On This Day
1946-1959 > Post WW2
On This Day - 1946-1959
- June 8, 1959
HMAS Cootamundra paid off. Declared for disposal on 27 September 1961, she was sold to Banks Bros & Street on 28 March 1962
- May 20, 1959
LEUT(P) Stanley Ray Carmichael RAN & ASLT(O) Mike Williams RAN lost their lives when their Sea Venom aircraft of 724 Squadron flew into the sea whilst on a photographic exercise at sea off Ulladulla, NSW. Aircraft WZ909 (RAN code N4-909) was seen to circle the merchant vessel Komona before crashing into the sea at 1514 hrs, approximately 18 miles east of Ulladulla. LEUT Carmichael was one of the RAN’s very early trained pilots, and was highly experienced having flown Sea Furies from HMAS Sydney during the Korean war. Twenty nine years later on 18/05/88 the remains of their aircraft was bought to the surface by a CSIRO vessel. The port wheel cover is now displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra, NSW.
- April 24, 1959
HMA Ships SWAN and WARREGO commenced a three-month survey of the Outer Whitsunday Passage, QLD.
- April 18, 1959
The Minister for the Navy, Mr. J. Gorton, announced the frigates BARCOO, DIAMANTINA, and GASCOYNE, were to be re-commissioned.
- March 23, 1959
VADM Roy Dowling, DSO, RAN, is appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, (the forerunner of the Chief of the Defence Force).