hmas melbourne crew list

A veteran from the HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager collision on February 10, 1964 that killed 82 people believes changes to floodlighting on the aircraft carrier caused Australia's worst peacetime . Duties: She departed for the return journey to Australia on 31 October. Hard-a starboard. In 1970, Melbourne participated in three major inter-navy exercises: Sea Rover with SEATO forces in the South China Sea, Bersatu Padu with British Commonwealth forces off Malaysia, and Swan Lake with the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy off Western Australia. Melbourne was laid down for the Royal Navy as the lead ship of the Majestic class in April 1943, and was launched as HMS Majestic (R77) in February 1945. Their boat was towed back to Sydney by a police launch. She visited Pearl Harbor and Suva en route, and arrived in Jervis Bay, where the Skyhawks were landed, on 21 November. On 3 June 1947 the Commonwealth Government approved the acquisition of two aircraft carriers for the RAN. [1] Melbourne had been designed to operate in North Atlantic and Arctic climates, and the original ventilation systems were inappropriate for her primary operating climate, the tropics. [1] Leading Seaman Moore was assisting in securing a 40 foot workboat to the Lighthouse Jetty in Montagu Roads, and suffered fatal injuries when he was crushed between the boat and the jetty. Seventy four of Evans crew lost their lives, and Melbourne sustained extensive damage to her bow section. The work was completed on 27 April, with the shipyard receiving a commendation. Memorabilia from Melbourne's voyages with the Fleet Air Arm embarked, and examples of all the types of aircraft deployed on Melbourne, are on permanent static display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross. [77] The 10,000th catapult launch from Melbourne occurred in late 1962. References to many ledgers appear at item level on RecordSearch. [36], On 5 December 1976, a fire at the Naval Air Station HMASAlbatross destroyed or heavily damaged 12 of the Fleet Air Arm's 13 S-2E Trackers. [23] The number of aircraft gradually increased until 1972, when the air group peaked at 27 aircraft. Unfortunately Melbourne's involvement in FOTEX was curtailed as water ingress through the oil filler access door of her Gannet aircraft rendered all but one unserviceable. In April 1946 the RAN received prime ministerial permission to investigate the establishment of a naval Fleet Air Arm along British lines. of 2 Download Low Res Image Order a copy Download Low Res Image Order a copy Description Crew members aboard HMAS Vampire. (Courtesy Mike Breakspear). We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. Long shot of HMS Bulwark at anchor off Pall Tidman, 1969. . [23][62] The ship visited Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, Port Said, Aden, and Colombo, before arriving in Fremantle on 24 April 1956. The pilot, Lieutenant Commander Armand Roland, RAN, was recovered by the helicopter planeguard with minor injuries, while the observer and telegraphist, Lieutenants Anthony Horton, RAN, and Haliburton Findlay, RAN, were recovered unhurt a few minutes later by HMS Cavalier. Hourly Rate: Full Time $16.75/hr-$18.00 based on experience. [51][139] En route, Melbourne lost a Sea King in the Indian Ocean on 9 May, with the aircrew recovered by Brisbane. A joint USN/RAN Board of Inquiry into the tragedy held Captain Stevenson partly responsible, stating that as Commanding Officer of Melbourne, he could have done more to prevent the collision from occurring. [70] Operations for the year concluded with participation in Exercise Astrolabe off Lord Howe Island, with ships from the RAN, Royal Navy, and Royal New Zealand Navy, before returning to Sydney on 13 December. Department of Defence users will not be able to view this video on the Defence Protected Network. Two days prior to that, one of Melbourne's Gannet aircraft developed an engine fault on take off and ditched into the sea ahead of the ship. HMAS Melbourne off the east coast of Australia on 6 May 1956, astern of HMAS Sydney, following her delivery voyage from Britain. Melbournes journey back to Sydney was notable for the Melbourne-Sydney Marathon. Occurring off the New South Wales coast in 1964, the aircraft carrier Melbourne and destroyer Voyager were engaged in night flying exercises when Voyager inexplicably turned in front of Melbourne's bow. Then we want you! Home delivery available. [30] She then sailed to San Francisco to collect 12 new Chinook and five UH-1 Iroquois helicopters for the Royal Australian Air Force, arriving in Australia with her cargo in April. [169] Another anchor and the starboard side ship's bell are on display at the RAN Heritage Centre at Garden Island. Responsible for maintaining carpet and hard surface floors in commercial buildings using industry approved methods and chemistry. [135] Melbourne remained off Darwin until 18 January 1975, acting as operational headquarters and a helicopter base. [1], More large-scale refits occurred throughout the rest of the 1970s. The Gannet fleet was grounded pending an investigation and was cleared to recommence flying operations on 12 February. [114][128] Subsequent to the inquiry, the three USN officers and Stevenson were court-martialled by their respective navies on charges of negligence, with the three USN officers found guilty and Stevenson 'Honourably Acquitted'. The Australian carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21, left) and the British carrier HMS Bulwark (R08) pictured at anchor in Singapore during the SEATO exercise "Operation Oceanlink" on 4 May 1958.The photo was taken from the U.S. Navy carrier USS Philippine Sea (CVS-47).Note the 40 mm Bofors flak in the foreground and the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker planes of Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-21 on deck of the . Recovery of life rafts from the Evans. [39] A reduction of embarked plane numbers to four Sea Venoms and six Gannets, along with regular rotation and careful use of the aircraft, extended their service life until the mid-1960s, while the size of the air group was maintained by carrying up to ten Wessex helicopters. [74] All four Sea Venom incidents occurred in March, with three attributed to aircrew error and one to brake failure. [77] Melbourne returned to Australia in June, and on 15 June led several ships in a ceremonial entry to Sydney Harbour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the RAN. [70] In November, the carrier took part in disaster relief exercises. The observer, Lieutenant Edward Kennell, RAN, apparently did not eject but was briefly seen in the water next to the wreckage of the Sea Venom before he disappeared. [77] The carrier's annual refit began in Sydney on 1 October. Repair work kept Melbourne alongside in Sydney for three months. Logs include information on: Most records about crew and ships are available for public access. [7], The Majestic experienced delays in its construction due to labour difficulties, late delivery of equipment, additional requirements for Australian operations and the prioritisation of the construction of merchant ships. Note: This video is hosted on YouTube and has no audio. That afternoon a Gannet experienced a total power loss on take off and ditched into the sea about 500 yards from the ship. Both men were transferred to Melbourne for medical attention before the more seriously injured of the two was transferred by air back to Singapore. [117] Subsequent action narrowly prevented a collision. [94], A Joint RAN-USN board of inquiry was established to investigate the incident, and was in session over June and July 1969. You can also find information on crew members to the rank of Petty Officer by checking punishment returns for 1912 to 1959, series A7111. [158], Following the decision to replace Melbourne with HMS Invincible, the postponed refit was cancelled outright. [111] Australian aircraft were not to be provided, as the A-4G Skyhawks used by the RAN were optimised for air defence, not the fighter-bomber role performed by the Marines, and would have suffered heavy losses from North Vietnam's heavy anti-aircraft defences. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died. [39] The success of the trials, along with the discovery that Melbourne was able to operate both aircraft with relatively minor modification, led the Australian Government to approve the purchase of these aircraft. [77] Following the conclusion of Tuckerbox, the carrier visited several New Zealand ports before returning to Sydney for demonstration exercises and public relations activities. [4] Following the end of World War II, the Admiralty ordered the suspension of many British shipbuilding projects, including the fitting out of Majestic and her five sister ships. [30] These were prophetic, as on the night of 2425 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin. Melbourne was the only Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions.[1]. She departed Sydney for Asian waters on 5 May and visited New Guinea before continuing on to the Philippines to participate in the SEATO exercise, SEA SPIRIT. [1] During this deployment, Melbourne led a fleet of 17 ships from the RAN, Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, US Navy, Philippine Navy, and Royal Thai Navy in Exercise Sea Hawk. She was, however, involved in two major collisions with allied vessels; though Melbourne was not found to be the primary cause of either incident. On 28 April during flying operations in the Sulu Sea, one of Melbournes Sea Venoms crashed over the side when an arrestor wire failed on landing, and the aircraft did not regain enough airspeed to once again get airborne. [23] A major refit scheduled to begin in late 1981 was postponed pending the decision on a replacement carrier. On 1 May, the evening before the conclusion of SEA DEVIL, it was discovered that Leading Engineering Mechanic James Gartside was missing from HMAS Vendetta (II) and believed lost overboard. The aircrew was rescued and hauled back on board, however, attempts to recover the aircraft were unsuccessful and it was lost over the side. Salvaged by USS YLLC-5 ( United States Navy) and floating crane YD-220 and refloated the next day. At approximately 8:56pm, some twenty miles south east of Jervis Bay, the two ships were in collision. [114] A radio message was sent from Melbourne to Evans' bridge and Combat Information Centre, warning the destroyer that she was on a collision course, which Evans acknowledged. In her captain's first television and press interviews much was made of the revelation that Melbourne possessed the ability to operate her jet aircraft by night as well as by day. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations. [16] The size of the ship's company averaged 1,350 officers and sailors, including 350 personnel from the embarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons. Middle: Some students receiving instruction on the drums from Musician Wright. En route, on 2 August, she participated in the search for survivors from the collier Birchgrove Park which had foundered north of Port Jackson the previous night resulting in the loss of ten lives. [140] A Tracker from Melbourne located the disabled Dutch vessel Impala Princess in the Gulf of Aden on 25 May and directed a French destroyer to assist. The two-carrier navy originally envisaged by the Naval Board was no longer feasible and HMAS Sydney (III) was successively relegated to a training vessel before being placed into reserve in 1958. [123] All of the survivors were located within 12 minutes of the collision and rescued before half an hour had passed, although the search continued for fifteen more hours. We will commemorate crew members from HMAS Voyager (II) (pictured) who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country, and the persons who answered the call for assistance including HMA Ships Melbourne, Stuart, Hawk, Ibis, Curlew, Snipe and Teal and search and rescue (SAR) vessels from HMAS Creswell (Air Sprite and Air Nymph), air [23], At the end of March 1978, Melbourne left Sydney for RIMPAC 78. When the last ship had passed, tugs were secured and Melbourne berthed at Captain Cook Dock. Note: This video is hosted on YouTube and has no audio. The National Archives holds these in Canberra in the record series A4624. [151] The performance of Invincible and other Royal Navy aircraft carriers during the conflict showed that the report which suggested reductions in the size of Britain's carrier fleetwith the follow-on effect of making Invincible available for salewas flawed, and both sides withdrew from the deal in July. [10] Despite an increase to approximately one acre (4,000square metres, 4,800square yards) in area, the deck was still significantly smaller than other Cold War era carriers; S-2 Trackers, with their 22.12-metre (72ft 7in) wingspan, had less than a metre's clearance for their starboard wingtip when landing, and pilots from other navies often refused to attempt landing. She participated in Exercises JUC 61 and HOMERUN with USN units off the New South Wales coast in March, before departing Sydney on 24 February for South East Asian waters. While in the Philippines Melbourne embarked the Philippine President Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay as well as the three Philippine service chiefs and the Australian ambassador for a flying demonstration. Shift: Monday thru Friday 6:00pm-2:30am. She participated in Exercise FIRST TIME in January 1965, and on 2 February departed Sydney for Hobart and the Royal Hobart Regatta. This photo is taken from the flight deck of the RN aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, with her aircraft in the foreground. [164] Reports have circulated that either a replica of the flight deck, or the deck itself, was used for clandestine training of PLANAF pilots in carrier flight operations. She took part in the ANZUK exercise GROUNDWORK en route to Singapore in late October and early November, before arriving back in Sydney on 27 November where she began refit preparations. [155] The government also announced that the ship would be renamed HMASAustralia and operated as a helicopter carrier, and that a decision on the purchase of fixed wing aircraft would be made after acquisition. In the foreground is the Landing Signal Officer, Lieutenant Peter James. 74 American personnel died, and a joint USNRAN Board of Inquiry was held. The cause of the accident was never discovered although insufficient wind speed over the deck appears to be the most likely reason. Melbourne has been deployed to the Persian Gulf on several occasions, and served as part of the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce in 2000. A search was immediately commenced which included aircraft from Melbourne but, sadly, no sign of Gartside could be found. She returned to Singapore in an attempt to clear the contamination before the upcoming SEATO exercise, SEA DEMON. Right: Melbourne's bell. A flash appeared to come from Voyagers A Boiler, and she emitted high pressure steam and black smoke. Melbourne commenced her South East Asian deployment shortly after her visit to Hobart, departing Sydney on 7 March. [110] Both options were made more prohibitive by the need to supply at least two escorts for the carrier at a time when the RAN was having difficulty meeting deployment commitments with the available destroyers and destroyer escorts. Melbourne's ship's company was recalled immediately from leave, the ship was loaded with supplies, and the carrier departed Sydney on 26 December in the company of HMASBrisbane. References to many ledgers appear at item level on RecordSearch. On 28 October, 1955, the ship was officially named and commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Melbourne under the command of Captain Galfrey GO Gatacre, DSO, DSC, RAN, while Lady White, wife of Sir Thomas White, the then Australian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, performed the naming ceremony. : USS Redfish United States Navy The decommissioned Balao-class auxiliary submarine was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California, by . After further visits to Manila and Singapore, she arrived back in Fremantle on 25 May. [3] It has also been claimed that the Royal Australian Navy received and "politely rejected" a request from the PLAN for blueprints of the ship's steam catapult. 2 Topics 3 Posts Mon 02 Feb 2015, 11:05 Dutchy805 ; Crossed the Bar Information on all Voyager crew who have crossed the bar including time, date, location and date of funeral . [26] This was the largest project undertaken by Garden Island Dockyard to that date. [10] As the carrier neared completion, a commissioning crew was formed in Australia and first used to return Vengeance to the United Kingdom. HMAS Melbourne (III) was one of six Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigates (FFG) in service with the Royal Australian Navy. Melbourne conducting flying operations with Westland Wessex anti-submarine warfare helicopters. The deployment was also notable as the only occasion on which both RAN aircraft carriers, Melbourne and Sydney, deployed overseas together.

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