On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

August 17, 1977

Legislation for the proclamation of a 200 mile Australian fishing zone was examined by the Australian Government.

July 28, 1977

Kiowa 891 crashed near Sunday Island, Western Australia while recovering one of the HMAS Moresby’s crew from the top of a cliff. The man jumped aboard the helicopter which then became unbalanced and its rotors struck the cliff face causing the helicopter to crash at the base of the cliff. The aircrew (Lieutenant Neil Jackson and Aircrewman Anthony Mason) and the passenger survived but the helicopter was destroyed and was swept away by the tide and subsequently located nearly 25km away in Cygnet Bay It was later replaced by a Kiowa transferred from the army.

July 27, 1977

HMAS ADROIT, (patrol boat), arrested her third Taiwanese vessel illegally fishing in Australian waters in the month of July. ADROIT was operating with Pabron Three.

July 15, 1977

HMAS MORESBY, (survey ship), went to the aid of a refugee vessel with 47 Vietnamese men, women and children aboard off the West Australian coast. A boarding party from MORESBY repaired the vessel’s engine, and it steamed safely to Broome.

July 13, 1977

Westland Wessex Mk.31A, N7-213, 823 ditched in the Sea. The helicopter was performing plane guard duties from HMAS Melbourne on Exercise Highwood in the Irish Sea with Lt(P) Phil Pinniger RAN. The carrier was in the process of launching A-4G Skyhawks at the time. The Wessex ditched and Lt Pinniger, Aircrewman Bob Cousins and ships diver, Abata Richard Stanford exited the aircraft. The aircraft was then cut in half by the destroyer HMAS Brisbane that had steamed into position to pick up the aircrew. Divers from Melbourne attached crane cables and airframe less its tail section was raised onto the deck.

June 30, 1977

A Harrier G-VTOL aircraft was flown for the first time from HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier).

June 28, 1977

HMA Ships MELBOURNE and BRISBANE represented Australia at the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Naval Review, at Spithead England. MELBOURNE was the oldest, and the largest ship at the Review. The youngest was the Greek missile launcher, LIEUTENANT TROUPAKIS. 175 ships from 18 nations with 30,000 sailors embarked attended the Review.

June 15, 1977

The Oberon class submarine, HMAS ORION, was commissioned. ORION was laid down in Scott’s Yard, Greenock, Scotland, on 6 October 1972, and was launched on 16 September 1974. Mrs Armstrong, (Wife of the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom), performed the launching ceremony.

June 11, 1977

HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), launched two of her Wessex helicopters, each carrying a World War II cannon, from a position off Crete, and delivered the pieces to the newly built Cretan-Australian War Memorial at Stavromenos. Fifteen minutes later the helicopters returned with a section of the, band which played the National Anthems of both nations.

May 25, 1977

A Tracker aircraft from HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), located the disabled Dutch ship IMPALA PRINCESS, in the Gulf of Aden, and directed a French destroyer to her assistance.

May 10, 1977

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), made a high-speed dash to provide aid for 28 Vietnamese refugees, in a disabled vessel, drifting in the South China Sea.

May 9, 1977

During exercises in the Indian Ocean, a Sea King helicopter from HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), crashed into the ocean. None of the crew were injured, and they were quickly rescued by HMAS BRISBANE, (destroyer), which was in company with MELBOURNE.

May 2, 1977

HMAS SWAN sailed in response to an urgent request for medical assistance from SS Austral Moon. Two crew members had suffered serious injuries when the 30,000 tonne American freighter encountered heavy weather some 650nm due east of Sydney. Swan rendezvoused with Austral Moon that afternoon. The inclement weather precluded the use of Swan’s boats so a line was passed to the freighter and connected to an inflatable naval life raft. Surgeon Lieutenant Brian Misso and Leading Seaman Phillip Littlewood were lowered into the raft to be pulled across to Austral Moon while Swan afforded a lee as best she could in the conditions. There were tense moments as the line parted during the crossing but Lieutenant Misso and Leading Seaman Littlewood were able to secure the raft and board the freighter. They remained on board Austral Moon until she arrived in Sydney the following morning and the two injured sailors were transferred to a waiting ambulance at Circular Quay.

May 2, 1977

HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), was dispatched to render aid to an injured seaman in the US merchant ship AUSTRAL MOON, in the Tasman Sea.

April 15, 1977

RADM N. E. McDonald was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

January 16, 1977

The Minister for Defence, Mr D J Killen, announced the purchase of the roll-on, roll-off vehicular/passenger ship AUSTRALIAN TRADER for conversion to a training ship for the RAN. The ship was commissioned as HMAS JERVIS BAY.

December 9, 1976

HMAS DOOMBA, (minesweeper), was scuttled off Dee Why, NSW. DOOMBA had been built in 1919, and commissioned as HMS WEXFORD, but was sold in 1921 to the Doomba Shipping Company based in Brisbane. In 1939, on 3 September she was requisitioned by the RAN, to become an auxiliary minesweeper, and commissioned as HMAS DOOMBA. She later became an anti-submarine escort, before being paid off from the RAN in February 1947, and converted into a lighter.

December 7, 1976

HMAS ASSAIL, (patrol boat), surveyed the Alligator River, NT.

December 5, 1976

Twelve of the RAN’s Tracker anti-submarine aircraft were destroyed in a disastrous fire at HMAS ALBATROSS, Nowra, NSW. The combined strength of Fleet Air Arm Squadrons 816 and 851 was reduced to one serviceable Tracker.

November 23, 1976

VADM Sir Anthony Synnot is appointed Chief of Naval Staff.

November 8, 1976

HMAS STUART, (destroyer escort), was dispatched to rescue survivors from the oil exploration barge PERENTIE. Two of the barge’s crew of five were picked up.

September 3, 1976

HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), arrived in Sydney, after completing the first circumnavigation of the world, (since a similar voyage in 1952), by a ship of the RAN. HOBART showed the Australian flag in 19 ports and 12 countries.

August 27, 1976

First Officer J. Baker, WRANS, became the first officer of the WRANS to be selected for the Royal Naval Staff College course at Greenwich, England.

August 19, 1976

• HMNZS INVERELL, (ex HMAS INVERELL), and HMNZS KIAMA, (EX-HMAS KIAMA), were paid off for disposal at Auckland. The minesweepers were transferred to New Zealand in 1946.
• CDRE J. Britten, RAN, retired from the RAN after holding all ranks from ordinary Seaman 2nd Class, to Commodore.

August 16, 1976

HMA Ships MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and TORRENS, (destroyer escort), rendered aid to the disabled motor vessel MISS CHIEF, in heavy seas off Bundaberg, QLD. TORRENS took the vessel in tow until a tug arrived.