On This Day
1942 > WW2
On This Day - 1942
- January 27, 2020
Foundation date of WRANS. First 14 girls were sworn into the Navy as enlisted personnel with enlisted status. RANNS established with 23 qualified nursing sisters in RAN hospitals and Miss Annie Ina Laidlaw was appointed superintending sister, with the equivalent rank of lieutenant commander.
- January 27, 2020
Approval to form a Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service of 580 personnel (280 telegraphists plus 300 other duties) was granted
- December 23, 1942
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS WAGGA, (LEUT D. K. Cracknell, RANR), was commissioned. WAGGA was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, 9 March 1942, and launched on 25 July 1942.
The auxiliary boom defence vessel HMAS KOOMPARTOO, was commissioned. KOOMPARTOO was laid down in Walsh Island, Newcastle, NSW, in 1922. She was transferred to the RAN, from the British Ministry of War Transport, in October 1942.
- December 21, 1942
HMAS QUIBERON, (destroyer), took off troops and crew from the bombed and burning transport STRATHALLAN, torpedoed off North Africa.
- December 15, 1942
HMAS CASTLEMAINE, (minesweeper), beat off Japanese aircraft attacks on the convoy she was escorting on the north Australian coast.