On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

April 17, 1964

The first of three Bell Iroquois helicopters ordered for the RAN were received by the Fleet Air Arm.

The FAA entered a period of uncertainty in the early 1960s with the announcement that fixed wing naval aviation was to cease. Rotary-wing operations would remain taking on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) duties, a role far-removed from the tasks of 723 Squadron and its comparatively rudimentary Sycamores. Consideration turned to a replacement for the Sycamores with the Westland P531 Wasp emerging as the preferred option.

However, the Wasp’s high performance characteristics left little room for error and made it impractical as a trainer. The Minister for the Navy, Senator John Gorton, was instead convinced to purchase the American Bell UH-1B Iroquois utility helicopter, an aircraft which became an icon of the Vietnam conflict. The first Iroquois came into service in May 1964.

 

March 9, 1964

First Bell UH-1B/1C Iroquois delivered to the RAN. Members of the Royal Australian Navy flew several variants of this aircraft in both the gunship and utility configuration as part of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam and with 9 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force

 

March 6, 1964

HMAS Moresby officially commissioned under the command of Commander John Osborn, RAN, at Garden Island in Sydney

February 25, 1964

The first Royal Commission into the loss of HMAS VOYAGER, in a collision with HMAS MELBOURNE, was convened in Sydney.

February 21, 1964

HMAS Barcoo was decommissioned for the final time. The frigate had travelled 342,579 nautical miles during her career.

February 13, 1964

The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, announced the setting up of a Royal Commission to inquire into the loss of HMAS VOYAGER. The decision was a precedent, the normal procedure was to convene a naval court martial.

February 10, 1964

HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and HMAS VOYAGER, (destroyer), collided in a night exercise off Jervis Bay. VOYAGER sank with a loss of 82 lives. The GC was awarded posthumously to CPO Jonathon Rogers, DSM, for conspicuous bravery in rescue following the collision. The subsequent inquiries and two Royal Commissions into the cause of the collision shook the RAN to its foundations.

January 10, 1964

Seacat missile systems were fitted in HMA Ships PARRAMATTA, YARRA, STUART, and DERWENT, (destroyer escorts).

January 6, 1964

RADM O. H. Becher, CBE, DSO, DSC and Bar, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet. RADM Becher was one of the most highly decorated permanent officers of the RAN.

January 3, 1964

HMAS ANZAC, (destroyer), landed parties to fight bushfires on Tasman Island.

November 4, 1963

S. Landau was appointed as Secretary of the Department of the Navy. He held this position until 1973, when the Department of the Navy was subsumed into the Department of Defence.

October 17, 1963

A sub lieutenant and four midshipmen were drowned when a whaler from HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), was swamped off Hayman Island, in the Great Barrier Reef.

October 4, 1963

The Australian Government placed orders for two Oberon class submarines with Scott’s Shipbuilding, Scotland.

September 20, 1963

The 16th MCM Squadron with 6 Bird class minesweepers deploy as part of Operation GARDENING, a minesweeping task to clear a channel into Tonolei Harbour in Bougainville, where US aircraft had dropped a large number of magnetic mines in 1943. This was the RAN’s biggest minesweeping operation for 16 years.

August 15, 1963

HMAS Warrego paid off, one week short of her 23rd birthday, having steamed 440,978 miles since commissioning on 22 August 1940. In the post war period Warrego made a significant contribution to the survey of Australian waters, steaming some 271,000 miles on post war survey duties alone. She was replaced in the fleet by HMAS Moresby (I), which commissioned in March 1964.

August 9, 1963

The Minister for Defence, Senator J. Gorton, announced that the Australian Minesweeping Squadron would sweep mines in Bougainville waters.

July 18, 1963

817 squadron recommissioned with the Wessex 31A helicopter

July 5, 1963

A Sea Venom crashed into Sydney Harbour following a collision with another Sea Venom during a flypast.

 

June 28, 1963

The River class, (modified type 12 frigate), destroyer escort, HMAS STUART, (CMDR M. L. Molony, RAN), was commissioned. STUART was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 20 March 1959, and launched on 8 April 1961. Mrs J. Gorton, (Wife of the Minister for the Navy), performed the launching ceremony.

June 18, 1963

805 Squadron, flying Sea Venoms, decommissioned

May 8, 1963

HMAS QUEENBOROUGH, (frigate), struck HMS TABARD, (submarine), while exercising off Sydney. Both vessels were damaged but returned to Port under their own power.

April 24, 1963

HMAS Quickmatch paid off to Reserve at Williamstown. After paying off she served as an accommodation ship at Williamstown. On 15 February 1972 Quickmatch was sold for scrap to Fujita Salvage Company Limited of Osaka, Japan. On 6 July 1972 the Japanese tug Sumi Maru left Melbourne for Japan with Quickmatch and another former RAN vessel, Gascoyne (I), in tow.

March 30, 1963

805 Squadron, flying the Sea Venom, decommissioned at NAS Nowra

March 28, 1963

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II signalled the destroyer HMAS ANZAC at the conclusion of the Royal Tour of Australia; “Splice the main brace”. The RAN does not splice the main brace except on the order of the Commander-in-Chief.

March 20, 1963

Two Westland Scout AH-1 helicopters were acquired by the RAN and operated by 723 Naval Air Squadron.  The helicopters were embarked in the hydrographic survey ship HMAS Moresby with one on board while the other was in maintenance at Nowra