- Author
- Jeffrey, Vic
- Subjects
- Ship histories and stories, History - WW1
- Tags
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- RAN Ships
- HMAS Brisbane I, HMAS Melbourne II, HMAS Sydney I
- Publication
- December 1997 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Bickley Battery became fully operational in 1939 and after the war in 1946 was placed in combat storage and remained so until the Coastal Artillery was disbanded in 1962.
A scrap dealer named Brown from Bassendean purchased the guns and their fittings for scrap in 1963 paying 425 pounds ($850).
Judging by the evidence, Mr Brown managed to remove all fittings and cut up the gun shields and the barrel of the former HMAS Melbourne gun before working out the cost of removing the two pieces of this and the intact other barrel was not cost effective.
The two sections of the severed barrel were left lying near its former mounting and the second barrel was buried in the sand for the next 17 years until they were salvaged for refurbishment in 1980 by the Australian Army.
[Eds: The photograph of HMAS Brisbane I raises some interesting points.
- Is she under way or at anchor? Her starboard bower anchor appears to be in its hawsepipe but the “wake” could be an oil slick.
- Is she fuelling by the astern method – before buoyant hoses were used – from an anchored ship?
- Note the port anchor “tatted” to free the hawsepipe for the jackstay. Will the oil hose use the hawsepipe or the airlead?
- Note semaphore arms in wings of bridge, large IO inch signalling projectors and “Dress of the Day” – Officers No. 10’s, Sailors No. 5’s.]