“Safe to Dive – Submarine Support in Sydney 1914 to 1999” by John Jeremy was published by The Naval Historical Society of Australia in 2023, under licence agreement with the ...
Navies
Getting in and out of the Naval College
The June 2023 edition of this magazine contained an article Tristan da Cunha and a Tribute to John Smith, providing a shortened version of the remarkable life story of Commander ...
Inside ‘Nuke School’, the elite US Training Ground preparing Australian Submariners for an AUKUS Future
The following article has been taken from an ABC News summary of 8 July 2023. In America’s deep south, a group of students has just completed one of the most ...
Occasional Paper 169: HMAS Vendetta and Commander Eric Eugene Johnston RAN; Vietnam Deployment 1969 – 1970
By Bjarne (Barney) Kristensen The 18 August 2023 marked fifty years since the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam (The Vietnam War) with commemorations conducted throughout Australia. In this paper I ...
Occasional Paper 168: The Royal Australian Navy in the Pacific War: 1943
Eighty years ago, in 1943 the tide of the war in the Pacific was at last turning for the better. After four long years of war and significant RAN ship ...
The Rapid Wartime Growth in Royal Australian Navy Shore Establishments
On Monday, 17 September 1945, the Cairns Post newspaper featured a lengthy coverage of the RAN’s shore establishments. This illuminating summary is reproduced below. How many of us can now ...
Health Support for Naval Operations: Not just Treatment Services
By Commander Neil Westphalen, RAN Let us assume it’s 0915 on a Monday and you are the CPOCSM for a major fleet unit that is due to sail at 1000. ...
The Frigates that ‘did nothing in particular, and did it very well’ – with apologies to W.S. Gilbert.
By John Ingram Fifty years ago, the Whitlam Labor government cancelled the troubled Light Destroyer (DDL) project and set in place the acquisition of six patrol frigates of the Oliver ...
The Maritime Strategic Fleet Taskforce and its Implications for the RAN
The findings of a Maritime Strategic Fleet Taskforce may have a considerable bearing on the future of the impoverished Australian maritime industry and be of great benefit. As this may ...
Occasional Paper 159: River Class Torpedo Boat Destroyers
This article was originally published in LE GROGNARD!, the newsletter of the ACT Branch of the Military Historical Society of Australia, January 2023 edition – Issue #2023/1. Tim Lyon is ...
Book Review: The Scrap Iron Flotilla
The Scrap Iron Flotilla by Mike Carlton. William Heinemann Australia. Paperback of 448 pages. rrp $34.99 On Sunday September 3rd 1939, history was tumbling over itself. In the mess decks ...
Book Review: The Hunt for the Storozhevoy; the 1975 Soviet Navy Mutiny in the Baltic
The Hunt for the Storozhevoy; the 1975 Soviet Navy Mutiny in the Baltic. By Michael Fredholm von Essen. From Helion Books, Europe At War Series No 19. Published 2022. This ...
Royal Australian Navy: Fleet Reviews over the Years
By Dr J.K. Haken A Fleet Review is a British tradition where the monarch inspects the massed ships of the navy. It originally occurred when the fleet was mobilised for ...
Occasional Paper 151: The Christmas Books
By Geoff Barnes This story first appeared in ‘All Hands’, the quarterly volunteers’ journal at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Our thanks to the ANMM Volunteers for allowing us to ...
Occasional Paper 153: County Class ships of the Royal Navy: A photographic review
By Conrad Waters The following feature was first published in the Ships Monthly magazine and subsequently by the Heritage Machines website on 19th October 2022. The Royal Navy’s series of ...
Occasional Paper 146: Early Naval Training
On Wednesday, 1 October 1913 the Sydney Mail newspaper featured the following detailed report on early naval recruiting and training. Just three days later, on 4 October, Sydney Harbour would ...
FLYING STATIONS II, The Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm 1998-2022: Book Review
Edited by Lieutenant Commander Desmond Woods OAM RAN Published by the RAN Fleet Air Arm in conjunction with Avonmore Books, Kent Town, South Australia 5071 ISBN 978-0-6452469-5-7 Reviewed by David ...
Corvette Memorial Booklet – A Tribute to Those Who Served
The Corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy were built in Australia and crewed by Australians. These ships served with distinction in all theatres of World War 2. This booklet is ...
Australian White Ensign Replacement Service, St Johns Church, Birchgrove, 19 June 2022
On Sunday 19 June 2022 a ceremony to present and dedicate a new White Ensign at St Johns Church in Birchgrove, NSW, was conducted to replace one originally presented to ...
Occasional Paper 141 : The tradition of Colours and Sunset
This short account of the May 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea focuses on the strategically significant outcomes of the battle and how they related to the future of World War 2 and Australians in particular. ...
Occasional Paper 140 : The Factors that Led to the Formation of the RAN in 1911
This short account of the May 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea focuses on the strategically significant outcomes of the battle and how they related to the future of World War 2 and Australians in particular. ...
Letter: RAN ships launched in Australia
The Reverend Arthur Rix and ship launching ceremonies. The March 2022 edition of the NHR contained a story I Name this Ship which states that the Rev. Arthur Rix officiated ...
The Changing Role of Naval Chaplaincy
By Senior Chaplain Richard Quadrio RAN Observing from afar, most especially with new uniform badges worn by Chaplains and later the introduction of Maritime Spiritual Wellbeing Officers (MSWO), it is ...
The Seas of Change: Integrating Women aboard Australian Submarines
By LEUT L.M. Dunsmore RAN Earlier this year this essay was awarded the Naval Historical Society History Prize from candidates of the New Entry Officer Course 65. Publication was withheld ...
Occasional Paper 136: Gun Battle on the Han
In this personal account by Lieutenant Commander Roberts RAN who was Executive Officer of HMAS Murchison during the Korean War, he describes gun battles fought against North Korean ground forces during Murchison’s patrols of the Han River between July 1951 and January 1952. ...