Friday, 13 January 2012

January 14th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1918

PO P. J. Kempster, DSM, died when HM Submarine G8 was lost in the North Sea. Kempster was an RAN rating on loan to the RN and had been awarded the DSM in 1917 for his bravery and devotion to duty while serving in G8.

1919

HMAS FANTOME, (survey ship), resumed survey duties after WW1.

1920

The Australian Government constituted a temporary Air Board to advise the Minister for Defence on military aviation. Two naval officers were members of the Board.

1928

The Fleet Air Arm was abolished by Parliament, and the RAAF was directed to provide air support to the RAN. This decision was overturned in 1948 with the re-establishment of the Fleet Air Arm, and the purchase of the aircraft carriers HMAS SYDNEY and HMAS MELBOURNE.

1941

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS TOORIE was commissioned. TOORIE, (ex-SIR ARTHUR DORMAN), was laid down in Dorman Long, Sydney, in 1925. She was renamed in 1928 under Adelaide steamship ownership, and was requisitioned by the RAN in late 1940.

1943

Fremantle-based USS GUDGEON, (submarine), landed a party of Philippine Army personnel and stores on Negros Island.

1970

The following awards for gallantry were announced for rescue operations after the collision of HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and the USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer):-

GM LCDR R. J. Burns RANAFC 
LCDR D. N. Rodgers RANMBE
LCDR C. J. Paterson RANMBE
PO N. Heard BEM 
AB R J. Richardson Queens Commendation for Bravery 
NA R. W. Winston Queens Commendation for Bravery 
EM W. N. Baldwin Commendation for Bravery

1988

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced Williamstown Dockyard was to be sold to Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated Ltd., (AMECON).

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