On This Day
1960-1975 > Vietnam era
On This Day - 1960-1975
- May 25, 1964
HMAS SYDNEY, (fast troop transport), sailed from Sydney with troops and equipment for Malaya.
HMAS DERWENT, (destroyer escort), was the first Ship of the RAN to fire a guided missile when she launched a Seacat.
- May 8, 1964
The Daring class destroyer, HMAS DUCHESS, (CAPT I. M. Burnside, RAN), was commissioned. DUCHESS, (as HMS DUCHESS), was laid down in John I Thornycroft & Co Ltd, Southampton, England, on 2 July 1948, and launched on 9 April 1951. DUCHESS served with the RN 1952-1964, and was made available to the RAN as a temporary replacement for HMAS VOYAGER.
- May 1, 1964
The Minister for the Navy, Mr. F. C. Chaney, announced the dispatch of the HMA Ships HAWK and GULL, (minesweepers), to Singapore, for operations during the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation.
- April 30, 1964
The River class, (modified type 12 frigate), destroyer escort, HMAS DERWENT, was commissioned. DERWENT was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC on 16 June 1959, and launched on 17 April 1961. Lady Burrel, (Wife of VADM Sir Henry Burrel, Chief of the Naval Staff), performed the launching ceremony.
- April 25, 1964
The former Z Special Force vessel HMAS KRAIT, arrived in Sydney. She had been sold after the war, and was later found in Borneo employed as a timber carrying vessel. A campaign was started to bring her back to Australia, and she was subsequently bought by public subscription. She was operated by the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, (NSW Section), for many years but eventually found a home at the Australian National Maritime Museum in the late 1990’s.
- April 19, 1964
HMS DUCHESS, (Daring class destroyer), arrived in Sydney on loan to the RAN as a replacement for HMAS VOYAGER. DUCHESS was later purchased outright by the Australian Government.
- 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.