On This Day

1914-1918 > WW1

October 30, 1916

The Town class light cruiser HMAS BRISBANE, (CAPT C. L. Cumberlegge, RN), was commissioned. BRISBANE was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 25 January 1913, and launched on 30 September 1915. Mrs A. Fisher, (Wife of the Prime Minister of Australia), performed the launching ceremony.

October 22, 1916

The sloop HMAS UNA, (CAPT H. R. Jackson, RN), and the French gunboat KERSAINT, arrived at Malekula to mount a punitive expedition against rebellious natives. During the operations seven police boys were killed, and eight natives. Forty per cent of UNA’s crew went down with malaria, including CAPT Jackson. CMDR W. Burrows, RN, was sent from Sydney to bring the vessel back to port.

AB Albert Knaggs, of HMAS AE2, (submarine), died of typhus while a POW at the Turkish POW Camp at Belemedik. He was the last of four AE2 men to die while POW’s of Turkey.

October 19, 1916

HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), accompanied by other warships, took part in a sweep in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway.

October 16, 1916

Saboteurs cut all electrical connections in HMAS BRISBANE, (cruiser), fitting out at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

October 9, 1916

PO Stephen Gilbert of HMAS AE2, (submarine), died of typhus while a POW in the Turkish POW camp at Belemedik.

September 30, 1916

Stoker Michael Williams, of HMAS AE2, is believed to have died while a POW, at the Turkish POW Camp at Pozanti. His body was never recovered at the end of WWI, and there was some conjecture at the time that he had been murdered by his Turkish captors

September 24, 1916

SBLT S. J. Goble, an Australian serving in the RNAS, shot down a German LVG bomber near Ghistelles. Goble was flying a Sopwith Ship’s Pup

September 21, 1916

HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), joined the Second Light Cruiser Squadron for operations in the North Sea. The squadron was based at Rosyth, Scotland.

September 18, 1916

CPO Stoker Charles Varcoe, of HMAS AE2, (submarine), died while a POW in the Turkish POW Camp at Belemedik. He was the first of four AE2 men to die as Prisoners of War.

August 19, 1916

HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMS NEW ZEALAND, (battle-cruisers), narrowly avoided torpedoes fired by German submarines when they steamed into an ambush off Terschelling, in the North Sea.

August 16, 1916

The River class torpedo boat destroyer HMAS SWAN, (LEUT E. M. Mortimer, RN), was commissioned. SWAN was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 22 January 1915, and launched on 11 December 1915. Lady Cresswell, (Wife of the First Naval Member), performed the launching ceremony.

August 14, 1916

HMA Ships HUON, SWAN, and TORRENS, (torpedo boat destroyers), joined the contraband patrol at Sandakan.

August 8, 1916

HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), arrived at Devonport, England, for refit and modification.

August 3, 1916

The Australian Naval Board took over the wireless-manufacturing workshops of Father A. J. Shaw at Randwick, NSW. For the first two years of the First World War a large proportion of wireless equipment supplied to RAN ships was manufactured by this resourceful priest.

July 20, 1916

The RAN Bridging Train maintained bridges across the Suez Canal for the army fighting in the Sinai. Heavy air raids were experienced at El Shatt and Port Tewfik during this period.

July 7, 1916

The Australian Government introduced the Active Service Moratorium Regulations, exempting members of the RAN, and the Army, and their dependents, from repaying the principal of any mortgage until six months after the cessation of hostilities.

July 3, 1916

The River class destroyer HMAS TORRENS, (LEUT K. P. Dalglish, RN), was commissioned. TORRENS was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney on 23 January 1913, and launched on 28 August 1915. Lady Helen Munroe-Ferguson, (Wife of the Governor-General), performed the launching ceremony.

June 27, 1916

HMAS Melbourne sailed from Birkenhead to rejoin the Grand Fleet at Scapa and again became a unit of the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron

June 16, 1916

HRH King George V, inspected HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), on the Tyne.

June 13, 1916

HMS CHALLENGER and HMAS PIONEER, (cruisers), bombarded Dar Es Salaam, capital of German East Africa.

June 8, 1916

Fleet Surgeon A. C. Bean, RN, was appointed as Director of Medical Services, RAN. In 1917 his title was changed to Director of Naval Medical Services, and under his leadership the RAN Medical Service was created.

May 31, 1916

On the occasion of the Battle of Jutland HMAS Australia was returning to Scapa from Devonport, having departed at 10 a.m. on 31 May. She arrived at Scapa at 6:30 a.m. on 3 June

May 12, 1916

SBLT R. S. Dallas, RAN, an Australian serving with the RNAS, shot down a German Aviatik two-seater aircraft over France. Dallas was flying a Nieuport Scout.

April 22, 1916

HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMS NEW ZEALAND, (battle-cruisers), collided north-west of Horn Reef in the North Sea. AUSTRALIA was in dockyard hands for two months while repairs were made, and missed the Battle of Jutland.

March 20, 1916

The HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), concert party performed before a capacity audience at Ward’s Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica. Proceeds from the performance were shared by local patriotic charities.