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You are here: Home / Archives for Australian Navy / HMAS Queenborough

HMAS Queenborough

Aviator or Seaman or Both?

September 1, 2005

It is now comparatively rare for a naval aviator to also qualify as a seagoing watchkeeping officer, but in previous generations it was relatively straightforward and kept one in the mainstream for possible later promotion and eventual sea command.

Type 15 Fast Frigate HMAS Queenborough (1960)
Type 15 Fast Frigate HMAS Queenborough (1960)

It was towards the end of 1960. After a little more than twelve months flying Fairey Gannets from HMAS Melbourne I received an Appointment to join the Type 15 Frigate, HMAS Queenborough, to qualify as a seaman officer. In those days officers were “Appointed” to ships and establishments, they were not “Posted.” Furthermore, they were directed to “repair to their duty.” This was a very civilized and olde worlde way of conducting business. Of course, the underlying message was that if one did not “repair to one’s duty” on the “Appointed” date one was likely to be keel-hauled at the first opportunity, or suffer such other punishment as may be considered necessary.

It should be understood that at that time the proportion of commissioned aviators to non-flying officers was relatively high compared to the present situation in the RAN. The majority of Fleet Air Arm Pilots and Observers were granted a six year Short Service Commission on graduation from flying training. During the six year period some officers were offered a permanent commission. The Naval Board in their wisdom probably thought that there could be some value to the RAN in a small proportion of this unsightly and generally non-conformist gaggle of aviators. On award of a permanent commission, one entered the main stream of the Executive Branch and, of necessity, had to obtain a Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate to become a qualified seaman officer, in order to compete in the promotion process. It became an interesting prospect to regard one’s flying experience as simply a specialization in the overall scheme of things.

Thus it was on a beautiful spring morning in October 1960, I found myself going to sea for the first time as an officer in a frigate. Passing through Sydney Heads into an almost flat calm sea with a gentle breeze, I thought life was pretty good. From what little I could ascertain we were engaged in Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres with a sister ship, HMAS Quickmatch and a submarine (whose name I can’t recall). What I do recall is that there were a number of people on the bridge, all busy doing something, except me! The bridge of a Type 15 frigate is very spacious but I found there was virtually no place to hide. All I could do was keep as far away from the compass platform as I could manage and keep silent. After all, I was enjoying this unique experience and was quite convinced that I would not be required to contribute to the activity on the bridge because I knew absolutely nothing about what was going on.

My reverie was abruptly shattered by our very senior and experienced captain who invited me, in no uncertain terms, to join the cluster of individuals gathered around the Pelorus, and for the next manoeuvre I was to act as Officer of the Watch. This, of course, presented me with an immediate and serious problem since I had no idea about what was happening. Obviously I needed assistance from some person with far more experience in these matters than myself. The answer became obvious. Standing nearby was the Navigator. If I could elicit information from him without my total ignorance becoming too public this seemed to be a reasonable solution to the problem.

From that point on the conversations and actions taken on the bridge were roughly as follows:

Over the radio from Quickmatch, who was acting as the Guide came:

“Execute to follow – Formation One – standard distance – my course 090 – speed 14 knots … At the time Quickmatch was about 30 degrees off our starboard bow at about two miles distant. The following dialogue ensued between the Navigator and myself:

Me: “Excuse me, what does Formation One mean?”

Navigator: “It means that we must finish up directly astern of Quickmatch”

Me: “Thank you.”

(I think to myself this is a simple relative velocity problem. Easy, just like joining a formation in an aircraft, an activity at which I was well experienced).

Me: “Oh, another thing, what does Standard Distance mean?”

Navigator: “It means two and a half cables or five hundred yards.”

(I think to myself, thank goodness he explained the matter of cables and yards, because I did not know the length of a cable – well not exactly). Next thing I hear over the radio is “Stand by Execute…” I knew it was bound to happen and had been desperately wondering what I should do when it did happen. I had no choice. A voice of authority behind me said “… Come on, get on with it …” Here was my big chance. Not being a complete idiot and having heard other people use a similar expression I said “… Starboard 20, Revolutions 200…” The ship was turning and accelerating and I waited until steadying on a course which looked to be about right to bring us astern of Quickmatch at the required distance. Turning and lining up into Quickmatch’s wake did not seem to be much of a problem, but we were doing nearly 20 knots and she was doing only 14. Here again the matter was simple. As in joining a formation in the air, reduce engine power when you judge the time is right and slide neatly into position.

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HMAS Queenborough – Medivac in the Southern Ocean 1966

March 16, 2003

During the forenoon of Wednesday 19 October 1966, the weather could only be described as superb. Since departing North Wharf, Melbourne, on Monday morning the weather had been very kind to us. The sun was brilliant, the swell from the south west and hardly perceptible, the wind a light north westerly and temperature in the low 20s. On the horizon off the port quarter lay the rather forbidding mountains of the south western extremity of Tasmania.

At this time it was my privilege to command HMAS Queenborough, without question the best ship in the Australian Fleet. This assessment could be verified by asking any member of the ship’s company, and I certainly had no doubt about it myself.

Having departed Melbourne on the Monday, we were due to arrive in Hobart on the Thursday for a ceremonial visit, after making passage down the west coast of Tasmania. Visiting the friendly city of Hobart has always been a pleasure, from my first visit whilst serving in HMAS Australia in 1954 to the last visit when I managed to find myself with a fire in the port engine of one of our RAN Dakotas immediately after takeoff from Hobart airport. Now nothing will accelerate the adrenalin flow faster in a pilot than a fire in the air . . . but I digress, that is another story.

On Wednesday morning off Tasmania life was very pleasant indeed. As the man on the TV ad said ‘. . it doesn’t get any better than this . ‘ Actually, he was quite correct. If it can’t get any better then it must stay that way or get worse. As the day progressed there was ample warning that things would get worse with a rapidly approaching mass of cirrus cloud from the south west quadrant.

Later in the day, as the weather really was showing marked signs of deterioration, a most interesting signal was received from Fleet Headquarters at Garden Island. In essence the signal invited us, in no uncertain terms, to get ourselves to Hobart at best speed, top up with fuel and stand by to proceed to Macquarie Island for a possible medical evacuation.

Two questions became immediately apparent. Firstly, what was the shortest passage from our present position to Hobart and, secondly, what do we know about Macquarie Island? The first question was simple to answer. By far the shortest passage to Hobart was through D’Entrecasteaux Channel. The question regarding Macquarie Island could wait until we had studied the charts and books. All I knew was that it was a long way south.

Immediately after receiving the signal, at about 1845, we increased speed to 25 knots and shaped course for D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

Our arrival at the entrance to the Channel seemed to coincide very nicely with the arrival of the full intensity of a cold front. That is, 30 knots of wind, driving rain and a pitch black night. I had great faith in our 978 radar, however, blind pilotage under these weather conditions in an unfamiliar channel was not conducive to a relaxed and pleasant evening at sea. In order to lower the stress level on the bridge personnel, including myself, we reduced speed to 20 knots.

Berthing at the fuelling wharf in Hobart shortly after 0500 was interesting. With a strong southerly wind and flooding tide it was necessary to keep both engines slow ahead until the berthing lines had been secured. Whilst refuelling progressed, phone contact was made with Fleet Headquarters. We were directed to sail for Macquarie Island on completion of fuelling, at economical speed, and await further instructions.

As the Scheme of Complement for Queenborough did not include a medical officer we embarked a civilian Government Medical Officer whilst in Hobart. Unbeknown to him, the doctor, a thoroughly delightful gentleman, was about to spend some of the most uncomfortable days of his life by courtesy of the RAN. At this time I learnt that the person we were likely to evacuate from Macquarie Island was diagnosed as suffering from stones in the kidneys. A condition, I must confess, which meant very little to me at the time.

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The RAN’s Destroyers

March 11, 1991

Surely destroyers are the backbone of our Royal Australian Navy. Thirty-nine destroyers have served in the RAN since Foundation in 1911, from our first destroyers – HMA Ships PARRAMATTA (1), and YARRA (1), of only 700 tons, to our latest DDGs PERTH, HOBART and BRISBANE displacing over 4,500 tons.

River Class

HMAS Parramatta
HMAS Parramatta

Australia’s first destroyers were known as the River Class (I Class in the Royal Navy). The first two, PARRAMATTA and YARRA, were completely built in the UK during 1910/11, with WARREGO 1910/12, built in England, then disassembled and shipped to Australia to be rebuilt in Cockatoo Island Dockyard in NSW (for the ship building experience). The remaining four were completely built in Cockatoo Island Dockyard – WARREGO 1910/11/12, HUON (laid as DERWENT, but renamed HUON so as not to be confused with HMS DERWENT) 1913/15, TORRENS 1913/15 and SWAN 1915/16. They had a displacement of 700 tons, length 250ft, beam 24½ft and a 9ft draught. They carried one 4″ gun forward, 3x 12pdrs, 3×18″ torpedoes in tubes. Speed of 26/27 knots, with a complement of 66 officers and men. The cost of the UK built ships was £81,500, and the Australian built ships £160,000. (How times have changed.)

These ships served in the Mediterranean and the Pacific areas during World War I, and after the War, from 1919 in various duties, and for Naval Reserve training.

Gift Destroyers

In 1919 the RAN received six gift destroyers from the Royal Navy, the first was HMAS ANZAC (1), 1917 to 1933, a Marksman (Destroyer leader) Class destroyer of 1,660 tons, length 325ft, beam 31½ft, draught 12½ft, with three funnels. Her armament was 4×4″ guns, 2x12pdrs, 4×21″ torpedoes. She had a speed of 34 knots from her triple screws, with a complement of 122 officers and ratings. ANZAC transferred to the RAN, leaving Plymouth (England) in February 1920 and sailed to Sydney, arriving there on 29 April. There was little to do after the War (Great War), and she spent her time on the Australian east coast, though she visited New Guinea and New Britain in 1924, 1926 and 1930. But she remained the only destroyer kept through the depression years, till she was paid off in 1933, and scrapped in 1935. Sold for £1,800, ANZAC was sunk off Sydney on 7 May 1936 as target practice for RAN ships.

S Class

The other five S Class Destroyers – HMA Ships STALWART (1), SUCCESS, SWORDSMAN, TASMANIA and TATTOO were of 1,070 tons, 276ft in length, beam 26¾ft, draught 10½ft, with 3×4″ guns, 1x2pdr, pompoms and machine guns, 4×21″ torpedoes, speed 34 knots and complement of 90 officers and ratings.

For these ships, the majority of their service life was spent in port, and on the east coast, the only exception being TASMANIA, which visited New Guinea in 1924.

These S Class were famous ships, and over sixty more were built for the Royal Navy to replace WW I ships, and though many were scrapped between the wars, eleven still served in the Royal Navy during WW II.

The RAN’s five were built in the UK 1917/18, and commissioned into the RAN 1920. They paid off and went to Reserve in the late 1920s to 1930, and were all sold by 1937.

TATTOO was the last to pay off in 1933. On one of its last trips outside Sydney’s Heads, when passing the Matson Liner MARIPOSA, it signalled ‘Are you catching any fish’. Poor TATTOO! At least – they claimed – TATTOO never broke down.

V&W Class

Next, after service with the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1932, STUART transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in October 1933, along with four V & W Class destroyers (to replace the old S Class destroyers).

HMAS STUART (1) was a Scott Class Destroyer Leader, with displacement of 2,000 tons, length 332ft, beam 31¾ft, draught 12¼ft. Her armament (original) was 5×4.7″ guns, 1×3″ AA and small arms, and 6×21″ torpedoes. Speed 36½ knots and ship’s complement of 185. In her RAN commission, she was the Flotilla Leader, and up to 1939 served mainly in Australian waters, though being decommissioned for two short periods in that time.

With the declaration of war in 1939, STUART (Cmdr H.M.L. Waller, RAN), with the V & Ws HMA Ships VAMPIRE (1), VENDETTA (1), VOYAGER (1), and WATERHEN (1), sailed for the Mediterranean, where the Flotilla saw much action along the North African coast, with the British Fleet all over the Eastern Mediterranean, and with HMAS SYDNEY in action against the Italian Fleet at Calabria, through to the Battle of Matapan, then landings of troops on Greece and Crete, and later evacuating those troops after German occupation. STUART departed the Mediterranean August 22nd 1941, to return to Australia to commence a long and overdue refit, till April 1942. She then served in north eastern Australian waters till 1946, paying off 27th April 1946 and was scrapped in 1947.

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Australian Naval History on 12 May 1975

May 12, 1975

HMAS QUEENBOROUGH, the last of the five ‘Q’ class destroyers presented to the RAN as a gift by Great Britain, was towed out of Sydney, bound for Hong Kong and breaking up.

Australian Naval History on 7 April 1972

April 7, 1972

HMAS Queenborough paid off having steamed some 443,236 miles in the RAN. On 8 April 1975 the ship was sold to Willtopp (Asia) Ltd through the firm’s Agents, Banks Bros and Streets, of Sydney. On 2 May 1975 she was towed from Bradleys Head in Sydney Harbour to Jubilee Engineering Works, Balmain, to be prepared for towing to Hong Kong.

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