The June 2023 edition of this magazine contained an article Tristan da Cunha and a Tribute to John Smith, providing a shortened version of the remarkable life story of Commander ...
HMAS Cerberus (Shore Establishment)
The Arthur Lunan Story: Part 1
The late Arthur Lunan maintained a diary of his wartime service in the RAN from 1941 to 1946. His brother-in-law William Moody has digitised this and added some family ...
Occasional Paper 93: Boxing in the Navy
By John Smith John Smith, our senior researcher, joined the RAN College in 1946 and retired as a Commander having specialised in gunnery. He served in many RAN ships and ...
Occasional Paper 33: HMAS Cerberus – Early History and Observations
August 2018 This paper was developed after locating a 1970 HMAS Cerberus Wardroom mess dinner menu. The menu included observations by prominent citizens about HMAS Cerberus and its location at ...
Lieutenant (SP) H.L. Billman, DSC, RANVR
By Hector Donohue Harold Leon (Bill) Billman had a relatively short war in the RAN of just three years, but as a bomb and mine disposal officer he was regularly ...
Commander Frederick Campbell Darley 1886 – 1926
Frederick Campbell Darley was born at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, NSW on 12 February 1886, the eldest child of Cecil West Darley (Public Works Engineer) and Constance Leila Annette Darley (nee ...
Memoirs of George William Rayner 15 Oct 1886 – 18 July 1962
These important memoirs provided by Robert Rayner are taken from his grandfather’s handwritten notes discovered in the family’s Sydney home in 2007. Early Life in Prison! I was born at ...
Letter: Piper Report and Dangers to Navigation
Dear Sir, Well done for the September issue of the Naval Historical Review. Another good read. May I say that as far as my service with the Royal Australian Navy ...
Obituary: Captain John Frederick Bell, RAN, (Retired)
The RAN Band Ashore And Afloat
HMAS Pioneer – Blockading German East Africa, 1915-16
Cerberus in Wartime
The transit from peacetime tempo to the demands of wartime training left strong impressions on the many trainees during their introduction to the Navy in WW2. We were all Acting ...
The Sovereign’s Colours in the Royal Australian Navy 1925-2003
Commander Frederick Darley RN & the Wanhsien Incident
Letters: RAN College
Dear Sir What a charming and informative article that was on the RAN College (Naval Historical Review, Vol 21, No. 4) [Ed: Dec 2000]. Thank you. Given the rate of ...
Captain Harry L. Howden OBE, CBE, RAN
A Brief History of HMAS Cerberus
Settlers started arriving on the Mornington Peninsula in 1840. At that time, Alfred Mayrick, from whom the township of Merricks takes its name, took up the Coolart ‘run’ which included ...
Obituary: John Bastock RAN 1908-1996: Naval Artist
Obituary: Rear Admiral Bryn Mussared (1917-1995)
Rear Admiral Bryn Mussared was born in 1917 in Semaphore SA, and entered the Navy in 1932. On passing out from the Naval College, he was awarded ‘maximum time’ and the ...
Obituary: Trevor Ernest Weaver
After a long and painful illness which he fought with characteristic courage, Trevor Weaver died September last. Our former Vice president, Librarian, Secretary, Treasurer, Committeeman ,and long time member of ...
Leading Seaman Ronald ‘Buck’ Taylor (1918-1942)
Ronald ‘Buck’ Taylor was born in Carlton, Victoria on 29 April 1918, one of ten children born to Elsie and George Taylor, and grew up in the Port Melbourne area. ...
Spectrum of Command -RANVR, RANR(S) and RAN
*The first became Australia’s Minister for Defence. * The second piloted 8463 ships of the world through our major ports to set a record that probably never will be eclipsed. ...
Biography of Lieutenant Commander R.W. Rankin RAN, and the loss of HMAS Yarra
HMAS CERBERUS – An Overview
Often referred to as The Cradle of the Navy, HMAS CERBERUS is the premier training establishment of the Royal Australian Navy and has a complement of 132 Officers, 310 Senior ...
Cradle of the RAN – Revisited
In our last Review we published a short history of HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point. The title, or rather sub-title, drew a sharp comment from Commander R.S. Veale, RANR Rtd. Commander Veale points out ...