In November 2020 the Naval Historical Society was approached by colleagues from across the Tasman for help in finding a Mortar Mark 10 which was required for their museum. During ...
A Mortar Mystery
Naval Sub Lieutenant awarded the Distinguished Service Order
By Colin Randall Many years ago I was involved in the coal mining industry based in the Hunter region and became a member of the Newcastle Club. The club remembers ...
Occasional Paper 122: Royal Australia Navy 75th Anniversary Celebrations, 1986: Planning
By CMDR Ken Swain AM RAN Retd – Staff Officer RAN 75th Celebrations 1985/86 I was sitting in my real estate agency in Seaforth on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in July ...
Occasional Paper 123: Royal Australian Navy 75th Anniversary Year: 1986
By Ross Gillett During 1986, more than any other time since the formation of the RAN, the focus of public and media attention was directed at events both naval and ...
Australian Naval History on 18 September 2021
HMAS Paluma IV and HMAS Mermaid I decommission in a joint ceremony at Cairns ...
Australian Naval History on 15 September 2021
The Australian Government announces the cancellation of the programme for 12 French submarines and indicates that the RAN will instead build nuclear submarines. ...
1986 RAN Fleet Review Programme
The programme is available via the following link 1986 RAN Fleet Review Programme.pdf ...
The First Duke of Edinburgh in Australia
The death of Prince Philip on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99 gave rise to considerable interest in his association with Australia. This was described in an article ...
Occasional Paper 120: A History of Australian Navy Health Sailor Uniforms and Ranks (Part 3)
By Commander Neil Westphalen, Royal Australian Navy Reserve Purpose More than a century after its establishment, many Royal Australian Navy (RAN) uniforms and ranks continue to reflect those used by ...
Occasional Paper 119: Darwin, 19 February 1942: a forgotten moment in the history of naval air operations
By Angus Britts The Japanese air attacks against Port Darwin in the forenoon of 19 February 1942 were a salient moment in Australia’s modern history. For the first time the ...
VADM Sir Victor Smith – From Sea to Chair in Colourful Career
In 1970 Sir Victor Smith spoke on personal recollections of his career in the RAN when he accepted an invitation to address the newly formed Naval Historical Society of Australia, ...
Action of Cape Spada – 19 July 1940
Plan for operations against enemy submarines and shipping in the Aegean. On 18 July 1940, four destroyers departed Alexandria for an anti-submarine hunt towards the Kaso Strait and then along ...
Bombardment of Bardia, 21 June 1940.
Operation MD 3 Bombardment of Bardia, 21 June 1940. An Allied force sailed on 20 June 1940 to carry out operation MD 3, the object was to destroy military objectives ...
Rear Admiral Herbert James Buchanan
Herbert James Buchanan was born in North Fitzroy in Melbourne on 10 March 1902 and briefly attended Scotch College before joining the Royal Australian Naval College as a thirteen year old ...
News reel of the surrender ceremony on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945.
Produced by United News, it features the speech made by General Douglas McArthur. The background music is “With Honour Crowned”. ...
Occasional Paper 117: A History of Australian Navy Health Sailor Uniforms and Ranks (Part 2)
By Commander Neil Westphalen, Royal Australian Navy This paper was first published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, Volume 26 Number 3 in July 2018. Commander Westphalen is ...
Occasional Paper 118: In his own words: AE2’s skipper, H.G. Stoker
By Bob Hetherington Originally Published in the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) Volunteers’ Quarterly newsletter ‘All Hands’, Issue 114 in March 2021. Many readers will know something of the AE2 ...
Reunion for Rescue of Vietnamese Refugees (MG99) by HMAS Melbourne, 21 June 1981
On Sunday 21 June 1981 HMA Ships Melbourne and Torrens were participating in Exercise Starfish 81 in the South China Sea when they rescued 99 Vietnamese refugees, now known as ...
The HMAS Australia II Story by Kez Hasanic
Online presentation about HMAS Australia II by Kez Hasanic. The HMAS Australia II Story ...
Occasional Paper 115: A History of Australian Navy Health Sailor Uniforms and Ranks (Part 1)
By Commander Neil Westphalen, Royal Australian Navy This paper was first published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, Volume 27 Number 2 in April 2019. Commander Westphalen is ...
Occasional Paper 114: Rescue of Vietnamese Refugees (MG99) by HMAS Melbourne, 21 June 1981
On Sunday 21 June 1981 HMA Ships Melbourne and Torrens were participating in Exercise Starfish 81 in the South China Sea when they rescued 99 Vietnamese refugees, now known as ...
Occasional Paper 116: Navy Veterans Salute the ‘Forgotten War’
On Thursday 24th June 2021 the N.A.A. (Naval Association of Australia Queensland) highlighted the service of members of the Royal Australia Navy in the Korean War. At 4am on June ...
Book Review: Right Man, Right Place, Worst Time
Right Man, Right Place, Worst Time. By Betty Lee, Boolarong Press, Tingalpa, Queensland, 2019. Paperback, 318 pages, with sketch maps and photographs. Available from booksellers and publisher rrp $32.00. Along ...
A Warship named Bradman
By John Smith One would have thought that the Australian Fleet would have been proud to have a warship named BRADMAN to honour our most famous cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman. ...
HMAS Quickmatch to the Rescue
Also published as Occasional Paper 156, March 2023 By Max Hayles and R.C.H. Mason The first part of this story by Max Hayles appeared in the June 2007 edition of ...