On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

December 5, 1972

HMA Ship ODIN, (submarine), an RN submarine on loan to the Australian Fleet for training purposes, joined the First Australian Submarine Squadron at Sydney.

August 24, 1972

HMAS Parramatta gained the distinction of being the 1000th vessel to enter the Captain Cook graving dock in Sydney since it commissioned in 1945.

August 18, 1972

The Australian Government purchased outright HMAS DUCHESS, (Daring class destroyer), from the British Admiralty. The purchase price was $ 150,000.

July 25, 1972

HMAS Duchess was at sea carrying out surface and anti-aircraft firings before joining Melbourne on rescue destroyer duties. At 12:35, during a surface firing run, a 4.5-inch round from ‘B’ turret hit the right-hand barrel of ‘A’ turret, which had ‘run away’ to maximum elevation, and holed the barrel. Fortunately, there were no injuries and the ship was able to complete the exercise before heading back to Sydney for repairs and a Board of Enquiry.

July 6, 1972

HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), left Melbourne under tow for breaking up in Japan.

July 3, 1972

The wreck of HMAS WARRNAMBOOL, (minesweeper), sunk by a mine in 1947 off the coast of Queensland, was sold to the Southern Cross Diving and Salvage Company.

June 24, 1972

Brothers, CAPT G. J. Willis, RAN, and CAPT A. A. Willis, RAN, were promoted to the rank of Commodore on the same day.

June 15, 1972

Chief Radio Supervisor B. W. Caulter, of HMAS OTWAY, (Oberon class submarine), was awarded the BEM, for devotion to duty over a period of five days, while OTWAY was involved in the rescue of the crew of the ketch ONE AND ALL, in October 1971.

May 26, 1972

The following awards were made to the ships company of HMAS BRISBANE, (destroyer), for her service in Vietnamese waters:CBE: CAPT R. G. Loosli, RANMID: LCDR H. W. Thomsett, RANMID: Chief ERA A. Hills

April 25, 1972

The ‘Melbourne-Sydney Marathon’ took place as HMAS Melbourne travelled from Melbourne to Sydney. Ten members of Melbourne’s ship’s company embarked on a relay marathon from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for Legacy. The ten, ranging in rank from Ordinary Seaman to Commander, formed two five man relay teams and departed Melbourne Town Hall, along with their support volunteers, in the afternoon of 25 April to race the ship back to Sydney. They arrived at Garden Island at 4:13am on 28 April, some 5 hours and 32 minutes ahead of the ship. They covered around 555 miles (893km) in a little more than two and a half days, and at the end of the month had raised over $6000 with donations still coming in.

April 19, 1972

HMAS Stuart departed Sydney for deployment with the ANZUK Forces in the Far East, followed by a visit to Pearl Harbor in August/September 1972 for exercises with US, Canadian and other Australian Ships. She returned to Sydney on 6 October 1972.

April 10, 1972

HMAS TOBRUK, (Battle class destroyer), was sold out of service for breaking up in Japan.

The former destroyer TOBRUK, and frigate QUIBERON, left Sydney Harbour for the last time, under tow of the ocean going tug SUMI MARU No. 38, bound for Japan and breaking up.

April 7, 1972

HMAS Queenborough paid off having steamed some 443,236 miles in the RAN. On 8 April 1975 the ship was sold to Willtopp (Asia) Ltd through the firm’s Agents, Banks Bros and Streets, of Sydney. On 2 May 1975 she was towed from Bradleys Head in Sydney Harbour to Jubilee Engineering Works, Balmain, to be prepared for towing to Hong Kong.

March 15, 1972

The supply ship HMAS JEPARIT, was paid off and returned to her owners, (Australian National Line). JEPARIT made a record 43 voyages to Vietnam, delivering stores and equipment to the Australian forces.

March 14, 1972

More than 2,900 RAN personnel served in the Vietnam War. Casualties were three officers and five ratings killed, and 15 wounded. The following awards were made:- CBE- 3; OBE- 1; MBE- 4- DSO- 1; DSC- 9; DFC- 6; DSM- 4; BEM- 4; MID- 48.

March 12, 1972

The fast troop transport HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT L.J. Merson, RAN), and the supply ship HMAS JEPARIT, (CMDR A.A.C. Philip, RANVR), returned to Sydney, thus completing the RAN’s involvement in the Vietnam War. SYDNEY made 24 voyages to Vietnam, and JEPARIT made 43, carrying troops and supplies to the Australian forces involved in the fighting in Vietnam.

March 5, 1972

HMAS SYDNEY, (fast troop transport), answered a distress call from the 74,000 ton Italian bulk carrier IGARA, after it struck a reef and sank 60 miles east of Singapore.

February 29, 1972

HMAS SYDNEY (troop transport), sailed from Vung Tau, Vietnam, on her last troop carrying voyage. SYDNEY was the only ship of the RAN to wear both the British White Ensign and the Australian White Ensign in the war. She completed four voyages to Vietnam before the Australian White Ensign was introduced on 1 March 1967.

February 15, 1972

HMAS BARCOO, (River class frigate), was sold out of service for breaking up in Taiwan. HMA Ships QUIBERON and QUICKMATCH, (frigates), were sold to the Fujita Salvage Company of Japan for scrapping.

January 24, 1972

RADM H. D. Stevenson was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

January 7, 1972

LEUT J. C. Buchanan, (RAN Helicopter Flight-Vietnam), was awarded the DFC for conspicuous gallantry while rescuing a disabled patrol boat which was drifting close to enemy positions near U Minh, and was in danger of being captured. LEUT Buchanan hooked the landing skids of his helicopter on to the patrol boat and towed it clear.

HMAS Hawk paid off into operational reserve having steamed 193,867 nautical miles in RAN service. Hawk remained in the Reserve Fleet until 1976, when she was sold and broken up for salvage at Maclean on the Clarence River, northern NSW.

January 4, 1972

The following awards to the RAN Fleet Air Arm for service in Vietnam, were announced:-DSC LCDR W. P. JamesDFC LEUT B. G. AbrahamMBE LEUT G. P. AllenMID LEUT A. J. LivmanusMID LEUT J. T. GumleyMID SBLT W. J. ShureyMID SBLT S. P. Rawlinson

December 8, 1971

The landing craft heavy HMAS BALIKPAPAN, was commissioned. BALIKPAPAN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in May 1971, and launched on 15 August 1971.

In Vung Tau HMAS Sydney embarked 4 RAR, the final battalion group, together with 104 Field Battery and 9 Squadron RAAF with its 16 Iroquois helicopters. The South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu flew on board to officially thank the Australian forces for their service in Vietnam and Sydney fired a 21-gun salute as the President departed.

December 1, 1971

The Five Power Defence Agreement, (FPDA), was created with membership by Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. This alliance was created as a result of the withdrawal of British forces east of Suez, where the parties agreed ‘to consult each other in the event of any perceived external threat to Malaysia or Singapore’. Originally land, sea, and air forces of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were based in Malaysia and Singapore, but these were gradually withdrawn over the next 20 years. Despite this, the ‘Five Powers’ conduct regular exercises, in Malaysia and Singapore, controlled by the Headquarters Integrated Area Defence System, (HQIADS).

November 1, 1971

Following the expiration of the Anglo-Malaysian Defence Agreement, the Strategic Reserve was replaced by ANZUK, under the Five Power Defence Arrangement plans for the defence of Singapore and Malaysia. A highlight to the changeover was a farewell review of units of the Far East Fleet. HMA Ships Derwent and Swan participated in this event, which marked significant changes in Britain’s defence role in South East Asia, and ended the role of the previous naval command which had existed for 150 years