This webpage is dedicated to the members of the Ship's Company of the Royal Australian Navy who commissioned HMAS Canberra (1) D-33 in Clydebank, Scotland, Great Britain on the 9 th of July 1928 on behalf of the Australian Government and its Citizens.

HMAS Canberra

 

 

I have very little information about the HMAS Canberra (1) Commissioning Crew, the information I did manage to obtain was through the Australian War Memorial at Canberra ACT.

HMAS CANBERRA was one of two 10,000 ton County Class heavy cruisers ordered by the Australian Government as part of a five year naval development program begun in 1924 and completed in 1929. She commissioned at Clydebank on 9 July 1928.

HMAS Canberra (1) Launch - 1927

By Queen Mary

 

The Commissioning Crew for HMAS Canberra (1) travelled to the United Kingdom aboard the Merchant Ship SS Beltana in 1928.

 

SS Beltana

Fremantle, Western Australia - 1929

 

"Beltana" was the second of five 11,000 ton twin-screw steamers built specifically for the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.'s Branch Service via the Cape, which specialised in the emigrant trade. The ships were known as the P. & O. "B" class, all having names being with the letter "B", and until 1914, carried the black hull and distinctive blue & black funnel markings of the Blue Anchor Line, from whom P & O had acquired the service in July 1909.


The "Beltana" was a single-class ship, with basic cabin accommodation for up to 350 3rd-class passengers and temporary dormitories for an additional 750 emigrants in the hold, that could be removed to make way for cargo on the homeward voyage. She carried a crew of 260. "Beltana" served as a First World War troop ship from 1914, returning to her original service after reconditioning in 1919.


In 1929 a single return voyage was made via the Suez Canal, departing London on 7 Feb, with calls at Malta, Colombo, Melbourne & Sydney. This was to be her last Australian voyage, for the following year the "Beltana" was sold to Toyo Hogei Kabushiki Kaisha of Osaka, Japan, for conversion to a whaling factory ship, but remained laid up until 1933 when she was finally broken up for scrap.

 
 

Photograph depicting a group of RAN Petty Officers aboard SS Beltana while on passage to the United Kingdom to Commission HMAS Canberra. - 1928

 

 

Burial At Sea On S.S. "Beltana". One Of The Crew, Able Seaman D.S. Brett RAN, Was Accidentally Killed En Route To England To Take Delivery Of The HMAS Canberra.

The Body Is Consigned To The Deep on 24 June 1928

"Lest we Forget"

 

After some five months in British home waters, CANBERRA sailed from Portsmouth for Australia on 4 December 1928 and arrived at Fremantle on 25 January 1929, having sailed via Gibraltar, Freetown, Lagos, Cape Town, Simonstown and Durban.

 

HMAS Canberra, Sydney Harbour 1930

 

 

Please forward any further information about the Commissioning Crew HMAS Canberra (1) to the

webmaster@hmascanberra.com

 

 

 

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