On This Day
1960-1975 > Vietnam era
On This Day - 1960-1975
- January 28, 1966
RADM V. A. T. Smith, CBE, DSC, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.
- January 5, 1966
HMAS Nirimba, RAN Apprentice Training Establishment commissioned. The site had previously been used by the military since 1950 in relation to the Fleet Air Arm.
- December 20, 1965
The former Chief of the Naval Stoff, Vice Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., was buried at sea from HMAS Vampire, off Sydney. Vice Admiral Harrington died in Canberra Community Hospital on December 17 1965, after a short illness.
- December 18, 1965
The Perth class, (Charles F Adams, DDG), guided missile destroyer HMAS HOBART, (CAPT G. R. Griffiths, DSO, RAN), was commissioned. HOBART was laid down in Defoe Shipbuilding Co, Bay City, Michigan, USA, on 26 October 1962, and launched on 9 January 1964. Mrs D. O. Hay, (Wife of the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations), performed the launching ceremony.
- December 1, 1965
The Australian Naval Board approved ‘Australia’ shoulder insignia as standard uniform for the RAN.
- November 7, 1965
LEUT Hugh Randall Syme, GC, GM and Bar, RANVR, died in Melbourne. Syme distinguished himself in rendering safe a wide variety of explosive devices employed by the Germans. Many of these bombs, mines and incendiary devices were dropped on British cities.
- October 28, 1965
In the Australian Federal Parliament the Member for Batman, Mr S. J. Benson, argued with respect to the White Ensign being flown in Vietnam by Australia ships, which at that time was the British RN ensign, suggesting that Australia should look to introduce her own White Ensign.
- September 21, 1965
HMAS MILDURA, (minesweeper), was sold out of service for breaking up at Brisbane. For the last 10 years of her life, she served as a stationary training ship for the RANR at Brisbane.
- August 4, 1965
HMAS Yarra (III), commenced operations around West Malaysia as part of the Indonesian Confrontation conflict.
- August 3, 1965
HMAS Parramatta (III), concluded operations around Borneo as part of the Indonesian Confrontation conflict