On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

August 15, 1947

The Australia Government approved the creation of the Naval (later Fleet) Air Arm.

July 24, 1947

Units of the First Aircraft Carrier Squadron of the Royal Navy led a formation of nine warships into Sydney Harbor. They came through in-close order led by the aircraft carrier HMS Theseus flying the flag of Rear Admiral G. E. Creasy. The squadron also includes the aircraft carrier HMS Glory. In spite of the early arrival of the squadron, vantage points along the harbor front were, lined by cheering spectators. HMAS Australia, which escorted the carriers through the Heads, fired a courtesy salute of 13 guns.

July 20, 1947

During RN flying off Melbourne 5 were killed and others injured in several crashes of aircraft flying from HM Ships Theseus and Glory. The aircraft were doing flying to demonstrate the capabilities of carriers as a part of discussions for the RAN to acquire an aircraft carrier. Four were killed when two fireflies collided in the air while another died during a crash landing.

July 10, 1947

HMAS BALLARAT, (minesweeper), was sold out of service and renamed CARMENCITA.

July 3, 1947

The Australian Government approved the establishment of the RAN Fleet Air Arm.

May 20, 1947

HMAS QUICKMATCH, (destroyer), arrived at Nanking with Professor Copeland, the newly appointed Australian Ambassador to China and his staff. QUICKMATCH was the first ship of the RAN to visit the port.

May 9, 1947

HMAS Maryborough was sold to the Australian General Trading and Shipping Syndicate, who renamed her Isobel Queen. She had paid off from the RAN in December 1945. For years she was berthed near Victoria Bridge, Brisbane but never sailed under her own power after sale by the navy in 1947. She was later sold for scrap to Carr Enterprises in Brisbane, in 1953

April 11, 1947

HMAS Ararat (I) paid off into the Reserve Fleet at Sydney. She had steamed 109,000 miles

April 3, 1947

HMAS STUART was sold out of service for breaking up. The keel of the ship is now buried in Kissing Point Bay, Sydney. A plaque put in place by Ryde Council marks the place.

April 1, 1947

The modified River class frigate HMAS CULGOA, (CMDR H. L. Gunn, RAN), was commissioned. CULGOA was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC on 15 July 1943, and launched on 22 September 1945. On completion she had been immediately placed into Reserve Mrs Showers, (Wife of CAPT H. A. Showers, RAN), performed the launching ceremony. She was to have originally to have been called Macquarie, but the name was changed while she was still on the stocks.

March 31, 1947

After a short commission, which lasted only 15 months, HMAS Barwon paid off into Reserve. Barwon was sold as scrap to HC Sleigh for Mitsubishi (Australia) Pty Ltd. She was later resold to the Japanese firm Amakasu Sangyo Kisen Co Ltd.

March 16, 1947

HMAS GOULBURN, (minesweeper), was sold out of service and renamed BENITA.

February 7, 1947

HMAS Dubbo paid off into Reserve at Sydney. On 20 February 1958 she was sold for scrap to Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd, Tokyo. In June 1958 the Japanese salvage vessel Tukoshima Maru departed Sydney for Japan with Dubbo and another former RAN vessel, the repair and maintenance vessel Platypus, in tow

February 3, 1947

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was sold out of service and broken up at Ryde, Sydney.

January 10, 1947

HMAS Koopa was returned to her owners, Brisbane Tug and Steamship Company Ltd, on 10 January 1947

September 30, 1946

Three seamen from HMAS QUIBERON, (destroyer), were washed overboard during exercise off Port Phillip, VIC. Despite immediate action to recover the sailors, two, Ordinary Seamen, D.R. Egglestone and C. E. Revitt, were lost.

September 27, 1946

HMAS Ballarat paid off into Reserve at Sydney and was sold to a Hong Kong shipping company, China Traders Ltd, on 10 July 1947. Ballarat (I) did not leave Australian waters and in December 1950 she was resold to the Ta Hing Company (Hong Kong) Ltd. She was subsequently refitted for the Chinese coastal trade and renamed Carmencita. In January 1951, however, the Commonwealth Government issued a Statutory Order banning her from proceeding to Chinese waters. In 1953 she was again sold, on this occasion to John Manners and Co (Aust) Pty Ltd, Sydney. It has been reported that the ship was broken up in 1953.

HMAS Bathurst was placed in Reserve for disposal after steaming 160,165 miles. She was sold on 21 June 1948 to T Carr and Co of Sydney as scrap.

HMAS Bendigo paid off at Sydney. Since commissioning she had steamed 280,100 kilometres. Bendigo was sold as a seagoing vessel on 5 May 1947 to Ta Hing Co (Hong Kong) and was renamed Cheung Hing. She was later acquired by the Navy of the People’s Republic of China, converted from a merchant ship and rearmed for naval service under the name of Loyang.

HMAS Goulburn paid off. She was sold as a seagoing vessel to Captain SP Bell, of Pacific Enterprise Incorporated, for £12,500 on 13 October 1947. She was later resold to PJ Lobo & Co, Hong Kong, for £15,000, and again to AH Carrol, acting as agent for Ta Hing Co (Hong Kong) Ltd, in December 1950. However, a Commonwealth Statutory Order issued in January 1951 barred her removal from Australian waters. Goulburn was resold to John Manners & Co (Aust) Pty Ltd, of Sydney, in 1953 and renamed Benita

September 24, 1946

The merchant ship BANTAM was sunk as a gunnery target off Sydney by HMAS CONDAMINE, (frigate).

September 19, 1946

HMAS Westralia paid off at Sydney after steaming 120,978 miles in naval service. She subsequently provided a service between Sydney and Kure for the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces from December 1947 until April 1949 with a merchant seaman crew. She was then chartered to the British Ministry of Transport for use as a Troop Carrier and left Sydney in August 1949 and after service in the Mediterranean returned to Sydney in March 1950. Reconversion for peacetime service was again begun and on 27 March 1951 Westralia was returned to her owners

September 2, 1946

The WRANS were officially disbanded although the final members did not leave until 1947

August 27, 1946

The diesel tug HMAS BRONZEWING, was commissioned. BRONZEWING was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, and launched on 2 February 1946.

August 26, 1946

HMAS Bunbury paid off in Sydney bringing her seagoing career to a close after steaming 101,000 miles since commissioning. Bunbury was sold on 6 January 1961 to Kinoshita (Australia) Pty Ltd for breaking up

August 24, 1946

HMS Broome (formerly HMAS Broome) was handed over to the Turkish Navy at Istanbul and renamed Alanya. In mid-April 1946 Broome had been paid off and recommissioned into the Royal Navy. On 8 May 1946 the ship sailed from Fremantle for Colombo en route to Istanbul where she arrived on 22 August 1946.

August 21, 1946

HMAS BROOME, (minesweeper), was transferred to the Turkish Navy and renamed ALANYA.

August 14, 1946

HMAS KALGOORLIE, (minesweeper), was transferred to the Netherlands Navy and renamed TERNATE.