Royal Australian Naval House has always been known affectionately as ‘Johnnies’, although the origin of the name is hard to trace. From 1968 to 1970 a young Able Seaman Brian ...
Publications
Occasional Paper 26: Salvage of the German Seehunde Midget Submarine
Roger Buxton, an active member of the Society’s Victorian Chapter obtained the original, report of the 1945 recovery of a German Seehunde class midget submarine by Lieutenant V J Steele ...
Occasional Paper 25: Recovery of German Bieber class Midget Submarine and Torpedo
Roger Buxton, an active member of the Society’s Victorian Chapter has obtained two original, typed reports of the 1945 recovery of German Bieber and Seehund class midget submarines by Lieutenant ...
Occasional Paper 24: Sydney Harbour Minefield
Through the Society’s relationship with the Australian National Maritime Museum, stories are shared between the two organizations. The following is an Article from ‘All Hands’ December 2017 edition, the Australian ...
Occasional Paper 23: HMAS Darwin Decommissioning
On 8 December 2017 the guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin was decommissioned in a ceremony at Fleet Base East, Garden Island in the presence of former crew and hundreds of ...
Occasional Paper 22: Attack Class Patrol Boats
The following is an article from”All Hands” December 2017 edition of the Australian Maritime Museum Volunteers’ Quarterly Newsletter. By Wal Robson The museum’s popular patrol boat has a significant birthday ...
Occasional Paper 21: Battle of the Atlantic Memorial
In January 2018 advice was received from a Society member that a Battle of the Atlantic memorial is to be constructed in Liverpool, as there is no dedicated memorial to ...
Occasional Paper 20: Surgeon LCDR Jack Rupert Law Willis, RAN 1888-1971 MB BS Melb
Surgeon LCDR Jack Rupert Law Willis, RAN 1888-1971 MB BS Melb These biographical notes on LCDR Jack Willis who served in HMAS Prince of Wales during World War 1 were ...
Occasional Paper 19: Surgeon Commander Alexander Ruan Caw, RAN MB BS. Adelaide 1879-1924
Surgeon Commander Alexander Ruan Caw, RAN MB BS. Adelaide. 1879-1924 These biographical notes on CMDR Alexander Caw who served in HMAS Australia during World War 1 were provided by ...
Occasional Paper 17: ENSIGNS ASSOCIATED WITH SHIP BASED AT GARDEN ISLAND
Flags have a long been a fascination of founding Society member Mr Norman Rivett as well as Garden Island in Sydney where he has worked and volunteered for more than ...
Occasional Paper 17: Fleet arrival in Sydney – 4 October 1913
At an Imperial Conference held in 1909, it was decided to deploy toAustralian waters a naval unit consisting of at least a battle cruiser, three second class cruisers, six destroyers, ...
Occasional Paper 16: HMAS Australia and Atlantic rescue of Coastal CommandSunderland -1940
By LCDR Mac Gregory RANRetired On Monday 28th October 1940. I was serving as an eighteen year oldMidshipman in HMAS “Australia”, an 8 inch gun cruiser. At that time, ...
Occasional Paper 15: Battle of Bita Paka 11 September 1914
German New Guinea, colonised in 1884, maintained a wireless station at Bitapaka in New Britain. In 1914 the station was a target for Naval Reservists and others of the Australian ...
Occasional Paper 14: HMAS Canberra and the Battle of Savo Island
LCDR Mackenzie Jesse Gregory RAN Ret, (9/02/1922- 27/08/2014) was tomy mind a fine example of the qualities a Naval Officer needed to have. He could communicate well, wasa leader of ...
Occasional Paper 13: LOCAL AUSTRALIAN/USA SUBMARINE INITIATIVE HELPS TURN THE TIDE OF WAR AGAINST JAPAN IN 1942
The following story provided by Commodore Bob Trotter OAM RAN (Ret’d), National President of the Submarine Association is about a little-known part of the shared Australia/USA submarine history which helped ...
Occasional Paper 12: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: AFTERMATH OF JAPANESE SUBMARINE ATTACK: SYDNEY HARBOUR
The following are accounts of individual contributions made by two remarkable people in the aftermath of the Japanese midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour on 31 May1942. Actions by these ...
Occasional Paper 11: THE REMARKABLE SHORT LIFE OF HMAS NESTOR THE SHIP THAT NEVER CAME HOME
The following address was delivered Commander Walter Burroughs RAN Rtd during the 75th anniversary ceremony conducted by the RAN on Garden Island, Sydney 16 June 2017. I am honoured ...
Occasional Paper 10: THE LOSS OF HMAS KUTTABUL
The following address was delivered Captain Christopher Skinner RAN Rtd during the 75th anniversary ceremony conducted by HMAS Kuttabul on Garden Island, Sydney 1 June 2017. Good morning to you ...
Occasional Paper 9: THE SINKING OF HMAS ARMIDALE ON 1st DECEMBER 1942
The following address was delivered by Dr Kevin Smith OAM to members of the Naval Historical Society of Australia in Sydney 18 April 2017. In 1798 at the Battle of ...
Occasional Paper 7: HMAS VAMPIRE MEMORIAL ADDRESS 9 APRIL 2017
On 9 April 1942, HMAS VAMPIRE (I) was sunk by Japanese bombers in the vicinity of Batticaloa, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with the loss of eight lives. This action was commemorated ...
Occasional Paper 6: Royal Australian Navy Ships Honour Roll
Given the 75th anniversary commemoration events taking place around Australia and overseas in 2017 to honour ships lost in the RAN’s darkest year, 1942 it is timely to reproduce the ...
Occasional Paper 5: Ken Brown: Service in HMAS Nestor
By Warrant Officer Martin Grogan SBLT Ken Brown, RAN Mr Ken BROWN (aged 95) a retired RAN Lieutenant Commander and World War Two veteran was recently awarded the British ...
Occasional Paper 4: Naval Historical Society of Australia PRESENTATION– 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 HMAS MELBOURNE II
By Tom de Voil Introduction I recently had a brief article about HMAS MELBOURNE, the aircraft carrier, published and consequent on that I was asked to give this talk. It ...
Occasional Paper 3: TOBRUK – THE LIFTING OF THE SEIGE
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 ...
Occasional Paper 2: Operation DAMASK – HMA Ships BRISBANE and SYDNEY
The following story was contributed by Hugh Hyland. Hugh worked for the variously named Defence departments for over 50 years until retiring in December 2015. He held numerous positions in ...