On This Day
1946-1959 > Post WW2
On This Day - 1946-1959
- April 15, 1954
HMAS Culgoa paid off into Reserve on 15 April 1954, having steamed 167,447 miles. She remained in Reserve until used as an accommodation ship for Sydney minesweeping base, HMAS Waterhen. On 15 February 1972 Culgoa was sold to NW Kennedy Ltd of Vancouver, Canada. In March 1972 she left Sydney under tow for Hong Kong en route to Taiwan for breaking up
- April 5, 1954
HMAS Bataan was damaged in a collision with HMAS Vengeance during replenishment operations in the vicinity of the Cocos Islands
- March 17, 1954
HMAS Macquarie paid off into Reserve at Sydney. She was sold to be broken up as scrap on 5 July 1962 to HC Sleigh & Co for Mitsubishi (Australia) Pty Ltd
- March 12, 1954
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh embarked in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), at Cairns, QLD.
- March 9, 1954
A whaler carrying 28 RAN personnel from Frankston Pier, to the aircraft carrier HMAS VENGEANCE, was hit and sunk by two freak waves. Two of the sailors onboard, (Recruits C. N. Collins and R. Jervis, from HMAS CERBERUS), were swept away and drowned. Neither body was ever recovered.
- February 3, 1954
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), moored at Garden Island Naval Base, fired 1000 rockets to welcome Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to Sydney.
- December 29, 1953
850 Squadron pilot SBLT Michael Beardsall, RN, was killed when his Sea Fury crashed into the sea about 15 kilometres ahead of HMAS SYDNEY.
- December 16, 1953
RADM R. R. Dowling, CBE, DSO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).
- November 15, 1953
HMAS VENGEANCE, (aircraft carrier), was commissioned at Devonport, England. The ship served as a unit of the RAN until 25 October 1955, when she was returned to the RN. VENGEANCE was transferred to the Brazilian Navy, and renamed MINAS GERIAS in 1956.
- October 27, 1953
HMAS Sydney with 805 and 850 Squadrons depart Fremantle for a second tour in the Korean War