On This Day

On This Day - 18 December

1917

Flight Lieutenant F. N. Fox, RNAS, flew a Sopwith Pup aircraft from the quarterdeck of HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser).

1939

German Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, described the arrival of the Australian Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean as 'a consignment of junk', and 'Australia's Scrap Iron Flotilla'. The five WWI destroyers, HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, emblazoned the name in glory under the command of CAPT H. M. L. Waller, RAN. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS COOLEBAR was commissioned. COOLEBAR was laid down in Ardrossan, Scotland, in 1911. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, the North Coast Steam Navigation Co, NSW, on 18 December 1939.

1940

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS GUNBAR, was commissioned. GUNBAR was laid down in Ardrossan, Scotland, in 1911. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, the North Coast Steam Navigation Co, NSW, on 30 September 1940.

1957

HMAS QUIBERON was re-commissioned as an anti-submarine Frigate

1965

The Perth class, (Charles F Adams, DDG), guided missile destroyer HMAS HOBART, (CAPT G. R. Griffiths, DSO, RAN), was commissioned. HOBART was laid down in Defoe Shipbuilding Co, Bay City, Michigan, USA, on 26 October 1962, and launched on 9 January 1964. Mrs D. O. Hay, (Wife of the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations), performed the launching ceremony.

1979

Iroquois helicopters from No. 723 Squadron, and 150 personnel from RAN ships and establishments fought disastrous bushfires in the Sydney metropolitan area.

2007

The first two MRH-90 Taipan were accepted into service in Brisbane

2014

HMAS Bundaberg was decommissioned, as beyond repair, after a fire in August 2014

2021

HMAS Sirius I was decommissioned at Fleet Base West