On This Day

On This Day - 20 May

1918

HMAS PARRAMATTA, (torpedo boat destroyer), attacked an Austrian submarine with gunfire and depth charges. The submarine was sighted from the ship's observation balloon.

1940

HMS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), relieved HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), as escort for troop convoy US3, in the Indian Ocean. SHROPSHIRE was commissioned into the RAN as a replacement for CANBERRA in 1943.

1941

The Battle of Crete commenced, and lasted until 31 May, 1941. HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), were all involved in evacuating Allied troops from the island. LEUT L. M. Hinchliffe, RAN, (from HMAS NAPIER), was landed at Sfakia Beach, and took control as the Beachmaster, and coordinated evacuations from that port. He was later awarded the DSC for his conspicuous service during this time.

1945

HMAS NORMAN,(destroyer), took under tow HMS QUILLIAM, (destroyer), which was damaged in a collision with HMS INDOMITABLE, (aircraft carrier). HMAS KIAMA, (minesweeper), bombarded Japanese troop positions and installations on the east coast of Buka Island.

1947

HMAS QUICKMATCH, (destroyer), arrived at Nanking with Professor Copeland, the newly appointed Australian Ambassador to China and his staff. QUICKMATCH was the first ship of the RAN to visit the port.

1966

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), rescued four survivors from the dredge W.T. ATLAS, which had sunk in Jervis Bay, NSW. Boat crews from VENDETTA later recovered four bodies from the water. The following day RAN helicopters continued the search, but no more survivors or bodies were found. A Queens Commendation for the rescue was awarded to LEUT R. B. Lovett, RAN, LEUT P. J. Vickers, RAN, PO F. C. McCreanor, PO G. W. Peters, and Leading Airman K. J. Beaton.

1967

Three divers of Clearance Diving Team 3 were flown to Phu Loi, Vietnam, to recover a Chinook helicopter which had crashed into the sea. The team recovered the bodies of the crew, and assisted in the raising of the sunken helicopter. Two battalions of troops guarded the area against Viet Cong attack during the operation.

1968

The ashes of CMDR E. A. Feldt, OBE, RAN, Commander of Australian Coastwatchers in WWII, were scattered in New Guinea waters by HMAS SAMARAI, (patrol boat).

1983

HMAS ACUTE, (patrol boat),was paid off and commissioned into the Indonesian Navy as the KRI SILEA. She joined her sistership, HMAS BARRICADE, renamed KRI SIGALU, which was given to Indonesia in 1982.

1991

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), arrived at the port of Pireaus, Greece, to take part in the 50th Anniversary commemorations of the Greece and Crete Campaigns. During her time in the Mediterranean she embarked a number of RAN and AIF veterans of the campaigns.

2004

The ADF ceased to formally provide security forces in Timor Leste, (formerly East Timor), when security for the nation was handed over to the country's own Defence Force and Police. Approximately 100 ADF and Australian Federal Police personnel remained behind in Timor Leste as advisors.The ADF had first entered the country in 1999, to restore law and order following the violence that had erupted following the pro-independence elections. The survey vessel HMAS MELVILLE, (CMDR A. J. Withers, RAN), rescued five people from the stranded catamaran BAGATELLE, which had run aground on Scott Reef, (off Russell Heads, QLD). The catamaran had left Dunk Island earlier that day, and was bound for Fitzroy Island, when she struck the reef late in the day and was severely damaged