- Author
- Zammitt, Alan
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, History - WW2
- Tags
- None noted.
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- December 1989 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Between December 1944 until January, 1945, I was Staff Officer Operations to Commodore Farncomb. As the Commodore-in-Command, Hal Farncomb was superb. During the Lingayen campaign, Australia was hit by five kamikazes, but Farncomb was imperturbable. During this time, he earned the sailors’ nickname of ‘Fearless Frank’!
He remains in my memory as a very brave and gallant officer. He was very quick in assimilating the voluminous operation orders that emanated from the American Command and was faultless in their tactical execution and judgement.
My time with him was limited, as when Australia was about to return to Sydney for repairs, I was transferred to my old Admiral, Sir Philip Vian in the B.P.F. I had served with him on the Mediterranean two years before.
My next encounter with Admiral Farncomb (as he then was), was as Captain of the Bataan in 1948-49, when he was the Flag Officer commanding the Australian squadron.
His grasp of administrative problems which faced him was exceptional, and he continued to show that sense of fairness and justice which had always characterised him. He was, in my opinion, a great man.
Standing: Mr Jack Willis, President, Naval Assoc. A.C.T., Mrs Willis, Mr John Allerton, H.M.A.S. Arunta Assoc.
(Photo taken on 29/9/1989 at the A.D.F.A. by Alan Zammit)
After Farncomb House was opened, the distinguished officers and old sailors of the past spoke to the young officers of the future. Major General Peter Day, his staff and the officer cadets, took the guests on a tour of the Academy and to afternoon tea. Everyone agreed the Service became a poignant Farncomb affair and the thoughts of many were on old ‘Fearless Frank’.
Acknowledgements: Grateful assistance was received from Major General Peter Day, A.O.; Mr John & Mrs Vera Bastock; Mrs Farncomb, O.B.E.; Captain L. M. Hinchliffe, D.S.C., RAN (Rtd); L.Cdr Ian Laxton; Lieutenant Keith McCarron, RAN; Flt. Lt. Adam Nicholson; Sqn. Ldr Peter Phillips; Betty Wright and Midshipman David Dawson.
Bibliography:
- “By Skill and Valour” – James J. Atkinson
- “History of the RANC” – Eldridge
- Naval History Reviews,
- “Australia’s Ships of War” – John Bastock
- “Sea Jargon” – Lew Lind
——–
REAR ADMIRAL H. B. FARNCOMB, C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O., U.S. LEGION OF MERIT AND NAVY CROSS
Compiled by Alan Zammit
| 1899 | Born February 28, 1899, Sydney. |
| 1913 | January, 1913, entered the Royal Australian Naval College as one of the original entries. |
| 1916 | December, 1916, was awarded maximum time, the Grand Aggregate Prize and the prize for French, in addition to which he was first in English and History. He gained his colours in cricket. |
| 1917 | Became Midshipman January 1st, 1917. Proceeded to U.K. Joined the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign. Saw active service with the Grand Fleet. |
| 1918 | During 1918 saw active service in RN destroyers including attacks against the Zeppelin sheds on the Flanders coast. |
| 1918 | Sub Lieutenant September, 1918. |
| 1919 | January, 1919, served in a destroyer guarding the surrendered German Fleet then joined HMAS ANZAC in U.K. waters. |
| 1919 | Promoted Lieutenant in October, 1919, having gained first class passes in all five subjects. Returned to Australia in HMAS Stalwart. |
| 1922 | Served in HMAS Melbourne as Staff Officer Operations. |
| 1923 | Royal Navy Staff College. |
| 1924 | Served on Rear Admiral Sir William Fisher’s Staff in HMAS Barham, Flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean. |
| 1924 | Staff Office operations to the Commodore commanding HM Australian Squadron in Flagships Melbourne and Sydney. |
| 1927 | Married Jean Ross Nott. |
| 1927 | Promoted to Lieutenant Commander, October, 1927. |
| 1928 | Joined HMS Repulse, battle cruiser with the Atlantic Fleet. |
| 1930 | Attended the Imperial Staff College as Lieutenant Commander. Was the youngest officer attending the College. |
| 1931 | Served at Australian Navy Office. |
| 1932 | Promoted Commander, June, 1932. |
| 1933 | Was Executive Officer HMAS Australia 1933 to 1935. |
| 1935 | Made a member of the Royal Victorian Order for his service to the Royal family. |
| 1937 | Went to the Naval Intelligence Division at the Admiralty. |
| 1937 | June, 1937, first RANC graduate to be promoted to Captain. |
| 1937 | June, 1937, took six weeks’ leave to visit Germany and learnt German at a private school in Germany as he expected war with Germany was inevitable. |
| 1937 | Arranged for two German Jewish school girls he met in Germany to go to the USA. The girls’ whole family remaining in Germany lost their lives during the war. |
| 1938 | Assumed Command of HMAS Yarra. |
| 1939 | Attended the Senior Officers Tactical Course in England. |
| 1939 | June, 1939, commissioned HMAS Perth as Commanding Officer. |
| 1939 | HMAS Perth stationed Caribbean area. After outbreak of war arrived in Australia March, 1940. |
| 1940 | June, transferred from HMAS Perth to assume command of HMAS Canberra and to be Chief Staff Officer to Flag Officer HM Australian Squadron. |
| 1941 | While in command of Canberra the ship steamed a great many miles in the Indian Ocean searching for German and Italian raiders. While on patrol in the Indian Ocean in March, 1941, Canberra intercepted the German supply ship Coburg and her consort, the tanker Kitty Brovig. Both these ships were scuttled and sunk by their crews. Some of the German Navy crews who were taken PoW by Canberra gave Captain Famcomb valuable and correct information about the future movements of a German pocket battleship. Captain Farncomb’s knowledge of the German language paid dividends. The Acting Chief of the Australian Naval Staff and the C-in-C East Indies, Admiral Leatham, noted that Canberra had used 215 rounds of 8 inch ammunition by opening fire at the extreme range of 21,100 yards and if a more effective range had been used, much ammunition would have been saved. |
| 1941 | The cruiser Leander was hit by the Italian armed raider Ramb 1. HMAS Cornwall was damaged by the raider Pinguin and in November, 1941, HMAS Sydney was lost. Captain Farncomb’s caution was proved the correct procedure in these Indian Ocean engagements. |
| 1941 | December. Some of the survivors from Kormoran were sent to HMAS Canberra to be interrogated in German by Captain Farncomb about the loss of HMAS Sydney. |
| 1941 | December, Captain Farncomb became Captain of HMAS Australia and Chief of Staff to Rear Admiral Crace. |
| 1941 | May. In the Battle of the Coral Sea he avoided torpedo attacks and high level bombing. His many years of training were justified in this action. |
| 1942 | August. Took part in the landings at Guadalcanal |
| 1942 | August. Fought in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. |
| 1942 | Awarded DSO for skill, resolution and coolness. |
| 1943 | Coral Sea patrols. |
| 1943 | December 14. Supported landings at Arawe in New Britain. |
| 1943 | December 27. Supported landing at Cape Gloucester. |
| 1944 | March. Left HMAS Australia. Departed for the United Kingdom. |
| 1944 | May. Assumed Command of the Escort Carrier HMS Attacker. Attacker was an assault carrier with Seafire fighters. |
| 1944 | August. HMS Attacker took part in the invasion of southern France. Mentioned in Despatches for Distinguished Service and Gallantry. |
| 1944 | October. HMAS Attacker took part in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece. Received a third Mention in Despatches for Distinguished Service, Efficiency and Zeal. |
| 1944 | HMS Attacker while at Gibraltar was subjected to a torpedo bomber attack (the torpedo missed its target and exploded on the mole where Attacker was berthed.). |
| 1944 | December. As a result of the wounding of Commodore Collins, left HMAS Attacker to fly direct to HMAS Australia to become Commodore HM Australian Squadron on December 9, 1944. |
| 1945 | Between January 5 and January 9 his Flagship suffered five Kamikaze hits. |
| 1945 | Between January and July 21st he flew his flag in HMAS Shropshire and for a short time in HMAS Hobart. During this six months he took part in the bombardment and supported the landing (?) |
| 1945 | February 16. Corregidor HMAS Shropshire. |
| 1945 | Transferred his flag to HMAS Hobart between May 7 and June 14 and took part in the landings at Wewak in HMAS Hobart, May 10. |
| 1945 | June 9. BruneiBay. |
| 1945 | July 1. Balikpapan, Borneo in HMAS Shropshire. |
| 1945 | July 21. Was relieved by Commodore Collins as Commodore Commanding HM Australian Squadron and returned to Australia. |
| 1945 | August. Rear Admiral G. D. Moore was Acting First Naval Member and Commodore H. B. Farncomb took over Rear Admiral Moore’s position as Naval Officer in Charge Sydney before being appointed Commodore Superintendent of Training and thus become Captain of his old College. |
| 1945 | Placed on short list to be Governor of New South Wales by Premier William McKell. For service in the Pacific War, 1945, awarded US Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander invested in 1946 and Navy Cross (US) invested in 1948. (Only three Australians have been awarded the coveted Navy Cross.) |
| 1946 | November. Relieved Commodore Collins and once again became Commodore Commanding HM Australian Squadron. |
| 1947 | January. Promoted Rear Admiral and was Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet until October, 1949, flying his flag in HMA Ships Australia, Hobart, Shropshire and Sydney. |
| 1949 | Head of Australian Joint Service Staff in U.S.A. from 1949-1951. |
| 1951 | Retired from the RAN. |
| 1957 | Studied Law. |
| 1958 | Became a Barrister. |
| 1971 | Passed away. |
Acknowledgements:
Grateful assistance was received from: Mr John Bastock; Mrs J. R. Famcomb, O.B.E.; Captain Hinchliffe, D.S.C.; Mr Lew Lind; Lieutenant Keith McCarron; and Mrs Betty Wright.
Bibliography:
- James J. Atkinson – “By Skill and Valour”
- John Bastock – “Australia’s Ships of War”‘
- Eldridge – “Hislory of the R.A.N.C.”
- Lew Lind – ” Sea Jargon”.