Lieutenant Commander Maurice G. Rose was the first captain of HMAS Diamantina. The ship was named after the Diamantina River in Queensland, and was a River-class frigate that served the Royal Australian Navy. Diamantina was laid down on 12 April 1943 at Walkers Limited in Maryborough, Queensland.
After commissioning into the RAN, Diamantina sailed for the Solomon Islands. At the conclusion of hostilities, the frigate carried Lieutenant General Kanda and Vice Admiral Baron Samejima, officers of the Japanese Imperial High Command to the surrender of Torokina on 8 September 1945, where the ceremonies were conducted on her quarterdeck. She was active until 1946, then placed in reserve, then recommissioned as a survey ship from 1959 until 1980. Following her second decommissioning, the frigate was preserved at the Queensland Maritime Museum.
She was the last World War II-era frigate to leave RAN service, and of the 151 River-class frigates constructed for 19 navies worldwide, Diamantina is the only one preserved as a museum ship. LCDR Rose describes the ship’s war time activities and her final voyage to Brisbane for restoration and preservation.
Recorded 6th March 1981
Duration 49 minutes
Note that photos and diagrams referred to in this address are not included in this audio-only podcast.
