On This Day
1944 > WW2
On This Day - 1944
- November 20, 1944
The air/sea rescue vessel AIR VIEW, (SBLT L. K. Williams, RANVR), was commissioned.
ML827 foundered while under tow east of Waterfall Bay, New Britain. The commanding officer of ML827 was LEUT I. F. G. Downs, OBE, RANVR, who had served as a coastwatcher from 1942 to 1943.
- November 19, 1944
HMAS BURDEKIN, (frigate), bombarded Japanese positions on Halmahera Island.
- November 17, 1944
HMAS ML 827 Royal Australian Navy The Fairmile B motor launch ran aground in Jacquinot Bay, New Guinea. Refloated, but sank under tow on 20 November.
- November 15, 1944
CAPT Buchanan recorded in Reports of Proceedings of HMAS ARUNTA, (destroyer):- ‘HMAS ARUNTA contributed her share to the heavy concentration of fire that destroyed an enemy aircraft soon after ABNER REID, (US destroyer), was hit. For the remainder of our stay in Leyte Gulf no day passed without several Bogies and Bandits, and the consequent air alerts’. USS ABNER REID was hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane on 1 November and rolled over and sank within a few minutes.
- November 14, 1944
LCDR Stanley Darling, RANVR, was awarded the DSC twice in seven days, on 7 and 14 November. Darling commanded HMS LOCH KILLEN, (frigate), in anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic. He retired from the Navy in 1961 as CAPT Stanley Darling, OBE, DSC and 2 Bars, RANVR.
- November 12, 1944
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), carrying mail to TG77.1 in the Philippines, signalled the flagship HMAS SHROPSHIRE:- ‘Intend to visit you first’. SHROPSHIRE replied: ‘Shall open fire if you don’t’.
- November 8, 1944
The air/sea rescue vessel AIR SAILOR, (SBLT T. H. Naylor, RANVR), was commissioned.
- November 7, 1944
HMA Ships VENDETTA, (destroyer), SWAN, (sloop), and BARCOO, (frigate), completed their bombardment of Wide Bay, New Britain. The guns were directed by Australian Coastwatchers.
- November 6, 1944
HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), shot down a Japanese kamikaze aircraft aimed at HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), in Lingayen Gulf.
HMA Ships VENDETTA, BARCOO, and SWAN, bombarded Japanese positions at Wide Bay, New Britain.
- November 5, 1944
HMAS NORMAN, (destroyer), picked up 71 survivors of the merchant ship MARION MOLLER, sunk by the German submarine U861 north of Trincomalee, Ceylon.