 94: Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie (Mac) Jesse Gregory RAN (Ret): 9 February 1922-27 August 2014

Editorial Staff · Nov 18, 2020 ·

By Rex Williams, President Victorian Chapter of the NHSA  As President since 2003 and active member during the period Mackenzie (Mac) Gregory was at the helm, Rex grew to love ...

Occasional Paper 93: Boxing in the Navy

Editorial Staff · Oct 6, 2020 ·

By John Smith  John Smith, our senior researcher, joined the RAN College in 1946 and retired as a Commander having specialised in gunnery. He served in many RAN ships and ...

Occasional Paper 92: First Royal Australian Navy Victoria Cross: Ordinary Seaman Edward “Teddy” Sheean.

Haken, J.K., Dr · Oct 6, 2020 ·

By Dr John K Haken The Victoria Cross for Australia continues the traditions of the Imperial Victoria Cross as our highest award for bravery. Like several other Commonwealth countries, Australia ...

Occasional Paper 91: Invidious Choices – The German East Asia Squadron and the RAN in the Pacific, August to December 1914

A.N. Other · Oct 6, 2020 ·

By Lieutenant Commander Desmond Woods RAN This paper was first published by the Australian Naval Institute online and in an abbreviated form the by the UK Naval Review and by ...

Occasional Paper 90: A fascinating piece of history

Editorial Staff · Sep 6, 2020 ·

By Sheila Tolley This paper was published on a Blog entitled Tolley’s Topics 18 June 2019. Although Ms Tolley does not cite her sources, the psychology applied to setting the ...

Occasional Paper 89: Operation Bursa, Use of Naval Air Support in Protection of Australian Oil Rigs 1980-1989

Editorial Staff · Sep 6, 2020 ·

The following is a summary of a paper by Captain Marcus Peake RAN Ret’d, Webmaster of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia (FAAAA). The full story, published in August ...

Occasional Paper 86: Royal Australian Navy in the Pacific War

A.N. Other · Aug 26, 2020 ·

By Richard H Pelvin and Jozef H Straczek This paper was provided courtesy of the Sea Power Centre – Australia. It was first published in 2003 and is available on ...

Occasional Paper 88: Gulf War: Logistics Support for RAN Ships Operation Damask: 1990-1991

Editorial Staff · Aug 26, 2020 ·

By David Michael This paper addresses the key aspects of; preparation, deployment and support for RAN units deployed for Operation Damask between August 1990 and March 1991. During this period ...

Occasional Paper 87: Disposition and Employment of Royal Australian Navy Ships following Cessation of Hostilities 15 August 1945

David Stratton · Aug 26, 2020 ·

By David Stratton, Hugh Farmer and Dennis Weatherall At the end of the War in the Pacific in August 1945 the strength of the Royal Australian Navy was 36,976 men ...

Occasional Paper 85: A Curious Spectacle

Editorial Staff · Jul 27, 2020 ·

By Brooke Twyford This paper was provided courtesy of Australian National Maritime Museum volunteers. It was published in the June 2020 edition of ‘All Hands’, the Australian National Maritime Museum ...

Occasional Paper 84: Operation Musketeer – the 1956 Suez Crisis, RAN Members’ Involvement

A.N. Other · Jul 27, 2020 ·

This paper was written by Society volunteer, Commander Martin Linsley RAN Rtd. Its genesis was a list of the RAN participants in the Suez Crisis compiled by Mike Fogarty a ...

Occasional Paper 83: Current Australian Ship Naval Building Projects

Editorial Staff · Jul 27, 2020 ·

This story, which was first published in the Australian Naval Architect, Volume 24 Number dated 2 May 2020 is reproduced with thanks to the Australian Division of the Royal Institution ...

Occasional Paper 82: The Kerr ‘Sydney-Emden’ Medal

Editorial Staff · Jun 27, 2020 ·

This paper, was first published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in the March 2013 edition of the Naval Historical Review. On 9 November 1914 the RAN cruiser HMAS ...

Occasional Paper 81: Recognition for Scrap Iron Flotilla

Editorial Staff · Jun 24, 2020 ·

The Society was recently gifted a package of assorted papers and photographs collected by the late Petty officer Arthur James Collins. Collins was called up in January 1938 and served ...

Occasional Paper 80: The Early Years (1970-1971) of HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41)

A.N. Other · Jun 24, 2020 ·

The following paper was delivered by Captain Ralph T Derbidge MBE RAN (Retired) at a reunion (mostly of commissioning crew members and those who deployed to the Vietnam War in ...

Occasional Paper 79: The Loss of HMAT Ballarat

Editorial Staff · Jun 24, 2020 ·

The following are personal accounts by soldiers embarked in the transport ship HMAT Ballarat on 25 April 1917. Both stories were published on Thursday 19 July 1917 in the Bendigonian ...

Occasional Paper 78: Two Proud Ships: HMAS Brisbane (I) and HMAS Brisbane (II)

Editorial Staff · May 21, 2020 ·

The following is an address given by Captain Ralph T. Derbidge MBE RAN (Retired) on Monday 19 October 2015 at the Australian War Memorial.  The occasion was the dedication of ...

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