On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

August 5, 1991

The ships’ companies of RAN vessels which participated in Operation Damask, in the Red Sea, were honoured by a ‘Welcome Home’ march through the streets of Sydney.

July 26, 1991

CMDR J. Parker, and CPO Darryl Dilger, arrived in Bahrain as the Australian representatives in the Allied Chemical and Biological Weapons Inspection Team. CPO Dilger was awarded the Australian Service Medal with Kuwait and Iron Clasps for his service. He was the only Australian to receive the award.

HMAS Stuart decommissioned at HMAS Stirling. All useful fittings were subsequently removed from the ship before she was sold for scrapping.

July 20, 1991

HMAS GERALDTON, (patrol boat), was dispatched to sea to act as a communication link between the disabled Greek tanker KURKI, disabled off the coast of WA, and shore stations.

July 19, 1991

The RAN presented a collection of relics from the Gulf War to the Australian War Memorial at Canberra.

July 11, 1991

HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), was the first ship of the RAN to visit the German naval port of Kiel. The Australians were welcomed by survivors of the German raider KORMORAN, which sunk the second HMAS SYDNEY, in an action off Western Australia on 19 November, 1941.

July 10, 1991

The 80th Anniversary of the formation of the RAN was celebrated on this day.

July 8, 1991

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), rescued the pilot of a Singapore Air Force F-16 aircraft, which crashed into the sea after a mid-air collision.

July 2, 1991

HMAS Brisbane departed Sydney for her final voyage, a circumnavigation of Australia and New Zealand

June 26, 1991

HMAS STUART, (destroyer escort), decommissioned at HMAS Stirling, WA.

June 24, 1991

HMAS DARWIN, (guided missile frigate), led the merchant ships AL SALAM and SANDGATE through a deep water channel in a minefield off Kuwait.

June 19, 1991

The Naval Dockyard Police and Coxswains categories amalgamated to form the Naval Police Coxswain category

June 18, 1991

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), and HMAS ADELAIDE, (guided missile frigate), made a goodwill visit to Phuket Island, Thailand.

June 17, 1991

RAN ships PALUMA and MERMAID, (survey vessels), made a goodwill visit to the Aboriginal community at Milikipati, on Melville Island. The ships were surveying in the area.

June 9, 1991

HMAS Westralia (II) returned to Australia on completion of her participation in Operation DAMASK II.

June 4, 1991

HMAS DARWIN, (guided missile frigate), arrived in the Arabian Gulf to relieve HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer). BRISBANE was the only RAN destroyer to see service in the Arabian Gulf.

June 2, 1991

During Operation Gulf Storm, HMAS BENDIGO, (patrol boat), intercepted and boarded the first of 42 foreign fishing vessels intruding in Australian waters, off the east coast of Tasmania. This training exercise was conducted with the- Australian Fisheries Service.

June 1, 1991

HMAS JERVIS BAY, (training ship), arrived at Honiara, (Solomon Islands), for a goodwill visit to the area.

May 20, 1991

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), arrived at the port of Pireaus, Greece, to take part in the 50th Anniversary commemorations of the Greece and Crete Campaigns. During her time in the Mediterranean she embarked a number of RAN and AIF veterans of the campaigns.

May 14, 1991

Sea King helicopters from 817 Squadron, (RAN), rescued 38 people cut off by flood waters on the NSW south coast. The Squadron was later awarded a NSW Police Commendation for the operation.

April 22, 1991

HMAS BRISANE, (guided missile destroyer), and HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), returned to their home port of Sydney, after serving in the Persian Gulf during Operation Damask, (1st Gulf War). Operation Dsmask was the Australian code name for the US Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield

April 4, 1991

The battleship USS MISSOURI visited Fremantle, WA on her return to her base of San Diego after Gulf War service.

April 2, 1991

HMAS Darwin commenced her second tour of duty as a part of the RAN ‘s commitment to the Gulf War, the only Australian warship to serve twice during Operation Damask

March 9, 1991

VADM I.D.G. MacDougall is appointed Chief of Naval Staff. He was the first RAN submariner to reach this position.

March 8, 1991

VADM M. Hudson was promoted to the rank of Admiral on his retirement as Chief of Naval Staff. At that time, he was the third officer of the RAN to reach the rank. The others were ADML Sir Victor Smith in 1970, and ADML Sir Anthony Synnot in 1979.

March 1, 1991

The keel of the second Collins Class submarine, HMAS FARNCOMB, was laid at Osborne, South Australia.