On This Day

On This Day - 29 May

1931

RADM Leonard Stanley Holbrook, MVO, RN, was appointed Rear Admiral Commanding the Australian Squadron.

1941

HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), and HM Ships CALCUTTA, COVENTRY, GLENGYLE, JERVIS, JANUS, and HASTY, evacuated over 6000 Allied troops from the beach at Sfakia, Crete, PERTH's total being 1188. During the three day return passage to Alexandria, the ships were subject to heavy enemy air attack. PERTH suffered two near misses, but with only minor damage resulting, and no casualties

1942

The destroyer HMAS NEPAL, (CMDR F.B. Morris, RAN), was commissioned at Woolston, England. A Japanese Navy seaplane from the submarine I-21, flew over Sydney and Newcastle, at night, to conduct reconnaissance in preparation for the midget submarine attack against Sydney Harbour which took place two nights later. The pilot, LEUT Susomo, reported he flew so low over Sydney Harbour that he was able to identify welding sparks from work being conducted at Cockatoo Island Dockyard. On return to the submarine, the aircraft crashed in the choppy seas, and sank, but Susomo swam to the submarine to make his report. HMAS KURU, (auxiliary patrol vessel), returned to Darwin after making her first re-supply run to Australian troops still fighting a guerrilla campaign in Timor.

1944

The German submarine U181 sank the Australian merchant ship NELLORE, in the Indian Ocean.

1951

HMAS Bataan sailed from Hong Kong for home after eleven months service with the United Nations in Korean waters. Bataan was en route to Japan for her sixth post-war tour of duty with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force when the Korean War began on 25 June 1950.

1954

The Captain of HMAS VENGEANCE, (aircraft carrier), reported that on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia, the ship's company spelt out the royal signature on the ship's flight deck. Soon after the Royal Aircraft passed overhead, the following signal was received: 'I have to convey the following message from the Queen. Thank you for the original forgery.'

1971

HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), destroyed enemy bunkers and mortar positions during a bombardment of the De-Militarised Zone in Vietnam.

1980

Queen Elizabeth II, approved three new long service medals, (15 years service), for members of the Australian Defence Force. These were the Defence Force Service Medal, (DFSM), for all regular personnel regardless of rank; the Reserve Force Decoration, (RFD), for Reserve Force officers only; and the Reserve Force Medal, (RFM), for all other Reserve Force personnel. The first medals were issued in 1982, and replaced the National Medal, which had been the ADF Long Service Medal from 1975 until 1982. The DFSM, RFD, and RFM, were themselves replaced in 1999-2000 by the Defence Long Service Medal, (DLSM), which was for both regular and reserve personnel who had completed 15 years service.