December 9, 2016 is the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Tobruk, the port on the north coast of Libya, that proved such a thorn in Rommel’s ...
HMAS Waterhen
Book Review: The Scrap Iron Flotilla
The Scrap Iron Flotilla by Mike Carlton. William Heinemann Australia. Paperback of 448 pages. rrp $34.99 On Sunday September 3rd 1939, history was tumbling over itself. In the mess decks ...
The Tobruk Run – The Loss of HMS Auckland
By Andreas Biermann A 1200-ton general purpose sloop about to enter the building program was assigned the name HMS Heron, but was renamed and commissioned as HMS Auckland on 16 ...
Occasional Paper 81: Recognition for Scrap Iron Flotilla
The Society was recently gifted a package of assorted papers and photographs collected by the late Petty officer Arthur James Collins. Collins was called up in January 1938 and served ...
Book Review: Flip Side War
Title: Flip Side War: Recollections of the author’s experiences in the RAN, World War II Author: Ean McDonald Publisher: Hesperian Press – Carlisle WA 6101 ISBN 0 85905 353 9 ...
Wounded by a Tin of Peaches
The Tobruk Spud Run 1941 The three Services, Navy, Army and Air Force were as dissimilar as chalk and cheese, yet we were all bent on one purpose, to beat ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 2004
The banner of the Scrap Iron Flotilla Association, was laid up at HMAS WATERHEN, (mine-countermeasures shore-base, Sydney), for safe keeping. The date of the loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), during ...
HMAS Perth Part2 – Outbreak of war
This is part 2 of an hitherto unpublished personal account was given to the Editor shortly before the death of the author, together with several other brief accounts of his ...
Launching of HMAS Norman II – Minehunter
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. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 November 1994
HMAS Kanimbla II arrived in Sydney for the first time after commissioning in the United States. ...
RAN Minesweepers and Minehunters
Australian Naval History on 8 February 1992
CMDR Carolyn Brand, RAN, became the first female officer of the RAN to command an operational base when she took command of HMAS WATERHEN, (shore base, Sydney). ...
The RAN’s Destroyers
Australian Naval History on 30 April 1990
HMAS CURLEW, the last of the RAN’s Ton class minesweepers, was decommissioned at HMAS WATERHEN, Sydney after 28 years of service and 38 years to the day after her keel ...
HMAS Waterhen – a history
The Acceptance of the Second HMAS Voyager into Her Majesty’s Service
Captain A.S. Rosenthal DSO and Bar, OBE, RAN
Australian Naval History on 5 December 1962
HMAS WATERHEN, (shore establishment in Sydney), was commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 December 1941
HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, (destroyers), and BURNIE, GOULBURN, BENDIGO, and MARYBOROUGH, (corvettes), were at Singapore when Japan mounted her first air raid at 0300. MANOORA was also at Singapore, ...
Australian Naval History on 12 July 1941
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), reached Suez, on her way to replace HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in the Mediterranean. The loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), on 30 June, raised in the Admiralty the ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), was heavily damaged in a bombing attack by German aircraft, east of Tobruk. HMS DEFENDER, in going along side to pass a tow to WATERHEN, narrowly averted ...
Australian Naval History on 29 June 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), sailed on her 13th and last voyage to Tobruk. WATERHEN was sunk off Salum. ‘Chook’, as she was called by her crew, was attacked by dive bombers, ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1941
The evacuation of Crete ended. During the campaign the RAN committed HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN, NAPIER, and NIZAM. Despite frequent attacks by enemy aircraft, only PERTH ...
Australian Naval History on 23 May 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA were sent to help HMS FIJI reported sinking after aircraft attack. Ordinary Seaman Ian Rhodes, a RAN Volunteer Reserve sailor, was awarded the Conspicuous ...