February 29th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1884

HMVS CHILDERS, (torpedo boat), ran out of coal off the coast of Portugal and was forced to lay-to until found by the steamer Pathan which supplied her with enough coal to reach Gibraltar. To avoid a similar situation on the run from Malta to Alexandria she was diverted to Crete, and so became the first Australian warship to visit the Greek naval base at Suda Bay.

1944

HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), were units of the covering force for the American landings in the Admiralty Islands.

1948

Group Captain S. Campbell, (RAAF), Dr P. Law, and AB Wallace of HMAS WYATT EARP landed briefly on Ballerys Island in Antarctica.

1972

HMAS SYDNEY (troop transport), sailed from Vung Tau, Vietnam, on her last troop carrying voyage. SYDNEY was the only ship of the RAN to wear both the British White Ensign and the Australian White Ensign in the war. She completed four voyages to Vietnam before the Australian White Ensign was introduced on 1 March 1967.

1980

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (oceanographic research ship), and the last World War II ship in commission in the RAN, was paid off for disposal at Garden Island, Sydney.

'On This Day' is based on the book "Navy Day by Day: Historic Naval Events in Australia and Abroad" written by the late Lew Lind.