On a steep, scrubby hillside at Flying Fish Cove, on Christmas Island, washed by the waves of the Indian Ocean, is the neglected grave of an unknown sailor who, some ...
Publications
HMAS Perth – A Brief History 1936-1942
HMAS Amphion, a 6″ modified ‘Leander’ Class Cruiser, was commissioned into the Royal Navy in June 1936, under Captain R. L. Burnett, OBE, RN. Of 6,980 tons, 72,000 hp, giving ...
Rear Admiral Farncomb 1899-1971
The Loss of HMS Natal due Internal Explosion – 1915
HMAS Diamantina During EXPO 88
Vice Admiral Sir John Collins, KBE, CB
Vice-Admiral Sir John Collins, who has died in Sydney aged 90, was Australia’s most celebrated sailor of the 1939-45 War. His destruction of the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni at the ...
Table of Equivalent Ranks
KRIEGSMARINE UNITED STATES NAVY ROYAL NAVY Grossadmiral – – Generaladmiral Fleet Admiral Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Admiral Admiral Vizeadmiral Vice Admiral Vice-Admiral Konteradmiral Rear Admiral Rear-Admiral Kommodore Commodore Commodore ...
Queens Colours – The History of the Colours
Since the earliest times, warriors have carried standards or flags as a distinguishing mark and to serve as a rallying point during battle. To lose the standard often meant that ...
Book Review: Seagulls, Cruisers, and Catapults
By Ray Jones, 134 pages, Illustrated, Pelorus Publications, Tasmania – 1989 This fascinating book is not only a history of the amphibian aircraft used by the Royal Australian Navy but a ...
Letters – HMAS Swan
The September 1987 issue of the Review contains an article by the late Rear-Admiral J.S. Mesley giving a run-down on the activities of the sloop HMAS Swan during the period following ...
Letters – Operational Snakecraft
On reading the recent publication “Fair Winds to Australia”, author Mr Lew Lind, and subsequent article regarding Services Reconnaissance Department in Naval Historical Review (December 1988), I feel obliged to inform Mr ...
History of Service – HMAS Shropshire
This was a pictorial article published in September 1983. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...
History of Service – HMAS Canberra
This was a pictorial article published in September 1983. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...
History of Service – HMAS Australia
This was a pictorial article published in September 1989. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...
Sailor’s Humour
A sailor rushed up to the Officer of the Deck in such great excitement that he stammered and stuttered. The Officer lost patience with him finally and said “Sing it ...
Why Knot?
The log is a device for measuring a ship’s speed through the water. An early log, said to have been invented about 1620, consisted of a float or chip designed ...
Letters – Great Sea Battles
The list of Great Sea Battles of History published in the December, 1988 issue of the “Review” has omitted what must surely figure as one of England’s most memorable naval engagements. ...
Tokyo Bay – 1945
With the surrender signed and whilst waiting for the first run ashore, a half dozen or so sailors from the Australian cruiser Shropshire (including myself) were granted permission to take out ...
Chivalry and Courtesy in war and when most unexpected!
In the sea action on 9 November, 1914 off Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, between the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German cruiser SMS Emden, a kindly gesture ...
HMAS Sydney-SMS Emden Action at Cocos Islands 1914 – A German Survivor’s Account
The Loss of the SS Ceramic – December 1942
The First Battle of Savo Island 8/9 August 1942 – A Correction to the History
The Battle of the Coral Sea Remembrance service – May 1989
The old “Aussie” hands gave three cheers to honour Mrs Francomb and her late husband Rear Admiral H.B. Farncomb, C.B., D.S.O., U.S. Navy Cross. ...