NAVAL HISTORY OCTOBER NAVAL HISTORY

Transcription

1 The Navy League of Australia - Victoria Division Incorporating Tasmania NEWSLETTER October 2015 Volume:4 No:10 The maintenance of the maritime well-being of the nation is the principal objective of the Navy League of Australia Patron: Governor of Victoria President: LCDR Roger Blythman RANR RFD RET D Snr Vice President: Frank McCarthy Vice President Secretary: Ray Gill PP: Treasurer: Special Events: CMDR John Wilkins OAM RFD RANR NAVAL HISTORY OCTOBER NAVAL HISTORY The month of October, in terms of Naval History, is indeed an interesting period. Some of the more memorable events spread over previous years are listed in the following:- OCTOBER 1805 In this year of 2015, we commemorate the 210 th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. For it was on 21 st October 1805 that Admiral Lord Nelson defeated a combined Spanish-French Fleet, thus placing Britannia in the position of Ruling the Waves for the next 100 years. OCTOBER 1944 The Bathurst Class Minesweeper-Corvette H.M.A.S. Geelong, a sister ship to H.M.A.S. Castlemaine was sunk in a collision with the U.S. Tanker York off New Guinea on the 18 th October Fortunately there was no loss of life in this incident. OCTOBER 1944 In October 1944 at the Battle of Leyte Gulf the following R.A.N. ships engaged, H.M.A.S s Australia, Shropshire, Arunta, Warramunga, Manoora, Kanimbla, Westralia, Gascoyne and H.D.M.L. No During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a kamikaze Aichi 99 dive bomber crashed into the foremast of H.M.A.S. Australia killing 30 Officers and ratings, including H.M.A.S. Australia s Commanding Officer Captain E.F.V. Dechaineux. There were also 64 Officers and men wounded in this attack including Commodore J.A. Collins RAN. OCTOBER 1944 The 25 th October 1944 marked the date of the Battle of Surigao Strait in which H.M.A. Ships Shropshire and Arunta engaged. Radar played an important part in this engagement which would probably be the last of the Battle Line actions in the history of sea warfare. OCTOBER 1954 The daring class destroyer H.M.A.S. Vendetta was launched on the 27 th October 1954 at Williamstown Victoria. ************************************************************ The following flyer is for The NLA Centenary Dinner on Saturday 14 th November 2015 RSL BOX HILL, arrive 6:30 for 7:00 pm, all naval family and friends welcome, $45 per head. 1 of 16

2 2 of 16

3 Navy Week "Geoffrey Evans" Trophy Race The Navy League of Australia -VIC-TAS Division will, with the support of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, be holding its annual Navy Week "Geoffrey Evans" trophy race on Saturday 24 October at The race is open to yachties in Port Phillip. The RYCV "Geoffrey Evans" yacht race application is to be made direct to RYCV. They will advise the details. The RYCV yachts generally offer to take on board one of the fifteen Naval Recruits or Trainees that FND send up for this Race. AN Cadets may also be involved. The Navy League "Geoffrey Evans" Trophy is awarded to the first yacht across the line after handicaps are calculated. In addition The Navy League of Australia Vic-Tas Division offers a prize to the skipper of the first yacht across the line carrying Navy or FND representative. Prizes are also given to the Navy/FND persons on board that yacht. The Navy League with the co-operation of the RYCV caterers provides a light luncheon and an after race BBQ for Naval race entrants who sail. The race has been held for the last 32 years. This race is one of the RYCV calendar events, and they handle the booking of their race entrants and can supply all necessary guidelines. RYCV Tel: Address: rycv@rycv.asn.au Website: 3 of 16

4 HELP TO MAKE THIS A BETTER CHRISTMAS FOR THOSE AT SEA Whilst we are all enjoying turkey and ham and Christmas cheer in Australia with our loved ones, some of our sailors will be suffering under a blistering sun and conducting dangerous and difficult operations in the Middle East. So - scrape the barnacles off the bottom of your bank accounts and give funds to the NLA (Vic Tas - Div) so that we can purchase magazines and DVDs to give our sailors some relief. Please send cheques to the Navy League of Australia (Victorian-Tas - Division) by 30 October P O Box 2340 Mt Waverley 3149 or direct debit to: Westpac Bank BSB Account No Reference XMAS 4 of 16

5 Shrine Report by Executive Member Ken Crook Compassion and Courage: Australian Doctors and Dentists in the Great War Exhibition 24 April April 2016 University of Melbourne s Medical History Museum. (Brownless Museum, off Grattan St Parkville) Medical artefacts and paraphernalia from the First World War including a travelling dentistry chair, original medicine bottles and soldier cartoons are on display at the University of Melbourne s Medical History Museum. Museum Curator, Dr Jacky Healy said many of the key medical innovations and stories forged on World War 1 battlefields are highlighted in the exhibition, Compassion and Courage: Australian Doctors and Dentists in the Great War. War has always been a catalyst for change in the fields of medicine and dentistry, said Dr Healy. World War 1 brought with it new types of military conflict never known before, from machine gun and poisonous gas attacks to trench warfare. This created new medical challenges, including infectious diseases, treatment of wounds, psychological trauma and hygiene. The exhibition showcases: Captain Doctor Arthur Poole Lawrence was awarded a Military Cross for treating the wounded under fire. The exhibition houses a sketch of him as a digger wearing a slouch hat. The death penny medallion of Melville Rule Hughes, WW1 surgeon. One of over one and a half million medallions were distributed in the British Empire to bereaved families. Infectious disease killed as many soldiers as war wounds. Due to work led by Charles Martin, pathology labs were set up as part of field hospitals reducing dramatically the fatalities of soldiers. Artefacts from these field hospitals are on show. Watercolour paintings of war wounds by Darryl Lindsay portray the work of surgeons and dentists who pioneered facial reconstruction at the Queen s Hospital Sidcup, London. One of the interesting stories told by the exhibition is the often overlooked but incredibly important role of dentists, said Dr Healy. In the first three months of the Gallipoli campaign over 600 soldiers were evacuated for dental reasons, to the base hospitals in Egypt to get dental treatment. To stem this inefficient system and deal with these often serious health problems, there was a call for dentally trained soldiers to step forward to fill this vacuum. Three Gallipoli soldiers stepped forward and created the Australian Army s first dental unit. We know of a dental officer being struck in the leg by Turkish shrapnel while extracting a tooth from a fellow soldier, said Dr Healy. The dental team at Gallipoli performed 180 fillings, 327 extractions and 60 denture repairs from November until the December evacuation. There were 188 army dental units by the end of the war. Alumni from the University of Melbourne were among those who went to war and suffered numerous casualties as soldiers and medical professionals. The exhibition pays homage to these alumni and the shared history of our partner organizations. The first director appointed to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Gordon Clunes Mathieson, was killed at Gallipoli before he was able to take up his post, his story represented in the exhibition. The Victorian Medical Insurance Agency Limited are the sponsor of the exhibition. 5 of 16

6 AS IT WAS Once again, we invite you to join us as we take a look at more recent naval history, at items that involved, or caught the eye of Navy League over the years on our Keep Watch brief. This time we go back 10 years as we browse through our records and reports of October 2005 we note that it was around this time we reported:- RN GULF BATTLE HONOURS It is of interest to note that eight ships of the Royal Navy have recently been presented with battle honours for their involvement in Gulf War Two. Each ship has been awarded the battle honour AL Faw 2013 representing official acknowledgement of their part in the successful campaign against Iraq between March 19 th and April 30 th The main effort of the Royal Navy was focused on the AL Faw Peninsula and the surrounding waters, which included a major airborne amphibious assault, port entry and the subsequent maintenance of sea lines of communication and support to follow-on operations in the vicinity. It would be of interest also to know what battle honours have been presented to ships of the RAN present also in the Gulf at that point in time, in particular to HMAS ANZAC for her participation in the AL Faw campaign LATEST ARLEIGH BURKE COMMISSIONS The latest USN Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer to commission is the USS HALSEY DDG97. The ship was commissioned during a ceremony at Coronado California. USS HALSEY honours the name of Admiral William f (Bull) Hasley WWII Commander of the US Third Fleet. USS HALSEY the 47 th ship of 62 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers is a highly favoured design for the RAN S forthcoming Aegis Air Warfare Destroyers. HALSEY S first CO will be CMDR James L Autrey of Oklahoma, and he will command a crew of approximately 380. The 9300 ton ship was built by Northrop Grumman Ingalls Operations, and is 510 feet in length, has an overall beam of 66 feet, and a navigational draft of 32 feet, her speed is in excess of 30 knots. NAVY VISITORS TO MELBOURNE The RAN major mine countermeasure exercise is this year to be conducted in Port Phillip Bay during the month of October. The first units participating in exercise Dugong HMAS HUON and HMAS DIAMANTINA, both Huon Class Coastal Minehunters, arrived in Melbourne 6 th October Other ships expected to join HUON and DIAMANTINA in exercise Dugong, plus Navy Week celebration participants include HMAS S YARRA, HAWKESBURY, MSA S WALLAROO, BANDICOOT, HMAS MANOORA plus the New Zealand Navy Tanker HMNZ ENDEAVOUR. Currently in Australian waters, is the United States fast combat support ship USS BRIDGE, which may also visit Melbourne during this month of October. 6 of 16

7 The following NLA Vic-TAS Division Calendar events September April 2016 has now been confirmed NLA Vic-Tas EVENTS Calendar 1. Executive Committee meeting days, from October, will normally be 2nd Saturday in the month at 1000 at Box Hill RSL, except for January as shown in Executive Committee meeting day, January 2016, will be on Saturday 23rd.January at 1000 at Box Hill RSL. 3. Navy Week Annual "Geoffrey Evans" Navy League trophy yacht race Saturday 24 Oct at 1400 Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, RAN personnel from HMAS Cerberus to sail on yachts and hosted by NLA Vic-Tas for light luncheon and after race BBQ. 4. NLA Vic Centenary First Day Covers $10 each (limited numbered and signed edition of 150) - 6 different Post Cards $15 each (or 6 for $50 - very limited numbered and signed edition of 25 sets of 6). These will have a special limited edition NLA VIC Centenary Label Stamp (Aust Post to print the 320 Navy League designed Label Stamps). At NLA Vic s request Australia Post supplied a specially designed postal Navy League Centenary postal Cancel for Friday 9th October 2015, the centenary date. 5. NLA Vic Centenary Dinner - Saturday 14 November $40 per head. Box Hill RSL Upton Room 6.30 for 7pm. *A memento gift of the occasion will be presented to each attendee at this commemorative event.* 6. NLA VIc-Tas Xmas Luncheon - Saturday 12th. December Box Hill RSL at Creswell Oration Tuesday 1st March 2016 at Wm Angliss $45 per head. VADM David Johnston AM RAN Chief of Joint Operations to present the 2016 Creswell Oration. 8. Lonsdale Cup Event - Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club Sunday 13 March The inaugural annual event for a perpetual Lonsdale Cup to celebrate the Australian Navy's Foundation Day 1st March Details to be supplied in newsletters. It is proposed that RAN Senior Officer present the Lonsdale Cup and the GGGr Dau of CAPT Wm Lonsdale will present a "Wm Lonsdale" book to the winner. The Lonsdale Cup will be supplied by the Navy League of Australia Vic-Tas Division, who will retain ownership, but it will held in the custody of the RVMYC between events. Events may be pre booked and paid for direct to Navy League Hon Sec.: raydotgill@optusnet.com.au or Hon Treasurer: jmwilkins34@netspace.net.au 7 of 16

8 8 of 16

9 ELECTION RESULT AND VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING VICTORIA TASMANIA DIVISION 2015 The Victoria Tasmania Division of the Navy League of Australia, is pleased to advise that LCDR Roger Blythman RANR RET D has been re-elected to the position of the NLA VIC- TAS DIV President. Lieutenant Commander Blythman was appointed President for the period at the Victoria Tasmania Division Annual General Meeting of 17 th September The current officers and committee members were also re elected for the period. At the request of LCDR Blythman, the Senior Vice Presidents AGM report has been included in this month s newsletter as follows:- NAVY LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA VICTORIA-TASMANIA DIVISION SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT S ANNUAL REPORT 1 ST JULY 2014 THROUGH 30 TH JUNE 2015 During the course of the past 12 months the Navy League of Australia, Victoria-Tasmania Division, has again had the pleasure of hosting Senior R.A.N. Officers at the Division s Annual Creswell Oration Presentation which has formed part of the Australian Navy s First of March Birthday Celebrations since I have the pleasure of presenting this report, in line with my involvement in this event and other events, as Senior Vice President representing the President and Executive Committee Members of the League s Victoria-Tasmania Division. I report on those events, and other relevant items, as I have via the Newsletter and in this instance also in the summary format of a condensed package spanning the year gone by, in this the Centenary Year of the founding of the Victorian Division on the 15 th October The Tasmania Division ahead of the Victoria Division by 15 years. The Tasmanian Division therefore established prior to the Australian Navy. It may also perhaps be of interest to note the career progress of some of those R.A.N. visitors, as mentioned in the forgoing, following the hospitality bestowed upon them by the Navy League of Australia in years gone by. For example the Victoria Division of the League was well represented at the League s Centenary celebrations held in Launceston Tasmania in November of 2000; Launceston being the birthplace of the Navy League in Australia. Commodore (later Rear Admiral) Rowan Moffitt represented Chief of Navy at the celebrations. Also present was LCdr Michele Miller, C.O. of the Fremantle Class Patrol Boat H.M.A.S. Bunbury. LCdr Miller sailed H.M.A.S. Bunbury the length 9 of 16

10 of the Tamar River to Launceston from the vessel s home port base at H.M.A.S. Stirling in Western Australia. LCdr Michele Miller is now Commodore Miller. Commander Michael Noonan was the commissioning C.O. of H.M.A.S. Parramatta 154 and was hosted by the Victorian Division as C.O. Nuship Parramatta in September of Commander Noonan is now Rear Admiral Michael Noonan. Commander Richard Menninick as C.O. of H.M.A.S. Warramunga 152 was hosted at a luncheon arranged by the League in May of Commander Menninick is now Commodore Menninick. At that same luncheon presentation the League s guests also included C.O. of H.M.A.S. Darwin 04 Commander, now Rear Admiral Trevor Jones and X.O. also of H.M.A.S. Darwin Lieutenant Commander, now Commodore Peter Leavy. In March of 2002 LCdr Lee Goddard, now Commodore Goddard, as X.O. of H.M.A.S. Stuart 153 was a guest of the League and again more recently as Captain Goddard C.O. of H.M.A.S. Peth 157 in September of 2013 at the League s H.M.S. Daring H.M.A.S. Perth luncheon-presentation. Those listed are a few of the League s honoured guests over the years and it s nice to see them heading in the right direction. Perhaps there might be a candidate amongst them to present a future Creswell Oration? Whilst on the subject of the Victoria Division Navy League luncheon-presentations, it is of interest to note that in the past 18 years the League has hosted 87 luncheons for 104 visiting ships plus Navy shore establishments. The year 2001 was indeed a busy period with 8 luncheon-presentations held for 14 ships. Now back to the present. The arrival of two visitors in October of 2014 broke the six month drought of Naval ship visits to Melbourne when H.M.A. Ships Arunta and Parramatta berthed at Station Pier, Port Melbourne. I visited both ships during their Melbourne stop-over and presented both Commanding Officers with League mementos. H.M.A.S. Parramatta, under the command of Commander Andrew Willis, had just concluded exercises off the Australian East Coast, whilst H.M.A.S. Arunta recently rejoined the Fleet following the ANZAC Class Anti-Ship Missile Defence system upgrade. Commander Dave Tietzel C.O. of Arunta took me on a tour of Arunta explaining all of the various upgrade work. Next stop for Arunta was to be Western Australia where she would continue the re-enactment of the first troopship departure from Albany, W.A. with troops bound for the battlefields of World War One. The Albany Convoy Commemorative Event (ACCE) was held from October 31-November 2 to mark the Centenary of the deployment. The ACCE featured a ceremonial sunset, a troop march, concerts, a wreath-laying service, performances by the RAN band and an Australian rules football match. The event was attended by VIPs including the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers, Governor-General and highranking members of the military from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Japan and France. One of the many crowd highlights was the symbolic convoy departure where HMA Ships Anzac, Arunta, Rankin, Stuart and Sirius, along with Japanese Defense Ship Kirisame and HMNZS Te Kaha, steamed out of the channel from the Port of Albany. On her return home to New Zealand from the A.C.C.E. the ANZAC Class Frigate H.M.N.Z.S. Te Kaha called into Melbourne to re-provision. Te Kaha, under the command of Commander David McEwan, berthed in the commercial area of Melbourne s Docklands along the Yarra River. Commander McEwan s visit was made all the more pleasant by visits from his mother and sister who reside in Melbourne. Te Kaha was the last Naval visitor to Melbourne for calendar year 2014 and she too arrived without any forward advice of her pending arrival. 10 of 16

11 This year s Australian Navy Foundation Day celebration was again most successful, thanks in the main to special events co-ordinator Commander John Wilkins OAM, RFD, RANR, and his loyal band of helpers. The Creswell Oration was delivered by Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, C.S.C. and Bar, RAN. His excellent presentation was entitled Royal Australian Navy in 2015 Old Wine in New Wine Bottles. He drew parallels to the then and now of the R.A.N., which took us through the history of the Australian Navy to the present R.A.N. activities plus future plans and programs. In addition to Rear Admiral Mayer s presence at the event, Navy was also represented by Senior Naval Officer Victoria Captain Steve Bowater OAM, together with Senior Officers from Nuship Adelaide including Executive Officer, Commander Brendon Zilco, and Marine Engineer Officer Commander Henry Nord-Thomson. I reported also on my visits to the Australian Navy Cadet unit T.S. Voyager in Williamstown, Victoria. The determination to succeed, coupled together with the enthusiasm of the Cadets at this unit, is a reflection of the fine work being achieved by the unit s training team and is a credit to their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Jeff Paull. My report in brief also includes the following:- 1. Naval history dating back to the First Fleet period of The visit to Melbourne by the largest fleet of Navy ships ever to enter Port Phillip, when 44 ships of the United States Pacific Fleet arrived in July of This year 2015 marks the 90 th anniversary of the event. 3. The decommissioning of H.M.A.S. Bundaberg ACPB 91 following the fire that destroyed the vessel in August The decommissioning ceremony for H.M.A.S. Bundaberg was held at her home port, H.M.A.S. Cairns Naval Base in December Details of the ceremony were made available to the Division. 4. January 2015 marked the 150 th anniversary of the arrival in Port Phillip of the Confederate American Civil War Raider C.N.S. Shenandoah. The participation of the R.A.N s Band at the Williamstown commemoration provided an opportunity for a chat with Band Leader Lieutenant Cassandra Mohapp R.A.N. The visit to Williamstown by C.N.S. Shenandoah commenced in January Navy League events AS-IT-WAS 10 years ago marked the Centenary of R.A.N. Submarine Operations, however by April of 1915 the R.A.N s two only submarines were both World War One losses, with H.M.A.S. AE1 lost without trace off New Guinea and H.M.A.S. AE2 sunk in Turkey s Sea of Marmara. AE1 was lost with all hands whilst AE2 was lost without loss of life, however four crew members died of disease while in Turkish captivity as P.O.W s. The R.A.N. has since operated J, O and K Class, plus Oberon and the current Collins Class submarines. 7. Yacht Race by Williamstown s Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, sponsored by the League, for the Geoff Evans trophy plus negotiations underway for a similar event at Williamstown s Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club with the Lonsdale Cup as the trophy, also to be sponsored by the League and with both events to include R.A.N. participation. 8. June of 2015 saw the visit to Melbourne of the first Naval visitor for the calendar year when H.M.A.S. Melbourne berthed at Station Pier, Port Melbourne, for a two day visit. 11 of 16

12 My report detailed the League s visit to the ship, which is currently under the command of Commander Bill Waters, the son of Arch and Mary Waters. Arch Waters was an Executive Committee Member of the Victoria Division of the League until his passing in The Commanding Officer and Members of the Wardroom Mess of H.M.A.S. Melbourne FFG 05 have been elected Honorary Members of the Victoria-Tasmania Division of the League and have agreed to stay in contact. The ship s motto is Vires Acquirit Eundo which translates to She gathers speed as she goes. During the period covered by this report I acted as the League s ambassador to the best of my ability and hopefully left those with whom I made contact with a better understanding of the Navy League and our brief to keep watch, all the while projecting and galvanising the League s statement that the maintenance of the maritime wellbeing of the nation is the principal objective of the Navy League of Australia. We must not forget that we are an island nation and for the sake of our safety and security, plus the strength of our economy, we are a nation that depends most on the sea for our survival, protected by a Navy, the R.A.N., capable of fighting and winning at sea. Frank McCarthy Senior Vice President The Navy League, Victoria-Tasmania Division AGM REPORT th September of 16

13 Membership Any person with an interest in maritime affairs, or who wishes to acquire an interest in, or knowledge of, maritime affairs and who wishes to support the objectives of the League, is invited to join. OBJECTIVES The principal objective of the Navy League of Australia is The maintenance of the maritime well-being of the Nation by: Keeping before the Australian people the fact that we are a maritime nation and that a strong Navy supported by maritime elements of the Air Force and Army and other Government Maritime agencies are indispensable elements of our national well-being and vital to the freedom of Australia. Promoting defence self-reliance by supporting maritime research, defence industry, Australian shipping, ship-building, port and transport infrastructure and off shore resource exploration and development. Promoting and encouraging the interest and training of youth in the sea. ACTIVITIES The Navy League of Australia works towards its objectives in a number of ways: By including in its membership leading representatives of the many elements which form the maritime community. Through soundly- based contributions by members to journals and newspapers, and other media comment. By publishing The Navy, a quarterly journal reporting on local and overseas maritime happenings, past, present, and projected. By organizing symposia, ship visits and various other functions of maritime interests throughout the years. By supporting Australian Navy Cadets, and assisting in the provision of training facilities. Member participation is encouraged in all these activities. POLICY The policy of the League can be found at the back of The Navy. 13 of 16

14 14 of 16

15 15 of 16

16 16 of 16