On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

February 24, 1955

VADM Sir Roy Dowling was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff.

February 23, 1955

Vice Admiral Sir John Collins retired from the RAN after joining the RAN as a 13 year old cadet in 1913.

The Naval Health Benefits Society, (NHBS) was formed to provide private health insurance for the families of serving members, and ex RAN personnel.

February 14, 1955

HMAS HAWKESBURY, was paid off for disposal. After being declared for disposal early in 1961, she was sold to the Tolo Mining and Smelting Co Ltd of Hong Kong on 21 September 1961. She was later resold to a Japanese firm, Amakasu Sangyo Kisen Co Ltd, but remained at her Navy mooring until 7 September 1962. During that month Hawkesbury and her sister ship Murchison, also bought by the Japanese firm, left Sydney under tow, bound for the Far East to be broken up.

January 5, 1955

HMAS AUSTRALIA, (8 inch cruiser), was advertised for disposal at Sydney.

December 7, 1954

HMAS QUEENBOROUGH was re-commissioned as an anti-submarine Frigate. During conversion she became the first ship of the RAN fitted with Type 170 Asdic and the Mk 10 Limbo mortar.

October 27, 1954

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), was launched at Williamstown, VIC.

October 18, 1954

HMAS Bataan paid off at Sydney having steamed 279,395 nautical miles since commissioning. Bataan was sold for scrap on 2 May 1958 to Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd of Tokyo, Japan.

October 9, 1954

HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), departed from Sydney under tow for the ship-breakers in Scotland.

October 5, 1954

808 Squadron, flying Sea Furies, decommissioned at Nowra.

September 8, 1954

Australia signed the Manila Treaty to form a military alliance with France, US, UK, New Zealand, Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand, to be known as the South East Asia Treaty Organisation, (SEATO)

September 1, 1954

HMAS TIDE AUSTRAL, later renamed SUPPLY, was launched at Belfast, Northern Ireland.

August 31, 1954

HMAS AUSTRALIA (II) was paid off having steamed 477,301 miles in the period since August 1939. She was sold as scrap to British Iron and Steel Corporation (Salvage) Ltd on 25 January 1955. Australia (II) was towed from Sydney by the Dutch tug Rode Zee on 26 March 1955 and was broken up at the Thomas Ward Shipbreaking Yard at Barrow-in-Furness, England, between 1955 and 1957.

August 3, 1954

850 Squadron decommissioned and 851 Squadron commissioned at NAS Nowra as a training squadron flying Fairey Fireflies and Douglas Dakotas.

June 18, 1954

Delivery of the first RAN Vampire trainer took place when Lieutenant Peter Goldrick, RAN accepted the de Havilland Sea Vampire Mk T.34 at the de Havilland workshop in Bankstown on behalf of 723 Squadron. The aircraft was then flown to its permanent home at HMAS Albatross where it was used as a land-based trainer for Sea Fury pilots converting to the soon to be delivered Sea Venom jet fighter.

May 29, 1954

The Captain of HMAS VENGEANCE, (aircraft carrier), reported that on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Australia, the ship’s company spelt out the royal signature on the ship’s flight deck. Soon after the Royal Aircraft passed overhead, the following signal was received: ‘I have to convey the following message from the Queen. Thank you for the original forgery.’

May 4, 1954

850 and 805 Squadron tours in Korea ends.

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.