On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

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

February 26, 1949

HMAS LABUAN, (landing ship tank), arrived back at Melbourne after a voyage to Antarctica supplying Australian bases.

February 17, 1949

HMAS SHOALHAVEN, (frigate), relieved HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), of occupation duties in the Far East. The handover took place at Shanghai, China. She then proceeded to Kure, Japan to operate with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, but later returned to Shanghai on 24 March

February 1, 1949

First C-47 delivered to the RAN FAA. A total of 4 were acquired and the last left service in 1974.

January 24, 1949

The hulk of HMAS Adelaide was sold to Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd, her gear and equipment having been sold in 1947. On 1-2 April 1949 the hulk was towed by the tug HMAS Reserve to Port Kembla, where it was broken up.

January 21, 1949

The landing ship, tank, HMAS LABUAN, (LCDR G. M. Dixon, RAN), sailed from Melbourne for Heard and Kerguelen islands in the Antarctic.

January 1, 1949

The RAN assumed the status of a ‘Fleet’, a title it had not enjoyed since 1926. In the ensuring years its official status was ‘Squadron’ however coinciding with the commissioning of the new carrier HMAS Sydney the Navy became a force capable of undertaking major operations. Accordingly, HM Australian Squadron’ was redesignated ‘ HM Australian Fleet’.

December 16, 1948

The aircraft carrier HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT R. R. Dowling, DSO, RAN), was commissioned. As HMS TERRIBLE she was laid down in Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, England, on 19 April 1943, and was launched on 30 September 1944. Mrs Duncan Sandys performed the launching ceremony. At the end of WWII, TERRIBLE was laid up, unfinished. Purchased by the RAN, she was commissioned HMAS SYDNEY, at a re-naming ceremony performed by Mrs J. A. Beasley, (Wife of the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom).

HMA LST 3017 was renamed HMAS Tarakan and HMA LST 3501 was renamed HMAS Labuan

November 24, 1948

First CAC CA-16 Wirraway delivered to the RAN. Seven Wirraways were acquired by the RAN as training and general fleet support aircraft during 1948 – 1951 and then an additional ten in 1952-53 which were operated by 723 and 724 Squadrons at the Naval Air Station at Nowra until they were disposed of in 1957.

 

October 6, 1948

First of 15 Spitfires (1 VC and 14 VIII Models) aircraft issued to RAN FAA, with the last was issued on 27/10/1948. They were trucked to Nowra for use as non-flying deck handling training aids and starting arriving from 7/10/1948.48. The Spitfire’s were taxiied around the dummy deck at Nowra and used to train ground handling staff. After serving their purpose the aircraft were deleted from charge in 1952. Finally, the Spitfires ended up on the fire-ground, where they were set alight to give fire crews exercise in extinguishing aircraft fires. The story goes that the remains were then bulldozed into the ground at the old rubbish tip.

 

 

October 3, 1948

RADM J. A. S. Eccles, CBE, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Fleet. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

October 1, 1948

The RAN took command of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, (BCOF), naval shore establishment Kure, Japan. The base, then known as HMS COMMONWEALTH, became HMAS COMMONWEALTH.

August 31, 1948

HMAS Albatross was commissioned on 31 August 1948

The decision to build an airfield on the land now occupied by the Naval Air Station was taken soon after WWII was declared in 1939. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) occupied the new base on 7 May 1942 and was soon followed by the US Army Air Corps and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force.

In 1944, the British Admiralty directed forces to the South-West Pacific necessitating shore base establishments in Australia to support the Royal Navy and its Fleet Air Arm. RAAF Base Nowra was considered ideal because of its proximity to Jervis Bay, which was large enough to accommodate the entire British Pacific Fleet. The Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm began operations at Nowra in late October 1944, and the base was renamed HMS Nabbington. In March 1946, the base reverted to RAAF control “to be retained but not maintained”.

In July 1947, the Commonwealth Defence Council approved the formation of a Fleet Air Arm which would be controlled and operated by the RAN. The initial planning included purchase of two aircraft carriers, aircraft and establishment of shore facilities. The carriers were named HMA Ships Sydney (III) and Melbourne (II), and the shore facilities were at Nowra.

August 28, 1948

The 20th Carrier Air Group, (comprising 805 and 816 Squadrons), was commissioned at the Royal Naval Air Station, Eglinton, England. The air group was formed to be embarked in the RAN’s first true aircraft carrier, HMAS SYDNEY.

August 20, 1948

HMAS ANZAC, (Battle class destroyer), was launched at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC.

August 2, 1948

HMAS Katoomba paid off at Fremantle, having steamed 152,804 miles. On 2 May 1957 Katoomba was sold to Hong Kong Rolling Mills Ltd to be broken up.