On This Day
1914-1918 > WW1
On This Day - 1914-1918
- March 18, 1915
Medical officers, Staff Surgeon H. J. Brennard, and Surgeon W. J. Carr, RAN, from HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), were invited to appear before a Royal Commission set up in Jamaica to inquire into the health of the population.
- March 7, 1915
ADML Sir W. C. Pakenham, GCB, KCMG, KCVO, hoisted his flag in HMAS AUSTRALIA in command of the 2nd Battle- cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet, in the North Sea.
- March 6, 1915
VADM Sir H. G. King-Hall, former Flag Officer Commanding Australian Station, commanded the British Squadron blockading the German cruiser KONIGSBERG in the Rufigi River, East Africa.
- March 4, 1915
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), coaled from the collier BURESK in the Abrolhos Islands north of Rio de Janeiro. The collier was a new ship named after the German collier sunk by Sydney in the Cocos Islands in November 1914.
- March 1, 1915
HMAS PIONEER joined RN forces blockading the German cruiser KONIGSBERG in the Rufigi River, East Africa.
- February 28, 1915
The RAN Bridging Train, (RANBT), was formed in Melbourne under the command of LCDR L.S. Bracegirdle.
The unit was to be a mounted engineering unit made up of RAN Reserve personnel who were unable to be employed in sea going ships. Originally it was planned the unit would operate with the Royal Naval Division, (RN Reservists employed as Infantry), on the Western Front, however the RANBT was later diverted to Gallipoli for service there.
LCDR Bracegirdle was selected as the Commanding Officer. Despite being a naval officer he had extensive experience in land warfare due to his service in China during the Boxer Rebellion, (1900), the Boer War, (1901-02), and the German New Guinea campaign, (1914-15).
- February 17, 1915
The flagship pennant of the Second Battle Cruiser Squadron was hoisted in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), at Rosyth, Scotland.
- February 6, 1915
HMAS PIONEER, (cruiser), arrived at Zanzibar to join the blockade of the German cruiser KONIGSBERG in the Rufigi River, East Africa.
- January 28, 1915
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), docked at Rosyth, Scotland, after reaching British waters by way of Cape Horn.
- January 16, 1915
HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), pursued an unidentified merchant ship off Havana, Cuba. MELBOURNE fired four shots at the vessel before it stopped. The ship proved to be a neutral Dutch vessel