On This Day

On This Day - 13 December

1791

Philip Parker King, (son of Governor Phillip Gidley King, RN), was born on Norfolk Island. He was the first Australian to reach flag rank in the RN.

1907

The Prime Minister of Australia, Alfred Deakin, announced that Australia would purchase 9 C-class submarines, and 6 torpedo boat destroyers, over three years, to be built, manned and maintained by Australia.

1914

LEUT Norman Douglas Holbrook, RN, was awarded the VC for outstanding bravery while commanding HM Submarine B11, during the first successful penetration of the Turkish minefields at the entrance to the Sea of Marmara, and for sinking the Turkish ship MESSOUDIEH. The town of Germantown, (an unpopular name during WWI), in NSW, was renamed Holbrook in his honour. The fin and casing of HMAS OTWAY, (Oberon class submarine), was gifted to Holbrook town in 1982, as a permanent memorial to LEUT Holbrook.

1921

The Four Power Treaty was signed between the British Commonwealth, the United States, France and Japan. This treaty was replaced by the Washington Treaty three months later, and resulted in the scuttling of the then eight-year-old HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), under the limitation clause.

1942

HMA Ships COLAC, BALLARAT, BROOME, and WHYALLA, (minesweepers), landed troops at Buna, New Guinea.

1960

The hulk of HMAS PENGUIN, (composite screw corvette), was burnt at Kerosene Bay, Sydney.

1964

HMAS TEAL, (minesweeper), intercepted two Indonesian sampans off Borneo. The sampans opened fire, and TEAL retaliated, killing three of the crew. LEUT K. Murray, RAN, TEAL's captain, was awarded the DSC for gallantry in the action. This was the only gallantry award to an RAN officer in the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation.

1984

The Department of Defence Support, responsible for the management of naval dockyards and new ship building, was abolished.

2011

HMAS Choules commissioned into the RAN. The ship originally entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 28 November 2006 as RFA Largs Bay (L3006)