On This Day
1914-1918 > WW1
On This Day - 1914-1918
- April 15, 1918
Australian-born Squadron Leader H. R. Busteed, demonstrated the landing of aircraft using arrester cables on HMS FURIOUS. Busteed conceived and perfected the technique.
CMDR A. G. H. Bond, RAN, assumed command of the Australian Torpedo Boat Destroyer Flotilla at Brindisi, Italy.
HMS VENDETTA, (destroyer), participated in the raid in the Kattegat by British light forces.
- April 13, 1918
CMDR W. H. F. Warren, RAN, commander of the Australian Torpedo Boat Destroyer Flotilla, accidentally drowned at Brindisi, Italy, the day before his DSO award was received at the Flotilla base. CMDR A. G. H. Bond, RAN, assuned command of the Australian Torpedo Boat Flotilla at Brindisi, Italy.
- April 10, 1918
Two Italian destroyers collided and sank during a storm in the Mediterranean. The Allied destroyers HMAS TORRENS and HMS REDPOLE were dispatched to rescue survivors. During the rescue operation 18 year old Ordinary Seaman L. R. A. Moore, from TORRENS, was washed overboard and drowned.
- April 1, 1918
The RNAS was abolished and naval air support was provided by the RAF, but several Australians served with distinction in the British RNAS.
- March 26, 1918
HMAS Psyche decommissioned for the last time. Psyche remained moored in Sydney Harbour and was eventually sold as a timber lighter on 21 July 1922. She later sank in Salamander Bay, Port Stephens.
HMS WATERHEN, was launched at Palmer’s Yard, England. The destroyer was transferred to the RAN in 1933, and became part of the “Scrap Iron Flotilla” in WWII.- March 8, 1918
A Sopwith 1½ Strutter aircraft was successfully launched from HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser).
- February 28, 1918
Recruiting commenced for the RAN Brigade (RANB) Naval Guard Section. The RANB had been formed in 1917, and applied retrospectively from 1914 to appropriate Naval personnel.They were given their own specially designed naval button. They were ex Navy or Army personnel who were used to guard wharves and shipping in Australian ports, as well as Naval Dockyards. Prior to this the guards had been provided by the Army. This organisation was demobilized in late 1919 after the bulk of the 1st AIF had returned to Australia from overseas service. In 1920 the RANB personnel became RANR.
- February 8, 1918
The Australian Government purchased Williamstown Dockyard from the State of Victoria, a dockyard that had served the Colonial Victorian Naval Forces up until Federation in 1901 and was used as the Williamstown Naval Depot by the Australian Navy up until this purchase.
- January 31, 1918
MIDN E.F. Cunningham, RAN was drowned when the submarine HMS K17, in which he was serving, was rammed and sunk by a British warship in the North Sea. Cunningham was a member of the original 1913 entry to the RAN College and the first graduate to lose his life on active service.
- January 15, 1918
C in C, China Station, received a signal which contained information solving the fate of the Burns Philp steamer MATUNGA, which disappeared mysteriously on a voyage from Sydney to Port Moresby. The signal read:- “Bottle found 9 December in sea off Toli Toli, Celebes, by natives, contained two papers forwarded to me by Consul General, Batavia. First (Begins) Prisoners on board German raider. Will reader please notify the British authorities that German raider passed Celebes this day 29 August, on her way we presume to mine Singapore, PEDRA BRANCA having previously mined Cape Town, Bombay, Colombo, North Cape, (New Zealand), Cook Strait, Gabo Island. Crews of following vessels are on board:- TURITELIA, JUMNA, WORDSWORTH, DEE, WAIRUNA, WINSLOW, BELUGA, ENCORE, and MATUNGA. She has on board 110 mines to mine, we think, Rangoon and Calcutta. She was formerly WACHENFELS of German merchant service. (Ends). Second message is a descriptive drawing of vessel, 3-island type, 1 funnel, 2 masts, several 6-inch guns, 2 on forecastle, 2 on broadsides, 1 on poop, 4 torpedo tubes 18-inch.”