April 1st - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1858

The following ships were on the Australia Station:-Sailing vessels; IRIS, (26 guns), SAPPHO, (12 guns), and BRAMBLE, (tender).Steam screw vessel; CORDELIA, (11 guns).

1891

The Auxiliary Squadron, consisting of HM Ships WALLAROO, MILDURA, and RINGAROOMA, (cruisers), and KARRAKATTA, (torpedo gunboat), in commission, and with HM Ships KATOOMBA, and TAURANGA, (cruisers), and BOOMERANG, (torpedo gunboat), in reserve, commenced operations in Australasian waters. The squadron was in addition to the Imperial Squadron based in Sydney. All six Australian States and New Zealand contributed to the upkeep of the Auxiliary Squadron on a population basis.

1914

    LEUT A. M. Longmore, an Australian serving with the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps, flew the First Sea Lord, Winston Churchill, on his first flight in a Maurice Farman seaplane.

1918

    The RNAS was abolished and naval air support was provided by the RAF, but several Australians served with distinction in the British RNAS.

1921

    Flinders Naval Depot, (HMAS CERBERUS), was officially opened. This date is now accepted as the commissioning date for HMAS CERBERUS. 1921 HMAS PROTECTOR, (gunboat), was re-commissioned as HMAS CERBERUS, and posted to Flinders Naval Depot as a tender.

1927

    The O class submarine HMAS OXLEY, (CMDR H. R. Marrack, RN), was commissioned. OXLEY was laid down at Vickers Ltd, Barrow in Furness, UK, in 1925, and launched on 29 June 1926. OXLEY was formerly to be numbered OA1, but was renamed OXLEY.

1941

    Three sailors from HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), who were captured after volunteering to man a shore-based gun in August 1940, were released from prisoner-of-war camp in Eritria, East Africa. They were PO H. Jones, AB H. C. Sweeney, and AB W. J. Hurren.

1946

    HMAS TOLGA, (auxiliary minesweeper), was scuttled in New Guinea waters "because she had deteriorated so badly it was considered dangerous to attempt to run her home".

1947

    The modified River class frigate HMAS CULGOA, (CMDR H. L. Gunn, RAN), was commissioned. CULGOA was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC on 15 July 1943, and launched on 22 September 1945. Mrs Showers, (Wife of CAPT H. A. Showers, RAN), performed the launching ceremony. She was to have originally to have been called Macquarie, but the name was changed while she was still on the stocks.

1948

    HMAS WYATT EARP, (Antarctic supply vessel), returned to Melbourne from Antarctica.

1953

    HMAS NIRIMBA was commissioned at Quakers Hill, Sydney, under the command of CAPT D. Sanderson, DSC, RN, as the RAN Fleet Air Arm's second Naval Air Station. The Naval Air Station was closed in 1954 due to budget cuts, but the base was soon transformed into the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment, (RANATE), and retained the name NIRIMBA, which is aboriginal for pelican.

1955

    The Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, announced the decision to commit Australian forces to the Far East Strategic Reserve, (FESR), in Malaya. The Navy's contribution was to include two frigates or destroyers and an annual visit by HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier). The first two RAN warships sent to South East Asia as part of the FESR were the destroyers HMAS ARUNTA and HMAS WARRAMUNGA. The FESR duties for the RAN continued until 1971.

1958

    HMS NORMAN, (destroyer), formerly HMAS NORMAN, was paid off for disposal.

1971

    The first long service and good conduct medals were awarded to native sailors of the Papua New Guinea Division of the RAN.

1992

    The last naval pilots graduated from the RAAF's No.1 Flying School at Point Cook, VIC. They were SBLT Marcus McGregor, RAN, and MIDN Robert Needham, RAN. From then on all pilot training was conducted at RAAF Base Pearce, WA.

Credit:

The late Lew Lind.