On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

November 11, 1986

The Shore Establishment HMAS LEEUWIN, (Fremantle, WA), was decommissioned. The base had begun life as a drill hall in Croke Lane, Fremantle, in 1926, and was commissioned on 1 August 1940. LEEUWIN moved to nearby Preston Point in 1942. Following the end of WWII, the base became a training depot for reserves and national servicemen. In 1960 it became the Junior Recruit Training Establishment; a task it carried out for the next 24 years, producing over 12,000 sailors for service in the RAN. The base is now known as Leeuwin Barracks, and provides support for a number of Tri Service units in the Fremantle area

November 1, 1986

The mine hunter inshore HMAS RUSHCUTTER, (LCDR G. Mapson, RAN), was commissioned at Sydney. Her sister-ship HMAS SHOALWATER, was commissioned a year later. A plan to bring into service six of the class was envisaged, (others to be named WESTERNPORT, DISCOVERY, ESPERANCE, and MELVILLE), however this never eventuated.

October 24, 1986

The Royal Australian Navy opened its 75th Year Anniversary celebrations with a ceremonial fleet entry into Sydney Harbour. A giant White Ensign towed by a Sea King helicopter led the entry.

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Editors Note:

This event was previously recorded as having occurred on 26 January 1986. This was incorrect.
We thank Mr Leo Van Milet for bringing this to our attention.

October 5, 1986

Garden Island Naval Museum was officially opened by ADML Sir Victor Smith, AC, KBE, CB, DSC.

September 15, 1986

The first Cabinet Meeting of the Australian Government held at sea was convened by the Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Hawke, in the flagship of the RAN, HMAS STALWART.

August 14, 1986

The helicopter from HMAS Moresby II while approaching the ship after assisting with the calibration of hydrographic equipment at Gibson Point in the Admiralty Gulf, Western Australia lost power at a height of some 30 metres and crashed into the sea. The three-person crew escaped uninjured, and the aircraft was recovered, with the exception of its rotor and transmission, by Moresby’s SMBs and crane. A replacement aircraft was embarked the following month

August 13, 1986

HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), decommissioned at Garden Island, Sydney, for disposal.

July 15, 1986

Sea King Mk50 903 made an emergency Landing in the sea off Kiama during Anti Submarine exercise with HMAS Adelaide when transmission oil lost. Capsized in the moderate sea. HMAS Adelaide attempted salvage struck the floating fuselage and the aircraft sank

May 26, 1986

HMA Ships STALWART, FLINDERS, BETANO, and BRUNEI, assisted by men from RAN Clearance Diving Team 2, were involved in providing equipment and support to the people of the Solomon Islands, in the wake of Cyclone Nama.

May 23, 1986

HMA Ships STALWART, FLINDERS, BRUNEI, and BETANO, were dispatched to the Solomon Islands to render assistance, following a cyclone in the area.

April 23, 1986

The auxiliary oiler replenishment ship HMAS SUCCESS, (CAPT J. G. Longden, RAN), was commissioned. SUCCESS was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, and launched on 3 March 1984. Lady Helen Stephen, (Wife of the Governor General), performed the launching ceremony. SUCCESS was the last RAN ship to be built in Cockatoo Island Dockyard.

March 17, 1986

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, unveiled the National Naval Memorial at Canberra.

March 7, 1986

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II presented new Royal Colours to the RAN at a ceremony held at HMAS CRESWELL.

February 4, 1986

HMA Ships IPSWICH, DUBBO, CAIRNS, and BENDIGO, (patrol boats), assessed the damage and rendered assistance to civil authorities in Northern Australia in the wake of Cyclone Winifred.

January 28, 1986

HMA Ships HOBART, SYDNEY, PARRAMATTA, DERWENT, and VAMPIRE, and aircraft of No.817 Squadron were dispatched to search for an F111 bomber which crashed into the sea off Bateman’s Bay, NSW.

January 24, 1986

Editors Note:

This event was incorrectly tagged as have occurred on 24 January 1986.

This was incorrect, the event occurred on 24 October 1986.
An automatic redirection has been created.

The Royal Australian Navy opened its 75th Year Anniversary celebrations with a ceremonial fleet entry into Sydney Harbour. A giant White Ensign towed by a Sea King helicopter led the entry.

December 16, 1985

HMAS SUPPLY was paid off into reserve at Sydney. She had steamed 667,421 miles at an average speed of 12.84 knots and completed 3401 underway replenishments at sea.

December 6, 1985

HMAS STALWART, (maintenance ship), made an emergency voyage to Macquarie Island for ANARE to land Christmas stores for the staff, when the Antarctic supply ship NELLA DAN developed defects.

November 29, 1985

HMAS YARRA, (destroyer escort), was paid off into reserve at Sydney.

November 28, 1985

HMAS OVENS, (Oberon class submarine), made the first of the RAN’s sub-surface firings of the UGM48 Harpoon anti-ship missile. This was also the first Harpoon firing from a conventional submarine. A direct hit was scored on a distant, small remotely-controlled surface target on the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility near Hawaii, USA.

November 25, 1985

An American Remote Controlled Undersea Vehicle conducted a search of the sea floor of St. George’s Channel at Simpsonhaven, New Britain for the wreck of the Australian submarine AE1, lost on 14 September 1914. The search was unsuccessful.

November 22, 1985

HMAS YARRA, (destroyer escort), was decommissioned into reserve. YARRA was sold 1991, and broken up in 1992.

November 3, 1985

A Naval Board Instruction was promulgated in ships and establishments of the RAN banning homosexuals in the service.

November 2, 1985

HMAS CANBERRA signalled the Russian ship FRUNZE which she had shadowed for three days in the South China Sea; ‘Happy 68th Birthday, (of the Russian Revolution). We leave you in peace.’ FRUNZE replied: ‘Thank you very much for your co-operation. I wish you a pleasant voyage.’

A commemorative plaque for 386 officers and 1,286 men, trained in anti-submarine procedures at the Anti-Submarine School, HMAS RUSHCUTTER, between 1938 and 1945, was unveiled by CAPT Newcomb, RAN (Ret.), at the Garden Island Naval Chapel, Sydney.

November 1, 1985

HMAS Canberra intercepted and shadowed the large Soviet cruiser Frunze and her escorts. The Soviet Surface Action Group (SAG) comprised the Kirov Class cruiser Frunze, the Sovremenny Class guided missile destroyer (DDG) Osmotritelny and the Kashin Class DDG Strogiy. The intercept took place following a three day high-speed transit by Canberra through the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malacca Straits. Over the next five days Canberra remained in close company as the Soviets transitted the Malacca and Singapore Straits before entering the South China Sea. During the mission Canberra used her embarked helicopter to gather addtional information. On breaking away from the Soviets, pleasantries from both navies were exchanged as was the practice during Cold War encounters