On This Day

1919-1938 > Depresssion and between the wars

August 23, 1934

A Seagull amphibious aircraft from HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), blown from its cradle and wrecked, in a gale in the Great Australian Bight.

April 19, 1934

RADM Sir Wilbraham Tennyson Randle Ford, KCB, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Squadron. He was the Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Squadron from 19 April 1934 to 20 April 1936.

One story concerning his time in Australia was that during the visit of the Japanese Training Squadron to Australia, in 1935, he was presented with a vase by the senior Japanese officer. Later Ford told his valet to throw it away as “we will be at war with those bastards in a few years time”.

February 2, 1934

The hulk of HMAS SWAN, (former torpedo boat destroyer), sank during a gale on the Hawkesbury River, NSW. Her sister ship PARRAMATTA was blown ashore onto a mud flat where the wreck remains to this day.

January 21, 1934

Engineer VADM Sir William Clarkson, KBE, CMG, died at his home in Sydney. Clarkson had commenced service in the South Australian Navy in 1884, seen service in the Boxer Rebellion as the Engineer of South Australian gunboat HMCS PROTECTOR, and been Third Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board from 1911 to 1922. VADM Clarkson is considered the “father of engineering in the RAN”, and the Clarkson School of Engineering at HMAS CERBERUS is named after him.

November 15, 1933

When the British Government offered HM Ships STUART, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, VAMPIRE, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), to Australia as a gift, the Australian Government was not unanimous in its decision to accept them. Mr. Eddie Ward, Member for East Sydney, said in the debate: ‘As an Australian native with a family in this country, I would be prepared to urge that Australia should not bother about arming to defend herself, because no other country will interfere with her. By doing so she would set an example, as the Scandinavian countries have successfully done.’ Mr. Ward was a member of the Australian War Cabinet from December 1941 until August, 1945.

October 17, 1933

The Australian Destroyer Flotilla, HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER and WATERHEN, departed Chatham and, proceeding via Suez, reached Singapore on 28 November, Darwin on 7 December and Sydney on 21 December 1933.

October 11, 1933

HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER and WATERHEN commissioned into the RAN from the RN.

September 3, 1933

The RAN naval depot in Brisbane, was commissioned as HMAS PENGUIN IV. It was re-commissioned as HMAS BRISBANE in 1940, before becoming HMAS MORETON in 1942. The base was decommissioned in 1994

July 30, 1933

HMAS ANZAC, (destroyer leader), was paid off at Sydney.

June 21, 1933

The prototype Supermarine Seagull V amphibian aircraft, designed for the RAN, was tested. The aircraft, and the Walrus which developed from it, was used extensively in the RAN and the RN. HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), was the last warship to carry the aircraft in battle in 1944.

June 15, 1933

The hulls of HMA Ships PARRAMATTA and SWAN, (torpedo boat destroyers), were sold by public auction for £12 each.

April 22, 1933

ADML Sir William Creswell, the ‘Father of the RAN’, died in Melbourne, VIC.

September 18, 1932

HMAS ALBATROSS, (seaplane carrier), carried out the first naval surface and air exercises off Darwin, NT. ALBATROSS used her guns in the exercise to sink the old Navy collier, HANKOW.

September 14, 1932

HMAS Encounter was scuttled off Bondi Beach, Sydney. She lies at a depth of around 74 metres (243 ft) and is dived regularly.

April 7, 1932

The RAN reached its lowest ebb. In commission were HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA, (cruisers), ALBATROSS, (seaplane cruiser), and one S-class destroyer.

RADM R.C. Dalglish, CB, RN, was appointed as Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Naval Squadron.

May 31, 1931

HMAS SUCCESS, (destroyer), was decommissioned. She had been built for the Royal Navy during World War I, but was commissioned too late to see active service. She was later transferred to the RAN in 1920, (along with her sister ships ANZAC, SWORDSMAN, TATTOO, STALWART, and TASMANIA). At one stage the RAN considered renaming her Rabaul, but this was rescinded and her original name retained.

May 29, 1931

RADM Leonard Stanley Holbrook, MVO, RN, was appointed Rear Admiral Commanding the Australian Squadron.

April 9, 1931

HMA Submarines OXLEY and OTWAY decommissioned at Sydney and were re-commissioned next day as RN ships.

February 18, 1931

The bare hull of the former HMAS Pioneer was scuttled off Sydney

December 24, 1930

Three future British WWII naval heroes were serving on the staff of RADM E. R. G. R. Evans, (Evans of the Broke), in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

They were:-

• First Lieutenant; Future CAPT F. S. Bell, RN, (who commanded HMS EXETER in the Battle of the River Plate);
• Gunnery Officer; Future CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN, (who commanded HMAS SYDNEY in the sinking of the Italian cruiser BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI);
• Staff Officer; Future CAPT E. D. B. McCarthy, RN, (who commanded HMS AJAX in the sinking of the Italian destroyers AERONE, ARIEL, and ARTIGLIO).

November 24, 1930

HMAS TORRENS, (torpedo-boat destroyer), was sunk off Sydney Heads, when being used as a gunnery target for HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA, (cruisers).

May 26, 1930

The Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay, NSW, was closed as a cost cutting measure, due to the affects of the Great Depression. The College was re-opened at Flinders Naval Depot, VIC, (HMAS CERBERUS), in June 1930, and was to remain on this site for the next 28 years.

May 21, 1930

HMAS Success decommissioned and was once more placed into reserve. She was eventually sold for breaking up on 4 June 1937.

April 9, 1930

HMAS HUON, (torpedo boat destroyer), was sunk as a target, off Sydney Heads, by HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA, (cruisers).

March 19, 1930

A Seagull amphibian aircraft from HMAS ALBATROSS crashed at Roaring Beach, TAS, killing the crew.