On This Day
1919-1938 > Depresssion and between the wars
On This Day - 1919-1938
- March 17, 1927
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), was launched at Clydebank, Scotland.
- January 22, 1927
The first Sovereign’s Colours, (King George V), was presented to the RAN at Flinders Naval Depot by the Governor General, Lord Stonehaven. A second colour for use by the Fleet was presented five days later at a parade at the Domain in Sydney.
- September 7, 1926
HMAS OTWAY, (submarine), was launched at Vickers Armstrong, UK.
- September 5, 1926
LCDR F. C. Darley, RN, was killed while leading a boarding party to recapture a British river steamer, seized by Chinese pirates at Wanhsien. Darley distinguished himself in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), in May 1917, when he rendered safe a damaged 30 cm shell, jammed in an hydraulic hoist. He cleared the hoist of personnel and removed the fuse of the shell with a crowbar and a spanner. On the night before his death LCDR Darley wrote in a letter to his mother:- ‘I pray to God that I shall do nothing that may bring discredit on the White Ensign’.
- September 2, 1926
HMAS CERBERUS, (former HMVS CERBERUS, turret ship), was sunk as a breakwater in Port Phillip Bay, VIC.
- August 5, 1926
Sir Neville Howse, Minister for Defence, enunciated the policy that all officers of the RAN should be Australians.
- July 20, 1926
LEUT Norman. H. Shaw was appointed to Command the Royal Navy submarine HMS H27 becoming the first RANC Graduate to command a warship. He was 26 years and 11 days old on this date
- June 30, 1926
HMAS OXLEY, (submarine), was launched at Vickers Armstrong, England.
- June 16, 1926
101 Flight, RAAF, was re-formed to operate six Supermarine Seagull Mark II amphibian aircraft, for naval co-operation duties.
- April 30, 1926
CDRE Sir George Francis Hyde, KCB, CVO, CBE, RN, was appointed Commodore Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Squadron.