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You are here: Home / Archives for Australian Units / HMAS Sydney II

HMAS Sydney II

The Mystery of Australia’s Forgotten Son – Was He Lost from HMAS Sydney in 1941?

Clark, Bryan · Dec 24, 1989 ·

On a steep, scrubby hillside at Flying Fish Cove, on Christmas Island, washed by the waves of the Indian Ocean, is the neglected grave of an unknown sailor who, some ...

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Vice Admiral Sir John Collins, KBE, CB

Newspaper, London Daily Telegraph · Dec 19, 1989 ·

Vice-Admiral Sir John Collins, who has died in Sydney aged 90, was Australia’s most celebrated sailor of the 1939-45 War.  His destruction of the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni at the ...

Letters – Great Sea Battles

Weston, Bert E. · Sep 19, 1989 ·

The list of Great Sea Battles of History published in the December, 1988 issue of the “Review” has omitted what must surely figure as one of England’s most memorable naval engagements. ...

Diary of John Ernest James – Part 1

James, John Ernest, RAN (Rtd) · Mar 19, 1989 ·

Written whilst serving in HMAS Sydney II John Ernest James was born at Gateshead England, and came to Australia with his family in 1928. He joined the RAN when he ...

Lost Letter Throws New Light on Sydney-Emden Action

Bywater, G (Naval Archives) · Jun 11, 1987 ·

Locating the Letter: As part of a general clean up and rationalisation of cabinets belonging to the Naval Historian, the Navy Archives staff dug through a number of filing cabinets ...

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HMAS Manoora Enters the Pacific War

Chatto, A.K. · Jun 23, 1984 ·

Extracts from the War Diary of former member, the late A.K. Chatto HMAS MANOORA sailed from Sydney at 1800 Saturday, November 22 1941. After clearing the swept channel we took ...

HMAS Australia – Visit to Gallipoli – 1936

A.N. Other · Jun 21, 1983 ·

During the Abyssinian crisis in 1936, H.M.A.S. Australia and Sydney were serving with the Mediterranean Fleet, the former having been on exchange with H.M.S. Sussex and the latter was temporarily serving ...

Bathurst Class Minesweepers (Corvettes)

Payne, Alan · Jun 30, 1980 ·

HERMAN GILL IN HIS HISTORY of the Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 stated that the Bathurst class minesweepers or corvettes were ‘an Australian modification of an Admiralty design’ and this view ...

Sydney’s Walrus in battle with three Italian fighters

Collins, Vice Admiral Sir John · Mar 31, 1975 ·

IN RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE ‘Pusser’s Bus’ which appeared in the December issue, Vice-Admiral Sir John Collins, Sydney’s Captain in the Mediterranean, writes: ‘I feel sure that Sydney’s Walrus should ...

This Man Howden – Captain Harry L. Howden, CBE, RAN

Scrivner, R. · Dec 31, 1974 ·

No member of the Royal Australian Navy who served in wartime could show as much appreciation of their captain as did the crew, officers and ratings of the three Amphion ...

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Captain Joseph Burnett RAN

Burnett, Cdr. P.R. RAN (Ret.) · Dec 31, 1973 ·

Captain Joseph Burnett was a product of an era in the Royal Australian Navy which is now legendary. A first entry to the Royal Australian Naval College, he obtained colours ...

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Australian Naval History on 2 November 1945

On This Day · Nov 2, 1945 ·

CAPT Theodore Detmers, of the German raider KORMORAN, informed the Commandant of his Australian POW camp, of the whereabouts of film taken in the German raider at the time of ...

Australian Naval History on 15 August 1945

On This Day · Aug 15, 1945 ·

Hostilities with Japan ended at 12 noon. When HRH Duke of Gloucester made the announcement in Canberra, three flags were flown. They were the flag raised by Australian troops at ...

Australian Naval History on 20 February 1942

On This Day · Feb 20, 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 6 February 1942

On This Day · Feb 6, 1942 ·

A Carley float containing the remains of Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark from HMAS Sydney II was discovered off Christmas Island. The body was brought ashore and buried in the ...

Australian Naval History on 17 January 1942

On This Day · Jan 17, 1942 ·

HMAS ECHUCA was launched at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC. The lugger, HMAS ST. FRANCIS, (LEUT (Brother) Andrew Smith, RANVR), sighted a Japanese submarine on the surface off Melville Island. In ...

Australian Naval History on 1 December 1941

On This Day · Dec 1, 1941 ·

An RAN interrogation team, consisting of CAPT Farquar-Smith, CMDR Dechaineaux, CMDR Ramage, and LCDR. Salm, (Royal Netherlands Navy), questioned prisoners from the German raider KORMORAN. CAPT H. B. Farncomb conducted ...

Australian Naval History on 30 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 30, 1941 ·

The Australian Naval Board announced that six boats and two rafts, carrying a total of 315 German survivors from the raider KORMORAN, had been either picked up at sea, or ...

Australian Naval History on 28 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 28, 1941 ·

The Commanding Officer of the German raider KORMORAN, (CAPT T. Detmers), was interrogated at Carnarvon, WA. On the same day HMAS HEROS found a Carley float from HMAS SYDNEY. The ...

Australian Naval History on 27 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 27, 1941 ·

The sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA, (CMDR J. H. Walker, RAN), was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U559, while on passage to Tobruk. Of the ships complement of 162, there ...

Australian Naval History on 26 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 26, 1941 ·

CAPT Theodor Detmers, (German raider KORMORAN), claimed the last signal hoisted by HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was the two flags IK:- ‘You should prepare for a hurricane or a typhoon’. The ...

Australian Naval History on 19 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 19, 1941 ·

HMA Ships HOBART NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), supported the Battle Fleet in the bombardment of key German and Italian defences in the Halfaya Pass, Libya. The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT ...

Australian Naval History on 17 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 17, 1941 ·

The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Burnett, RAN), handed over the escort of the troop ship ZEALANDIA, to HMS DURBAN in Sunda Strait. ...

Australian Naval History on 11 November 1941

On This Day · Nov 11, 1941 ·

HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), sailed on her last voyage as escort to the transport ZEALANDIA. ...

Australian Naval History on 22 October 1941

On This Day · Oct 22, 1941 ·

CAPT J. Burnett, RAN, informed the crew of HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), that a German raider was operating in Australasian waters. The identity of the raider, STIERMARK, (the original name of ...

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