On This Day
1945 > WW2
On This Day - 1945
- December 31, 1945
Four GCs, nine GMs and three Bars to the GM were awarded to RANR personnel serving in the Rendering Mines Safe Section of the RN during WWII.
- December 17, 1945
HMAS Horsham decommissioned at Fremantle and was placed in the Reserve Fleet. During her service she had steamed 95,872 miles and was under way for 11,302 hours. Horsham was sold as scrap for breaking up to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company, Hong Kong, on 8 August 1956.
HMAS BASILISK, (shore establishment at Port Moresby), paid off.
The modified River class frigate HMAS MURCHISON, (LCDR J. McL Adams, RAN), was commissioned. MURCHISON was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 3 June 1943, and launched on 31 October 1944.
HMAS Parkes paid off into Reserve at Fremantle on 17 December 1945. Without being again brought forward for service Parkes was sold for scrap on 2 May 1957 to Hong Kong Rolling Mills Ltd, of Hong Kong.
- December 12, 1945
HMAS Riawe was decommisioned and returned to owner Mr Gordon Allison.
- December 10, 1945
The Q class destroyer, HMAS QUEENBOROUGH, was commissioned. QUEENBOROUGH was laid down at Swan Hunter’s Yard, England, on 6 November 1940, and launched on 16 January 1942. QUEENBOROUGH was transferred to the RAN in September 1945.
- December 8, 1945
HMAS Kara Kara paid off into reserve at Darwin. After five years in reserve she departed Darwin on 6 December 1950, arriving at Sydney on 22 December 1950. Without further sea going service she was transferred to unmaintained reserve at Waverton Depot on 30 December 1960 and was later used as a Reserve Amenities Ship at Sydney. Kara Kara was sold on 15 February 1972 to Marrickville Metals, Marrickville, NSW, for breaking up. After being stripped of useful material the hulk was handed back to the RAN for use as a target. On 31 January 1973 Kara Kara was sunk, forty miles east of Jervis Bay, as a target for RAN ships and aircraft
- December 7, 1945
The River class frigate HMAS MACQUARIE, (LEUT L. M. Hinchliffe, DSC, RAN), was commissioned. She was laid down as CULGOA in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 3 December 1943, and launched on 3 March 1945 as MACQUARIE.
- November 28, 1945
HMAS QUALITY was commissioned into the RAN after service in the RN. She replaced HMAS NAPIER on transfer to the RAN.
- November 27, 1945
HMAS Vendetta paid off for disposal. On 20 March 1946 she was sold to Penguin Pty Ltd, Sydney. Her hull was scuttled off Sydney Heads on 2 July 1948.
Sub Lieutenant Leslie John Norton RANVR lost his life in a Seafire XV, whilst doing an air display at Schofields. The accident was initially blamed on pilot error, but an investigation found that at high speeds the Seafire was subject to aileron reversal. This condition could result in wing spar failure.
- November 26, 1945
HMAS Paterson decommissioned at Sydney and was returned to her owners on 1 May 1946. She foundered on 11 June 1951 near Bird Island off the NSW Central Coast when she sprung a leak while carrying a general cargo, including 476 dozen bottles of beer, from Sydney to Newcastle
- November 24, 1945
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), was flagship of His Majesty’s Australian Squadron in Japan.