On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

May 8, 1950

The Battle class destroyer HMAS TOBRUK, (CMDR T. K. Morrison, RAN), was commissioned. TOBRUK was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 5 August 1946, and launched on 20 December 1947. Mrs W. Riordan, (Wife of the Minister for the Navy), performed the launching ceremony.

April 25, 1950

808 Squadron commissioned as a RAN squadron at St Merryn in Cornwall, England, flying Hawker Sea Fury FB IIs and 817 squadron was commissioned at RNAS St Merryn, UK, as a RAN squadron equipped with Fairey Firefly Mk 5 aircraft.Both squadrons formed part of the 21st Carrier Air Group (CAG). This air group had been intended for the second carrier, to be named HMAS Melbourne, but she had been delayed and was not expected to be ready until 1951-52. HMAS Sydney returned to England to embark the 21st Carrier Air Group and arrived back in Australia in November 1950

April 6, 1950

HMNS AMBON, (minesweeper), formerly HMAS CAIRNS, was transferred to the Indonesian Navy and renamed BANTENG.

March 9, 1950

T. J. Hawkin is appointed as the Secretary of the Department of the Navy.

February 2, 1950

A Naval Board of Inquiry reported that the fire in HMAS TARAKAN, which resulted in the loss of eight lives, was caused by a spark from a ventilating fan igniting petrol vapour in a 9090-litre tank in the ship.

January 25, 1950

HMAS Tarakan was berthed alongside Garden Island, Sydney, making good defects prior to departure for New Guinea, when an explosion occurred aft under the mess decks, resulting in the deaths of seven sailors and one dockyard tradesman. A further 12 sailors and one dockyard tradesman were injured. The ship was extensively damaged. Tarakan did not return to seagoing service and on 12 March 1954 she was sold on behalf of the United Kingdom Ministry of Transport to EA Marr & Sons Pty Ltd, of Mascot, Sydney, for breaking up.

January 1, 1950

The shore establishment, HMAS SEEADLER, was commissioned at Manus Island, New Guinea. The base was re- commissioned as HMAS TARANGAU three months later when it was realised that SEEADLER was German for sea eagle. The name TARANGAU was chosen as it was the native name for the same bird.

December 28, 1949

The Netherlands Navy minesweepers MOROTAI and TIDORE were transferred to the Indonesian Navy, and renamed HANG TUAN and PALI UNIS. The ships originally served in the RAN as HMAS IPSWICH and HMAS TAMWORTH.

November 18, 1949

The RN Fourth Submarine Flotilla was commissioned at Sydney to provide a submarine training facility for personnel of the RAN and the RNZN. The first submarines to join the flotilla were HMS TELEMACHUS and HMS THOROUGH.

November 14, 1949

The liner GEORGIC entered the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island, Sydney, for repairs. GEORGIC was the 100th ship to be docked at Garden Island. In 1941 HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), rescued the crew and passengers from the GEORGIC, after she had been bombed and set on fire at Suez.

November 10, 1949

HMAS Shropshire paid off into Special Reserve after a number of periods in different Reserve categories.After several years lying in Sydney Harbour, Shropshire was sold as scrap on 16 July 1954 to Thomas W Ward Ltd, Sheffield, on behalf of the British Iron and Steel (Salvage) Corporation. On 9 October 1954 she left Sydney in tow of the Dutch tug Oostzee bound for the shipbreakers in Scotland. Shropshire was broken up at Troon and Dalmuir.

October 10, 1949

RADM J. W. M. Eaton, DSO, DSC, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Fleet. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

October 5, 1949

HMAS Lachlan paid off at Fremantle, having steamed 32,737.7 miles since commissioning in the Royal Australian Navy. She commissioned the same day as HMNZS Lachlan under the command of Lieutenant Commander PD Hall DSC RN. Lachlan arrived in Auckland in November 1949. The period of the loan was initially three years but this was extended several times and in 1962 Lachlan was purchased by the New Zealand Government. The ship’s service as a unit of the Royal New Zealand Navy was again as a survey vessel. In February 1975 she paid off for alongside service and later in the year she was deleted from the Navy List.

September 27, 1949

HMAS KARANGI, (boom defence vessel), lifted the sunken wreck of the merchant vessel EASR RIVER in Newcastle Harbour, NSW.

August 28, 1949

HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser, ex-HMS TERRIBLE), became flagship of the RAN.

August 23, 1949

The original of the Official Badge of the RAN was designed and adopted for the Cenotaph, in Hobart, TAS. The Design derived from emblems used on a Navy Office booklet, ‘Advice to Personnel’, ‘The Navy List’, and rubbings from a badge on the glass doors of ‘N’-block of Navy offices in Coventry Street, Melbourne, VIC.

May 25, 1949

HMAS Sydney (III) arrived in Jervis Bay with the Fleet Air Arm’s first Naval Air Squadrons, 805 and 816 Squadrons, embarked. Two Supermarine Type 309 Sea Otters were lowered into the water and flew to Nowra while 27 Hawker Sea Fury FB II’s and 27 Fairey Firefly AS 5s were landed ashore by aircraft lighters along with the associated stores, machinery, aircraft documentation and personal baggage. Once ashore, the aircraft were towed to Nowra in convoys, the last arriving on 29 May. It was another two weeks before flying could commence due to inclement weather.

May 11, 1949

RADM H. B. Farncomb hoisted his flag in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

April 25, 1949

HMAS SHOALHAVEN, (frigate), departed Shanghai on completion of her duties during the ‘AMETHYST incident’. The ship was at action stations for the passage from Whangpoo to Woosung, due to rumours that Communist forces were in the vicinity of the Woosung forts. The passage was completed without incident, and SHOALHAVEN returned to Kure, Japan, for duties with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

April 23, 1949

HMAS SHOALHAVEN, (frigate), provided a firing party at the funeral service for 23 British sailors from HM Ships CONSORT and LONDON, who had been killed during the abortive attempt to rescue HMS AMETHYST. The sailors were buried in the Hung-Jao Cemetery in Shanghai.

April 20, 1949

HMAS SHOALHAVEN was brought to one hours notice for sea following the receipt of a signal from HMS AMETHYST, reporting she had been fired on by Communist shore batteries, and was damaged, suffered heavy casualties, and ran aground in the Yangtse River. Surgeon LEUT N. S. Chalk, RANR, was transferred to HMS BLACK SWAN, which, in company with the cruiser HMS LONDON, were dispatched to assist AMETHYST. HMS CONSORT also sailed from Nanking to assist. SHOALHAVEN was ordered to remain at Shanghai to act as the wireless telegraphy guard ship for the Senior British Naval Officer, (Shanghai). The attempt by CONSORT, BLACK SWAN and LONDON to reach AMETHYST failed, and all ships suffered damage and loss of life before returning to Shanghai. AMETHYST was later re-floated by her crew, and escaped to Shanghai.

April 19, 1949

HMAS SHOALHAVEN, (frigate), was anchored at Shanghai and preparing to proceed up the Yangtse River to Nanking, to relieve HMS CONSORT. The ships were part of an Allied force standing by to evacuate British and Australian nationals in the event of increased hostilities between the Nationalist Chinese Government and the Peoples Liberation Army, (Communist Army), who were then engaged in a bitter Civil War. However, with the arrival of HMS AMETHYST, the decision was made that she would relieve CONSORT instead, and stores onboard SHOALHAVEN were transferred to the British warship which then departed for Nanking. Within 24 hours AMETHYST was in action against Communist shore batteries, and suffered heavy damage and casualties.

April 12, 1949

HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), embarked the 20th Air Group, and sailed for Australia.

March 25, 1949

HMAS Kanimbla decommissioned in Sydney and, after refitting, returned to her owners on 13 December 1950

March 2, 1949

First of 12 Vultee Vengeance aircraft were transferred from RAAF to RAN. They were taken to Nowra for use as Fire Fighting Training Aids