On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

December 26, 1974

Operation Navy Help, to assist with the clean up and re-establishment of services in the shattered city of Darwin, commenced.

The first RAN asset to arrive was an HS748 aircraft, on 26 December, carrying blood transfusion equipment and a team of Red Cross workers. Shortly after a second HS 748 arrived carrying personnel from CDT1. HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), sailed from Sydney. HMA Ships STUART, STALWART, SUPPLY, HOBART, and VENDETTA, sailed two days later.

HMA Ships BALIKPAPAN, BETANO, BRUNEI, TARAKAN, and WEWAK, (landing craft heavy), also sailed from Queensland ports, in what was to become the largest peace-time mission mounted by the RAN.

The first ships arrived on 31 December, and over the next 4 weeks the RAN provided over 18,000 man days of effort to clean up Darwin, create temporary accommodation, restore some services, and bring in supplies and material to help the civilian population.

December 25, 1974

Cyclone Tracy struck and leveled the city of Darwin.

The Naval Headquarters building was destroyed, and the Naval Officer Commanding Northern Australia, (CAPT E. E. Johnston, OBE, RAN), and two of his staff, were trapped in the rubble, and had to dig their way out.

In the harbour the patrol boats HMAS ARROW, (LEUT R. G. Dagworthy, RAN), and HMAS ATTACK, (LEUT P. Degraaff, RAN), attempted to sail and ride out the storm as sea. Neither vessel made it out of the harbour. ATTACK was blown ashore and damaged, and ARROW was driven under Stokes Hill Wharf, and sank with the loss of two of her crew, (PO Leslie Catton and AB Ian Rennie). HMA Ships ADVANCE and ASSAIL, (patrol boats), also suffered some damage, but remained afloat.

Later that day CAPT Johnston was able to re-establish communications with Fleet Headquarters, and advise them of the total destruction of Darwin, and loss of vessels and life. He later wrote;

‘The scene at first light was beyond belief, the harbour empty, every building within eyesight destroyed with the exception of Government House. Soon after dawn the crew of the patrol boat ARROW arrived outside my wrecked headquarters to report that their vessel had been driven under Stokes Hill Wharf, losing two crew in the process‘.

November 26, 1974

HMAS Salamaua was decommissioned and recommissioned into the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as HMPNGS Salamaua

November 22, 1974

HRH Queen Elizabeth II approved the immediate award of the AFC to LEUT A. Baker, RAN, for ‘great skill, coolness and initiative in the rescue of survivors from the Danish freighter MARC ENTERPRISE, off Plymouth, England. LEUT Baker piloted a Sea King helicopter in a gale which exceeded 70 knots. He hovered over 15 metre waves to effect the rescues.

November 14, 1974

HMA Ships Aitape, Ladava, Lae, Madang, Samarai and Tarangau decommissioned as units of the RAN and recommissioned flying the new White Ensign of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Maritime Element.

HMAS Basilisk was re-commissioned under CMDR P. Paffard, RAN to provide administrative support for RAN personnel serving with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

October 18, 1974

RAN Clearance Divers completed the disposal of 5,096 pieces of WWII ordnance in Papua-New Guinea.

October 12, 1974

HMA Ships Brisbane, Melbourne, Stuart, Supply, Vendetta (II),Torrens (II) and Derwent, and the submarine Onslow conducted a fleet entry into Sydney Harbour. The ships were dressed overall as part of the celebrations marking the opening of the Sydney Opera House on 20 October 1974

October 4, 1974

HMAS ANZAC was paid off at Sydney. She had steamed 693,582.1 miles since commissioning. On 24 November 1975 Anzac (II) was sold to Hifirm Corporation Ltd of Hong Kong. She was towed from Sydney by a Japanese tug on 30 December 1975.

September 27, 1974

The landing craft heavy HMAS BALIKPAPAN, (LEUT M. D. Otter, RAN), was commissioned. BALIKPAPAN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, and completed in 1972. Mrs Peacock, (Wife of the Minister for the Army), performed the launching ceremony for the Army. Although BALIKPAPAN was the first LCH built, she was the last to commission into the RAN. All eight craft under construction in 1972-1973 were originally planned for the Australian Army.

September 7, 1974

HMAS BOMBARD, (LEUT R. Cook, RAN), completed the first circumnavigation of Australia by a patrol boat.

August 28, 1974

Iroquois helicopters of the RAN Fleet Air Arm rescued 112 people when the Shoalhaven River broke its banks. Another 240 people were rescued by Navy personnel in ground operations.

August 14, 1974

HMAS Duchess recommissioned and replaced HMAS Anzac (II), which had decommissioned just three days before, as the Fleet Training Ship

August 11, 1974

HMAS ANZAC, (Battle class destroyer), was paid off for disposal at Sydney.

July 11, 1974

Damage was minimal when the Greek cruise liner AUSTRALIS, collided with HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), off Garden Island, Sydney. MELBOURNE was berthed at the time, and AUSTRALIS was approaching her berth.

June 19, 1974

HMAS BUNA, (landing craft heavy), lost her bow ramp in heavy seas off the NSW coast. She was taken in tow and brought safely into port by HMAS PARRAMATTA, (destroyer escort).

June 17, 1974

LEUT K. Frank, RAN, of Samarai, Papua-New Guinea, was appointed to command HMAS LADAVA, (patrol boat). LEUT Frank was the first New Guinea native to command a ship of the RAN.

May 25, 1974

HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), rescued the crew of the disabled yacht CUTTY SARK, in 95 knot winds south of Norah Head, NSW. PO D. Krietling, AB R. Lindsay, and AB D. Ruhl, leapt into the sea to rescue the yacht’s crew.

May 16, 1974

Lieutenant (P) Ralph McMillan lost his life in a Skyhawk TA4G (879)which crashed into the sea 64 Km NE of Nowra during a mock attack on HMAS Melbourne.

May 13, 1974

The rank of Commodore was established as a one-star rank in the RAN.

March 6, 1974

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), picked up a boat containing survivors from the merchant ship WARAWI, which had foundered in the Arafura Sea.

February 10, 1974

HMAS TORRENS escorted the royal yacht BRITANNIA on the Royal Tour of the Pacific.

February 8, 1974

The landing craft heavy HMAS BETANO, was commissioned. BETANO was laid down in Walkers Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in September 1972, and launched on 5 December 1972.

February 4, 1974

RADM D. C. Wells, CBE, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

February 1, 1974

HMAS CAIRNS, (Shore Establishment in Cairns), was commissioned.

January 4, 1974

RADM D. C. Wells, CBE, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.