On This Day

On This Day - 12 September

1892

RADM Nathaniel Bowden-Smith was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS ORLANDO.

1935

The first Seagull MK V amphibian was embarked in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser). HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), also carried a Seagull A2-2.

1942

The hulk of HMAS ENCOUNTER, (cruiser), was scuttled off Sydney. The Bathurst class minesweeper HMAS BUNDABERG, (LCDR N. D. Pixley, RANR), was commissioned. BUNDABERG was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 7 June 1941, and launched on 1 December 1941. Mrs W. S. Hurwood, (Wife of a Director of Evans Deakin), performed the launching ceremony.

1943

HMAS WOLLONGONG, (corvette), shared the sinking of the German submarine U617, in the Straits of Gibraltar, with HM Ships HAARLEM and HYANCINTH, and two Wellington bombers.

1944

The Japanese transport RAKUYO MARU was torpedoed and sunk by the USS QUEENFISH off the Philippines. The vessel was carrying 1317 Australian and British POW's, including survivors of HMAS PERTH. US submarines picked up 152 of the prisoners. US Submarines GROWLER, SEALION, PAMPANITO, QUEENFISH, and BARB were involved. The remainder were lost. Stoker 2nd Class C. A. Petherbridge, RAN, was awarded the GM posthumously for gallantry following the sinking of the RAKUYO MARU. His citation read:- 'For gallantry in saving life at sea at the cost of his own. When the ship on which he was a passenger was torpedoed, Stoker Petherbridge got away with 20 others on a raft. During the ordeal which followed, Petherbridge left this raft on several occasions, without a life belt, to go to the help of those who through physical weaknesses could not prevent themselves from slipping into the sea. The strain of this merciful work upon himself was such that he could not carry on, and during the night which followed the sinking of the ship, he himself disappeared'. The BEM for coolness and good leadership was awarded to ERA 3rd Class V. R. Duncan, who took charge of No. 2 hatch of the sinking RAKUYO MARU, which resulted in the release of prisoners battened below.

1945

HMAS HAWKESBURY, (River class frigate), became the first ship of the RAN to enter Singapore since the surrender to the Japanese in 1942. The surrender of Japanese forces at Wewak, New Guinea, was signed aboard ML805.

1962

HMA Ships HAWKESBURY and MURCHISON, (frigates), left Sydney under tow for breaking up in Japan.

1975

HMAS FLINDERS, (survey ship), completed the RAN's first survey controlled by a satellite navigation system, off the coast of Bougainville

2016

The last of Navy’s 24 MH60 Romeos was accepted at Nowra’s Aviation Technology Park