March 2020 This paper is based on a 2017 Royal Australian Navy FaceBook post and correspondence with the well known Vexillographer and Society member, John Christian Vaughan. John has provided ...
HMAS Ballarat I
They Also Served – LCDR Frank Derek Simon RD RANR (S)
Sixteen-year-old New Zealander, Frank Derek Simon, came to Australia in 1936 to take up an apprenticeship with a local shipping company. He stayed with his aunt and uncle in Sydney ...
Letters: Torpedoing of SS Ormiston
Dear Editor, It was with considerable interest that I read your article “Torpedoing of S.S. Ormiston 1943″ by L.A. d’Alpuget, Lieut. RANVR (Rtd) in the Naval Historical Review Vol 21 ...
The Role of the RAN in the Liberation of the Philippines
Corvette Maryborough 1941-1946
HMAS MARYBOROUGH was built by Walker’s Ltd at Maryborough, Queensland and commissioned by Lieutenant Commander G. L. Cant, RAN on 15th June, 1941. Known as the Bathurst class of mine-sweepers, ...
HMAS Bendigo – New Guinea 1942
HMAS Bendigo 1941 – 42
Australian Naval History on 10 July 1947
HMAS BALLARAT, (minesweeper), was sold out of service and renamed CARMENCITA. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 September 1946
HMAS Ballarat paid off into Reserve at Sydney and was sold to a Hong Kong shipping company, China Traders Ltd, on 10 July 1947. Ballarat (I) did not leave Australian ...
Australian Naval History on 16 November 1945
The 21st Minesweeping Flotilla consisting of HMA ships Ballarat, Bathurst, Burnie, Maryborough, Cairns, Fremantle, Bendigo, Toowoomba and Goulburn left Hong Kong after sweeping in Chinese waters and proceeded to Australia. ...
Australian Naval History on 2 September 1945
The formal surrender of Japan was signed on the USS MISSOURI, (battleship), in Tokyo Bay. The RAN was represented by CDRE J. A. Collins, CB, and HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE, HOBART, ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1944
The 21st and 22nd Minesweeping Flotillas, HMA Ships BURNIE, BALLARAT, MARYBOROUGH, LISMORE, WHYALLA, GOULBURN, KALGOORLIE, TOOWOOMBA, and BENDIGO, and HMA Ships GAWLER, GERALDTON, CESSNOCK, CAIRNS, IPSWICH, TAMWORTH, WOLLONGONG, PINE, and ...
Australian Naval History on 17 June 1943
HMA Ships GAWLER and LISMORE, (minesweepers) and two motor minesweepers, picked up 1353 survivors from the troop ship YOMA, sunk by a German submarine off Derna, Libya. Operation Lilliput ended. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 December 1942
HMA Ships COLAC, BALLARAT, BROOME, and WHYALLA, (minesweepers), landed troops at Buna, New Guinea. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 November 1942
HMAS QUIBERON and HMS QUENTIN sank the Italian submarine DESSIE, north of Bone, North Africa. HMA Ships BALLARAT and KATOOMBA, (minesweepers), were attacked by 10 Japanese dive bombers west of ...
Australian Naval History on 10 March 1942
The flotilla of 7 corvettes, HMA Ships MARYBOROUGH, GOULBURN, BURNIE, BALLARAT, TOOWOOMBA, WOLLONGONG, and BENDIGO, reached Fremantle, WA, from Tjilatjap. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 March 1942
HMA Ships, MARYBOROUGH, (CMDR G.L. Cant, RAN, Commander of the Australian corvettes), BURNIE, GOULBURN, BALLARAT, TOOWOOMBA, WOLLONGONG, and BENDIGO, (corvettes), were headed for Australia, from Tjilatjap. The sloop HMAS YARRA, ...
Australian Naval History on 3 March 1942
The Commonwealth Government appointed Mr Justice Lowe as Royal Commissioner to inquire into the circumstances of the Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. The Australian transport KOOLAMA ...
Australian Naval History on 20 February 1942
HMAS PLATYPUS, (depot ship), made the following signal to all RAN units in northern waters:- “Intention is to hold Darwin”. The signal was repeated during all subsequent Japanese air attacks ...
Australian Naval History on 17 February 1942
Waves of Japanese aircraft bombed a convoy escorted by HMA Ships SWAN, WARREGO, VOYAGER, ARMIDALE, and CASTLEMAINE, in the Timor Sea. Despite the concerted attack the convoy reached Koepang, (Dutch ...
Australian Naval History on 14 February 1942
The cruiser, HMAS HOBART, (CAPT H. L. Howden, RAN), joined an Allied naval striking force at the western end of Java, organized by ABDA, (Australian-British-Dutch-American), but the enemy had carried ...
Australian Naval History on 13 February 1942
HMS SCORPION, (gunboat), was sunk south of Singapore. Among her crew who were killed was AB Daniel Ingram of the RAN. Ingram had been serving in HMAS BENDIGO when he ...
Australian Naval History on 1 November 1941
HMAS AUSTRALIA arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider ...
Australian Naval History on 30 August 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS BALLARAT, (LCDR A. D. Barling, RANR(S)), was commissioned. BALLARAT was laid down in Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, on 17 April 1940, and launched on 10 ...
Australian Naval History on 10 December 1940
HMAS BALLARAT, (minesweeper), was launched at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC. ...