On This Day
1946-1959 > Post WW2
On This Day - 1946-1959
- 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.