January 29th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1943

HMAS KURU, (patrol vessel), rescued 16 survivors of HMAS PATRICIA CAM from Marchinbar Island in the Arafura Sea.

1945

HMAS WARREGO and US motor minesweeper YMS 316 marked inshore shoals for the US landings at Subic Bay, Philippines. The vessels continued this activity until 19 February, often landing armed parties in areas not cleared of the enemy to erect survey markers.

1951

The flagship, HMAS AUSTRALIA, led the international fleet gathered in Sydney Harbour to celebrate Australia’s Golden Jubilee. The fleet consisted of:- HMA Ships:- CONDAMINE, CULGOA, GLADSTONE, LATROBE, SHOALHAVEN, SYDNEY, and TOBRUK. HM Ships; TELEMACHUS, and TACTITIAN HMNZ Ships; BELLONA, TAUPO, and HAWEA.SAN Ship; TRANSVAAL HMCS ONTARIO. INS RAJPUT. Pakistani ships SHAMSER and SIND.

1968

 LCDR N. Ralph, RAN, became the first RAN officer to command a US Army unit. In the absence of Colonel R M Cory, he assumed command of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company in Vietnam.

1983

LEUT G. A. Ledger, RAN, piloted an Iroquois helicopter in a hazardous night operation to rescue 13 passengers trapped in four cable cars over Keppel Harbour in Singapore, during a heavy monsoon storm. The passengers had become trapped after the cable was damaged by the boom of a floating crane being towed down the harbour. LEUT Ledger was then on exchange with the Singaporean Air Force, and was awarded the Military State Commendation of Singapore.

The FFG-7, (Adelaide), class guided missile frigate HMAS SYDNEY, was commissioned. SYDNEY was laid down in Todd Pacific Shipyard, Seattle, USA, 16 January 1980, and launched on 26 September 1980. She is the fourth ship of the name to serve in the RAN.