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HMAS Canberra 3 - Latest News

BAE to deliver dock ship training

Published: Sept. 23, 2011

 

CANBERRA, Australia, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- BAE Systems will develop and deliver training for the Australian navy's landing helicopter dock ships under construction.
The training will rely heavily on simulation and virtual scenarios, including avatars, to lower training costs, BAE Systems Australia said.

"The most obvious benefit in using computer simulation is that the technology allows us to recreate, and for the crew to interact with, the LHD environment without the actual completed ship yet," BAE Systems Director of Maritime Harry Bradford said.
Around 30 BAE Systems employees will manage the training process for the LHD project for which BAE Systems is the prime contractor.

The first LHD hull is expected to arrive in Williamstown, South Australia, in August 2012. Delivery of the first training packages is expected in 2013, ahead of completion of the first ship in 2015.
Because the training system is computer-based, military personnel can be in different regions in the country and still have access to the facility, Bradford said.

"With training starting prior to delivery of the first ship, the flexibility of being able to train and familiarize defense forces at their home bases represents substantial cost savings for the Commonwealth (Australia)," he said.

Using the system for training for emergency situations also has a benefit, he said.
"We can recreate and test emergency procedures in a safe environment before procedures are implemented on the ship," Bradford said.

Bradford said the simulator programs can be adapted easily for other ships, including Australia's Air Warfare Destroyers, ANZAC class frigates and FFGs.Work is under way on the development of some of the simulated training through KBR, a U.S. engineering, construction and private military contracting company formerly known as Kellogg Brown and Root.

BAE Systems said it recently awarded a contract to the Norwegian company Kongsberg Maritime for an engine room simulator for engineers who will serve aboard the LHDs.
The navy's two Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock ships -- under construction -- are the Canberra and the Adelaide.

In 2007 a Spanish design was selected over one by the French company Direction des Constructions Navales.In Spain, Navantia is responsible for construction of the ships from the keel to the flight deck. The hulls will be transported to Australia for completion by BAE Systems Australia.

Work on the Canberra started in late 2008 and the hull was launched in early 2011. Work on the Adelaide started last year. Both ships are to enter service by the end of 2015.
Australia also bought a third LHD ship, the U.K.-built Largs Bay.

The U.K. Department of Defense commissioned the Largs Bay in 2006. The vessel was built by Swan Hunter in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, northern England and named after Largs Bay in Ayrshire, Scotland.

It was commissioned into the British navy auxiliary in November 2006 and patrolled the seas around the British south Atlantic colony the Falkland Islands in 2008.
Australia finalized the purchase of the Largs Bay in May after the U.K. Ministry of Defense declared it surplus to its needs.

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USS Canberra Association - Newsletter

USS Canberra 2011 Fall Newsletter...more

 

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HMAS Canberra 1 - Vale Norman Anthony White

With Regret, I wish to inform you of the passing Mr Norman Anthony White (Tony) he was a stoker and crew member of the HMAS Canberra when she was sunk at Savo Island on the 9 Aug 1942.

Tony’s funeral was held in Townsville on the 8 Sep 2011 at the Good Shepard Nursing home

Yours sincerely
Barry Benson.
State President
Qld TPI.

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HMAS Canberra 3 - Latest News

Kongsberg Maritime Awarded Contract for BAE and Royal Australian Navy Engine Room Simulator

 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Kongsberg Maritime has been selected by BAE and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to provide a custom engine room simulator for the training of engineers aboard Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) vessels. The new LHD Engineering System Trainer (LEST) will significantly enhance the Navy’s ability to train LHD vessel engineering personnel, an important and critical factor in operational availability.

The LEST project is scheduled for delivery February 2013, and will include both full mission and desktop simulation systems, with integrated e-Learning facilities. The LEST will simulate operational control of all Marine Engineering (ME) systems and equipment installed on the LHD, enabling training for the operation of ME systems and equipment in remote, local, manual and emergency/casualty modes.

The simulators will be developed to provide a highly realistic simulation of the ME systems aboard Canberra Class vessels. A core objective is to cover the operation and system understanding of the combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAGE) configuration on the vessels; with electrical transmission where an electric motor is in the pod itself, connected directly to the propeller without gears.

The full mission part of the delivery will include control room operator stations with software mimics & panels, electrical switchboard mimic & panels, local control engine-room mimics and bridge control and steering panels. KONGSBERG will integrate its sophisticated new BigView touch-screen software mimic to provide the ADF with the latest in state-of-the-art simulation technology and high flexibility.

“We have a strong presence in Australia with several maritime institutes using our simulators and we experience a longstanding relationship with the RAN, having provided extensive ship bridge simulation systems to upgrade its training centre, located at HMAS Watson in Sydney,” says Mark Stuart Treen, Sales and Marketing Manager, Kongsberg Maritime, Simulation Department

.
“The LEST system will enable ME sailors posted to an LHD the capability of being assessed certified and competent to perform their billeted job in the shortest possible time. With basic and advanced remote or on-campus training it will significantly reduce the training load placed on the vessels, and will be configured to meet the RAN’s expected student throughput,” concludes Treen.

http://www.kongsberg.com

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HMAS Canberra 1 - Mackenzie Gregory

John Howard 'saved my life on 9/11'

Sarah Collerton
Updated September 08, 2011 06:33:39

Born survivor: Mackenzie Gregory

Mackenzie Gregory survived some of World War II's fiercest naval battles - but he would have died in the 9/11 attacks if it were not for John Howard. The retired Royal Australian Navy lieutenant commander and his wife Denise were invited to Washington DC for a ceremony to mark the 50th ceremony of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty on September 10, 2001.

Mr Gregory, 89, who survived a ship's sinking and a kamikaze attack by Japanese suicide pilots in World War II, was mentioned in both George W Bush and John Howard's speeches that day.
"They said to us 'the president won't meet you' ... but after the ceremony [George Bush] came streaming down to meet us, with his hand out, followed by John Howard and said 'Well sir, it's an honour to meet you'. He was very charming," Mr Gregory told ABC News Online

.
"He was wagging his finger at a marine general to take a photo of us four with our camera.
"As far as life goes, it was one of the great occasions to be there and meet the president."
But little did Mr Gregory know, it was actually the day before one of the infamous days in history - September 11, 2001.

Howard's invitation

After the ceremony and the happy snaps were taken, Mr Howard invited the Gregorys to join him the next day to visit the grave of the only Australian serviceman buried in Arlington Cemetery.
But the visit never went ahead; America was under attack. Instead of going to the cemetery, Mr Howard was taking shelter in a cellar under the Australian embassy, while the Gregorys were stuck in their hotel.

"It was very frightening. Washington just went mad. There were fire trucks, police cars everywhere, FBI, CIA, helicopters chopping around overhead. It was mayhem," Mr Gregory said.
Then Mr Gregory found out the impact Mr Howard's invitation had on his life."On September 12, we learned we had been booked on American Airlines Flight 77 [from Washington's Dulles airport] which crashed into the Pentagon without any survivors," Mr Gregory said.
"John Howard, by inviting us to visit Arlington, had caused us to be pulled off that flight and he thus saved our lives.

"It was an incredible experience. You couldn't have any more luck than that."
After 9/11, Mr and Mrs Gregory, who were anxious to get home to Australia, were stuck in Washington until planes starting flying again.
"While we were queuing up [at the airport] to go home on the Saturday, there was a huge wreath alongside the book-in area in memory of those who had died on Flight 77," he said.
"That really brought it home to us how lucky we had been."

'We'll continue to vote Liberal'

Back in Australia, Mr Gregory met John Howard again and told him about their fateful encounter.
"He said: 'Yes, the embassy told me that. I'm glad that happened'," Mr Gregory recalled.
"We thanked him very much and said we'll continue to vote Liberal."But it's not the first time Mr Gregory has cheated fate.

In 1942 he was serving on board HMAS Canberra when it was attacked by Japanese warships in the opening salvos of the Battle of Savo Island.
More than 80 Australian sailors died or were mortally wounded as Japanese shells slammed into the ship, which caught fire and was later scuttled.
"I was very fortunate," he said. "It was 1.43am when it all started. I could see this big Japanese cruiser - there were six of them - plus a destroyer 3,000 yards away blasting us.

"I remember saying 'By God, this is bloody awful'. Mr Gregory also came close to death in a kamikaze attack.He witnessed more that 200 kamikaze attacks during World War II, but on January 6, 1945, one of the Japanese suicide planes was headed right for his ship.
"I looked up into the sun and there was this plane flying toward us," he said.
"We all flattened down on the deck and there was this big explosion. I was splashed and I thought it was fuel, but then I smelt it and realised it was saltwater.

"The kamikaze had been shot in half [by one of the ship's anti-aircraft gunners]; one half fell starboard and the other half fell port side. We were very lucky."
A former aide de camp to governor-general William McKell in the 1950s, Mr Gregory has rubbed shoulders with 14 prime ministers. And while Robert Menzies left a big impression on him, he says it's Mr Howard who has to be his favourite.

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HMAS Canberra 1 - Mackenzie Gregory Wins Award

Herald Sun's Pride of Australia winners honoured in Melbourne

Mackenzie Gregory, this year's recipient of the Pride of Australia Community Spirit medal.

MACKENZIE GREGORY, or Mac as he prefers, has devoted his life to Australia’s navy.

Serving during World War II, he survived the sinking of the HMAS Canberra and was aboard the HMAS Shropshire off the coast of Japan when the Japanese signed for peace and ended the global conflict.

With his seafaring days behind him, Mr Gregory has sunk most of his time into seeking acknowledgement for Australia’s naval forces.

He operates a historical website which he often uses to help find information for those who lost loved ones during the war and is currently campaigning to have the brave men and women who set off to sea from Melbourne honoured with a permanent memorial in Port Melbourne

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HMAS Choules, named in honour of WW 1 Veteran and HMAS Canberra 1 Commissioing Crew

 

Petty Officer Claude Choules, HMAS Canberra 1929

THE name of the last World War I veteran, Claude Choules, is to live on in a RAN ship that has served two navies, just like him.

Mr Choules, who died in Western Australia on May 5 aged 110, was the last known veteran who saw active service in WW1. Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today the former United Kingdom Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Largs Bay is to be commissioned as HMAS Choules.

Mr Choules served in the Royal Navy in WWI and moved to Australia as an instructor on loan and then transferred to the RAN.

He was a commissioning crew member of HMAS Canberra and served with the vessel until 1931, when he was discharged from the RAN before he rejoined as a torpedo and anti-submarine instructor in  1932.

As the acting torpedo officer at Fremantle, Mr Choules disposed of the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during WWII, near Esperance, on WA's south coast. He was also tasked with destroying harbour and oil storage tanks at the Fremantle port in the event of a Japanese invasion.

His service totalled 40 years. Ms Gillard said naming the ship HMAS Choules recognised the service of a loyal and dedicated man in two different Navies over  40 years.“Mr Choules and his generation made a tremendous sacrifice for our freedom that we will never forget,” she said

HMAS Choules - Desig

.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Mr Choules was proud of his naval service.
HMAS Choules is due to arrive in Australia in December for commissioning into the RAN.
“As with Mr Choules, HMAS Choules will serve Australia having completed service in the fleet of the Royal Navy,” Mr Smith said.

The federal government announced it would purchase the landing ship dock from the UK in April this year. The 16,000 tonne HMAS Choules was commissioned into service in  2006 and became surplus to UK requirements as a result of the British government's strategic defence review.
Its flight deck has room for two large helicopters and can also carry around 150 light trucks and 350 troops.

It was used to provide humanitarian relief as part of the international response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The vessel was acquired for about $100 million and is expected to be operational in early 2012 while Australia awaits the completion of its own ship landing docks in Spain.
AAP

 

 

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HMAS Canberra 1 Memorial Service - Canberra ACT, 09 August 2011

 

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HMAS Canberra 1 Memorial Service - Solomon Islands 09 August 2011

 

Members of the Australian Defence Force serving in the Solomon Islands hosted a small but sombre Memorial Service to remember those personnel who lost their lives when HMAS CANBERRA was sunk off Savo Island during the Battle of Guadalcanal.  

The service was conducted at sea, embarked in RSIPV LATA (Pacific Class Patrol Boat) over the position where CANBERRA now lay in 800 meters of water.  The wreath laying service was lead by the Australian Defence Adviser, Commander Geoff Turner.

    

VIP Guests and Hosts:   L-R
Reverend Davidson, Dean St Barnabas Cathedral
Mr Peter Aoraunisaka, Deputy Commissioner Operations, RSIPF
Honourable Clay Forau, MP, Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services
HE Matt Anderson, Australian High Commissioner
HW Mark Ramsden, New Zealand High Commissioner
Colonel Robert Loynd, USMC – US Representative
Commander Geoff Turner, CSC, RAN, Defence Adviser South West Pacific
Lieutenant Gary List,RAN, Maritime Surveillance Adviser Solomon Islands

In August 1942 HMAS CANBERRA operated with the naval force supporting the American landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi, operations which ended with her loss in the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942. CANBERRA was struck by two torpedoes on her starboard side and over 20 salvoes of 8-inch shellfire. With power lost and the ship listing, the wounded and survivors were transferred to USS PATTERSON and USS BLUE.

There were 193 casualties amongst the 819 personnel serving in HMAS CANBERRA.  Those confirmed killed in action were one officer (the Commanding Officer -Captain Getting) and nine ratings (including one Royal Australian Air Force); those missing believed killed were nine officers (including one Royal Australian Air Force and one United States Navy) and 65 ratings (including three Royal Australian Air Force and two Royal Navy) and those wounded include 10 officers (including one Royal Navy), 96 ratings (including two Royal Australian Air Force, one Royal Navy and two United States Navy) and three civilian Canteen Staff.

Lest we forget

 

 

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HMAS Canberra 1 - 09 August 1942

 

The 09 August 2011 will mark the 69th Anniversary of the loss of HMAS Canberra 1.

HMAS Canberra, on the 7 and 8 August l 942 was a unit of the US Task Force 44, under the flag of Rear-Admiral V.A.C. Crutchley VC, CB, MVO in Australia, was covering the US landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Group of Islands. On Sunday morning at 0138 on 9 August 1942, just off Savo Island the Japanese fleet under Vice-Admiral Mikawa swept in and annihilated the allied fleet sinking four 8'' gun heavy cruisers Canberra and USS Vincennes, Quincyand Astoria

There were 193 casualties amongst the 819 personnel serving in CANBERRA on 9 August 1942. Missing believed killed were nine officers (including one Royal Australian Air Force and one United States Navy) and 65 ratings (including three Royal Australian Air Force and two Royal Navy); one officer (Captain Getting) and nine ratings (including one Royal Australian Air Force) died of wounds; and 10 officers (including one Royal Navy), 96 ratings (including two Royal Australian Air Force, one Royal Navy and two United States Navy) and three civilian Canteen Staff were wounded..More

" Lest we Forget "

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HMAS Canberra & HMAS Shropshire Association

Request Your Assistance

I am currently trying to establish communications with any members of the HMAS Canberra & HMAS Shropshire Association.

Please let me know if you have any contact details through my email below

webmaster@hmascanberra.com

Yours Aye,

Lee "Bickies" Webster

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HMAS Canberra Operation Damask VI - 1993

“Second to None"

 

Tomahawk Cruise Missile Engagement

This is a Infra red video of the 1993 Tomahawk cruise missile engagement from USS Caron (DD970). HMAS Canberra (FFG-02) provided force protection during the engagement, the video was shot from HMAS Canberra Seahawk Helicopter. One of USS Caron's pilots was embarked and took the video of the IR camera monitor inside the helo.

The crew of HMAS Canberra were recently awarded the Australian Active Service Medal in recognition of service of in the Australian Defence Force in this prescribed warlike operations...more

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HMAS Canberra 1 Website Update

 

 

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HMAS Canberra Reunion Update – 18 July 2011

HMAS Canberra 2011 Reunion 21-23 Oct 2011

Greetings to All,

The response to the Reunion has been great! Its only 3 months away and the planning is well underway.

Money is starting to flow into the Reunion account, many thanks to those of you who have paid so far, we currently have received payment for 47 attendees.

It is important for people who have not paid to please pay by the end of July to ensure we are able to confirm numbers attending and to make payment to the Event Centre in a timely manner.

Please email me for account details..webmaster@hmascanberra.com

When making payment online please remember to add your name as the narration when depositing and to advise if you would like to sit on a particular table with anyone.

In addition ensure you advise of any dietary requirements i.e. Glucose Free as soon as possible so that we can notify the Events Centre.

Confirmation and payment should be made by 31st July 2011

We will then confirm when your payment has been received.

I look forward to seeing you at the Reunion

Yours Aye,

Lee “Bickies” Webster

Please Register for the 2011 Reunion here...More

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HMAS Canberra Commissioning Crew - 1981

New Years Eve Party 1981

Andrew Fitzgerald recently made these images available

A New Years Party was held at Carol and Lee Webster's place in Huntington Beach California. Members of the Commisioning Crew and Family's attended.

This was one of the last occassions the Crew and Families were together prior to returning to Australiia in 1982.

ABRP Tim Douglas pictured was the first member of the Commissioiing Crew to pass away, he was tragically killed in a Motor bike Accident near HMAS Albatross on Christmas Day 1985.

 

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HMAS Canberra 1 - Wreath laying Ceremony

 

 

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Hon Danny Philip and Australia's Minister for Defence, Hon Stephen Smith.

Australia's Minister for Defence, Hon Stephen Smith MP, visited Solomon Islands from 12-13 July and met with national leaders and Australian soldiers serving as part of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

This was his first visit to the Solomon Islands as Minister for Defence.

He was accompanied by the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator the Hon David Feeney and the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison.

He met with the Prime Minister, Hon Danny Philip MP, and discussed the continuing process towards greater security responsibility for Solomon Islands authorities and Australia's future cooperation with Solomon Islands. He reinforced Australia's commitment to the security and prosperity of Solomon Islands.

Mr Smith and Senator Feeney lay wreath at HMAS CANBERRA Memorial

He met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon Peter Shanel Agovaka MP; Minister for Finance and Treasury, Hon Gordon Darcy Lilo MP; Minister for Police and National Security, Hon Clay Forau MP and the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Derek Sikua MP.

He visited the HMAS Canberra memorial to lay a wreath in honour of the crew of HMAS Canberra I, which on 9 August 1942, was struck by the opening shots of the Battle of Savo Island and was damaged beyond repair. The Cruiser was evacuated and sunk in Iron Bottom Sound by two American destroyers.

He also laid a wreath at the US Memorial.

He met members of the Combined Task Force, the Australian Federal Police and Participating Police Force, including some of the 80 Australian soldiers currently serving on Operation ANODE, the Australian Defence Force contribution to RAMSI. The Australian soldiers currently on deployment are drawn primarily from 13th Brigade, headquartered in Perth.

The Combined Task Force supports the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and RAMSI's Participating Police Force to maintain security in Solomon Islands. The Combined Task Force has progressively drawn down to its current size of around 160 personnel from a peak of around 1800 in 2003, consistent with the improved security situation in Solomon Islands.

Since 2003, the Australian-led RAMSI has assisted the Solomon Islands Government in the maintenance of security, law and justice, economic governance and improving the machinery of government.

Fifteen regional countries contribute to RAMSI, which comprises approximately 550 civilian, police and military personnel. RAMSI includes around 350 Australians, some 160 of whom are police and 110 are civilian advisers.

Source: Press Release, Australian High Commission, Solomon Islands

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HMAS Canberra 2 FFG-02 - 4 July 2011

Temporary Closure of the ex-HMAS Canberra Dive Site

Parks Victoria regularly monitors the condition of the exHMAS Canberra in the interest of public safety.

A recent assessment revealed that the helicopter hanger on the port side had partially separated from the main structure. There was significant movement of heavy metal plates, leaving sharp edges and obstruction of access points.

A further structural assessment has confirmed the helicopter hanger on the port side of the ship has now come loose requiring a temporary closure of access to the site in the interests of public safety.

The exHMAS Canberra was scuttled as a wreck and the progressive breakup of the vessel was expected.

Further assessments will determine options to address safety concerns. Parks Victoria will know the extent of the action required and more specific details on the length of the temporary closure in coming weeks.

Parks Victoria is working closely with licensed dive tour operators, stakeholders and other interested parties throughout the site’s closure and will explore all options for getting divers back on the dive site...More

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CENTENARY PUBLICATION: 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY

100 years of the Royal Australian Navy book cover.

Containing over 50 articles and a plethora of eye-catching photographs, 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy has been compiled by an impressive array of naval subject-matter experts, from historical commentators to authorities on the latest defence technologies.

The book covers the extensive history of the Royal Australian Navy, and examines its involvement in conflicts around the globe from WW1 and WW2, to Korea, Malaya, Indonesia, Vietnam and more recently the Middle East.

It also looks at the Navy’s current status, its fleet, programs and priorities with dedicated articles on naval aviation, submarine and hydrographic services, border protection, clearance diving, peacekeeping, supply and logistics, engineering, health services and training, as well as exploring the future fleet and technologies that will shape the Navy of tomorrow.

100 years of the Royal Australian Navy will be available in hard copy for serving naval personnel and is available for all online...More

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HMAS Canberra Family Day Video - 1982

“Second to None"

 

 

HMAS Canberra Family Day 1982, a family day was conducted in the East Australian Exercise Area with HMAS Canberra, HMAS Torrens a Oberon Submarine a Seaking Helicopter and A4G Strike Aircraft. the video was taken by Commissioning Crew member Andrew Fitzgerald's father.

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HMAS Canberra 3 - Latest News

Avatars train on Navy's future ship

HMAS Canberra 3

Sailors will be able to use 3-D avatars to train on ships that are currently under construction thanks to cutting edge simulation technology being used in Australia.

 

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HMAS Canberra Association online Survey

 

An online Survey has been developed to determine the interest in forming a HMAS Canberra Association,

if you are a former member of the HMAS Canberra Ships Company and are interested in forming an Association please participate in the Survey...More

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HMAS Canberra Reunion Update – 13 June 2011

“Second to None"

HMAS Canberra 2011 Reunion 21-23 Oct 2011...More

HMAS Canberra 2011 Reunion Flyer...More

Please Register for the 2011 Reunion here...More

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USS Canberra Association - Newsletter

USS Canberra 2011 Summer Newsletter...More

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Former member of HMAS Canberra Ship's Company awarded the CONSPICUOUS SERVICE CROSS (CSC)

13 June 2011

Warrant Officer Mark Raymond TANDY, ACT

For outstanding achievement as Warrant Officer of the Navy.
As Warrant Officer of the Navy, Warrant Officer Tandy has achieved exceptional results as the
most senior sailor and sailors’ advocate in the Royal Australian Navy. During a period of
far-reaching reform through the New Generation Navy and Strategic Reform Programs, he
has ensured through exhaustive effort that the views of junior and senior sailors alike have
been heard through his advocacy at the highest levels. His achievements, all directed to the
benefit of the sailors of the Royal Australian Navy, will have an enduring effect and are of the
highest order.

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HMAS Canberra 3 - Latest News

Avatars train on Navy's future ship

Saturday, 11 June 2011

Korena Flanagan

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HMAS Canberra FFG 02 Website Update

The following webpages have been updated

• Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion webpage
• Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion Image Gallery
• HMAS Canberra 2009 Reunion Image Gallery

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HMAS Canberra Reunion Newsletter – 28 May 2011

“Second to None"

HMAS Canberra 2011 Reunion 21-23 Oct 2011

Many Thanks for registering for the HMAS Canberra Reunion

The Reunion will be held in the Maroochy Events Centre at the Maroochy RSL 21-23 October 2011.

The Programme

Day	Time	Event	Location
Friday	1800-2000	Meet and Greet	Maroochy Events Centre
Saturday	1900-2359	Dinner Dance	Maroochy Events Centre
Sunday	1100-1130	Memorial Service	Maroochydore War Memorial
Sunday	1130	Farewell BBQ	Maroochy Events Centre

The Meet and Greet will commence at 1800 at the Balcony Bar upstairs in the Events Centre of the Maroochy RSL 21 October 2011.

Bar facilities will be available.

Dress: Smart Casual

The Dinner Dance will be held from 1900 – 2359 Saturday 22 October 2011 at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre, which includes a 3 course meal and a 4 hour beer, wine and soft drinks package. Entertainment will be provided by the Radio Club Band.

The Dinner Dance Ticket price is $100.00 per person

Dress: Lounge Suit

A Memorial Service for the HMAS Canberra 1 will be conducted at the Maroochydore War Memorial commencing at 1100 Sunday 23 October 2011, the Memorial is located on The Esplanade near the RSL. After the service, a farewell BBQ will be held at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre from 1130.

BBQ Price $20.00 per person

Please Register for the 2011 Reunion here...More

The HMAS Canberra Reunion Attendance List...More

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Claude Choules Funeral

 

BBC Video of Claude Choules

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JOSEPH CATANZARO, The West Australian May 20, 2011, 10:09 am

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World loses last World War I combat veteran after death of Claude Choules

Petty Officer Claude Cloules in HMAS Canberra 1929

History's last living link with the battlefields of World War I has been broken with the death of 110-year-old digger Claude Choules.

Mr Choules, who celebrated his 110th birthday in March, was believed to be the world's last surviving WWI combat veteran.

His daughter Daphne Edinger confirmed Mr Choules - nicknamed ''Chuckles'' by comrades - died in his Perth nursing home last night.

Mr Choules was declared the last known male survivor of more than 70 million military personnel during WWI, after American veteran Frank Buckles passed away earlier this year, also aged 110.

The only other surviving WWI veteran is believed to be Britain's Florence Green, who served with the Royal Air Force in a non-combat role and is now aged 110.

Son Adrian Choules said this morning that he had been overwhelmed with phone calls offering condolences. But he said it was not a time to mourn but to celebrate his father's life and the memories of the good times they shared.

With three children, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren, Mr Choules has left behind a dedicated family, full of rich and loving memories.

"He treated his family very, very well, and so they all responded by looking after him very well," Adrian said.

"He knew you only get out what you put in, and he was a fine example of that. He was a good family man.

"He's certainly going to leave a gap in our family; his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will all remember him very fondly."

Adrian Choules said his father did not speak highly of war, and he was renowned for flouting Anzac Day parades. As the years passed, Mr Choules refused to be interviewed, and shunned the very thing that made him who he was – the great wars.

"He always said that the old men make the decisions that send the young men into war," Adrian said.

"He used to say, if it was the other way around, and the old pollies were off fighting, then there would never be any wars."

Decorated service career

Born in England in 1901, Mr Choules served with Britain's Royal Navy onboard the HMS Impregnable in 1916 at the age of 15.

He joined the battleship HMS Revenge in 1917 and witnessed the surrender of the German Fleet near Firth of Forth in Scotland in 1918.

Mr Choules moved to Fremantle where he was seconded to the Royal Australian Navy in 1926.

 

He was a commissioning crew member of the HMAS Canberra and served with the vessel until 1931 when he discharged from the RAN before rejoining as a torpedo and anti-submarine instructor in 1932.

As the acting torpedo officer at Fremantle in WWII, Mr Choules disposed of the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil during WWII, near Esperance on WA's south coast.

He was also tasked with destroying harbour and oil storage tanks at the Fremantle port in case of a Japanese invasion.

Mr Choules remained in the RAN after WWII, spending his final working years at the Naval Dockyard Police and joining the crayfishing industry at Safety Bay, south of Perth.

Australia's oldest man

At 107, he was told by his doctors that he wouldn't see out his next birthday. He defied those odds when he became a super-centenarian, and Australia's oldest man, in March this year.

"He stretches back into Australian history; the past 110 years are probably the most significant for the history of the country, and he was here for all of that," Adrian Choules said.

"Through his service, he developed the two important parts of his personality there, his loyalty and his conscientiousness.

"His loyalty to the people that were employing him, the British Government and then the Royal Australian Navy, and he was very loyal to his family as well.

"There was only was way to survive all that he did, and that was to be conscientious and very careful, and by not taking any risks."

Commemorating his life

On behalf of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane, Chief of Navy expressed his condolences to the Choules family at the passing of Claude Choules.

Captain Brett Wolski, Commanding Officer HMAS Stirling, said that the loss of Claude Choules to the wider Navy family was considerable.

"Our thoughts are with Claude's family at this sad time," he said.

"Claude served in the Royal Navy during WWI and then with the Royal Australian Navy in WWII. His career has spanned some of the most significant events in maritime history this century."

Adrian Choules said the family was overwhelmed with the tributes flowing in for his father, and said he had been reflecting on some of their good times with his family.

"He was a keen crayfisherman; my kids have wonderful memories of playing around in little boats with him down near Safety Bay," he said.

"That was a great part of their growing up.

"He always valued education; my two sisters both went to university at a time when there were plenty of parents who said, 'Why bother educating women when they're only going to be someone's wife'.

"These sorts of values will be remembered. The things that he did for his family, he put them first.

"Yesterday he was a celebrity, he was the oldest man in Australia. Today, someone else is that man."

Dennis Connelly, editor of The Listening Post, the official journal of the Returned Services League of Australia said it is a sad day for the country.

"He did lead a very full life," Mr Connelly said.

"He has had quite a life; it is quite the story to tell, and somebody should be telling that story.

"I remember I tried to interview him once, and his daughter actually told me that there was already enough information out there, there was nothing to add to it.

"He was a recluse in the later years of his life."

Mr Connelly said he expected crowds in the hundreds to turn out to pay their respects to Mr Choules on what will be "a very big occasion for the last World War I vet".

Mr Choules released his autobiography in 2009 titled The Last of the Last, depicting his childhood and move to Australia, as well as his times at war.

Mr Choules, who was blind and almost completely deaf, hated war and only marched in Anzac Day parades when he was ordered to, his son said.

He and his wife, who passed away at the age of 98, had two daughters and a son. Mr Choules also had 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

The funeral and service for Mr Choules would be arranged by the Royal Australian Navy which has volunteered host the event. It will be held at St John's Church in Fremantle, but a date has not yet been set.

Lucy Rickard

May 5, 2011

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ANZAC Day Poem

The following Poem was read at the Newmont Tamani Goldmine Operation that I had the honour of paricipating in this year.

It was read by Mr Justine Bryce and written by his veteran Grandfather Mr David Petrie who graciously allowed me to post.

  They are not Died

They are not dead, the men who fell

Though sounds for them, the vesper bell,

And loved ones gather at the shrine

They live in hearts of yours and mine

They live in mountain and in glade,

In shearing shed, or place of trade,

At school, or on the field of play

They live- the men who marched away.

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They are not dead, the men who fought,

The sons of valor who feared nought

Of man’s desiring, but who trod

The deathless path that leads to God.

Their call down bush track still is heard,

Their whistle still in the song of the bird,

Their laughter like a woodnote wild

Is heard in some Australian child.

******************************************

They are not dead, but gone before

Though crosses mark on ANZAC shore

At Shrapnel Gully and Lone Pine,

We rest our brothers, yours and mine.

The fields of Flanders, hills of Crete,

Sound no more to their tramping feet.

But they are still here at our side,

The men who fell, but never died.

****************************************

They are not dead, they cannot be

They’re part of you, and part of me.

The smile, the nod, the steadfast look,

Could never perish at Tobruk.

Nor could there fade on Bardias sand,

The cheery voice, the friendly hand,

Though seas and lands and years divide

Our brothers live- they have not died

by Mr David Petrie

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Naval historian's luck and courage leads Anzac march

JUST like marches, old mates, two-up and the dawn stand-to, war stories are integral to Anzac Day, and Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie Gregory (retired) has many.

The Naval Historical Society historian, who was “belted off” to sea in August 1939 as a 17-year-old cadet midshipman three months shy of graduation, will lead Melbourne’s Anzac Day March on April 25.

He was serving on HMAS Canberra when it was sunk off the Solomon Islands in August 1942.

In his St Kilda Rd home he proudly shows the binoculars he held that day, as officer of the watch on the ship’s bridge.

Despite a sizeable flotilla of Australian and US ships, “the Japs got within a few hundred yards ... knowing as soon as they saw us they could open fire”.

“I can remember saying, ‘My God, this is bloody awful’ - and then they hit the bridge.”

With men falling left and right, Mr Gregory dodged incoming shells and “didn’t have a scratch - it was just pure luck”.

With the ship alight and under friendly fire in the confusion, he was sent below to look for wounded, three decks down with only a torch.

“The ship rolled and I thought, ‘Here we go, this is it’.”

That day, HMAS Canberra lost 84 sailors, “which was bad enough, but the Americans lost a thousand. It was just shocking’‘.

HMAS Canberra 1

Mr Gregory later served on HMAS Shropshire, “which had replaced Canberra as a gift from Churchill’‘, and was present at the signing of the Japanese surrender in September 1945 in Tokyo Bay.

His luck held from World War II to 2001 when he and wife Denise were invited to witness then US President George W. Bush present the USS Canberra‘s bell to then Prime Minister John Howard in Washington - on September 10.

A last-minute change cancelled the Gregorys’ seats on Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon on September 11.

“You can be lucky,’’ Mr Gregory mused.

“Anzac Day is very important from that view ... not to glorify war, but to remember what our service men and women did to keep us free as a nation.”

The Naval Historical Society’s Victorian chapter meets the fourth Monday monthly at 7.30pm, Melbourne Naval Centre, 146W Toorak Rd, South Yarra. New members welcome.

Mackenzie Gregory has his own Website - Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

 

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HMAS Canberra Reunion 10th Anniversay - 14 April 2011

The Commissioning Crew held the first HMAS Canberra Reunion 10 years ago today, a Cocktail Party was held on the Flight Deck of HMAS Canberra followed up by a function at the Rockingham Branch of the Naval Association...More

The HMAS Canberra 2011 Reunion will be held on the Sunshine Coast QLD at the Maroochy RSL 21-23 October 2011...More

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RADM Simon Harrington RANR leads Gallipoli archaeological team

 

Former Commander Officer HMAS Canberra Simon Harrington is currently leading a archaeological team at Gallipoli Turkey

Battleground trenches unearthed in Gallipoli

Australian archaeologists have located trenches, tunnels and cemeteries in the Gallipoli battlefields of Turkey as part of the first survey of the area since World War I.
About 50,000 Australians served at Gallipoli during the eight-month campaign in 1915.
The landing was a military and humanitarian disaster - 8,700 Australians died in the conflict and 18,000 were wounded.

Now, a team of international archaeologists and historians are revisiting the battleground.
New Zealand and Turkish archaeologists are also collaborating in the five-year survey.
Together, they are carefully recording features of significance and collecting objects from the ground, including bottles and shrapnel.

Professor Antonio Sagona of the University of Melbourne says the research will "open a new chapter in the study of the Gallipoli story". He says the team has located 4,000 metres of trenches - including front-line and communication trenches - 12 cemeteries and seven collapsed tunnels.
"The other thing that was really fascinating is that we managed to find a number of subsided tunnels," he said.

"These tunnels of course were an important part of the offensive tactics used in the battle.
"They were dug underneath the no-man's land and were used to detonate explosives to disrupt the fortifications."

Professor Sagona says the findings are resolving debate over the position of the front-line and how the trenches rapidly evolved within weeks.He says the trench conditions highlight the privation endured by the ANZACs."They would have been difficult, tight and also the dugouts were no more than about two metres or so in diameter and they were the resting places," he said.
"That's where they rested in between battle."

Survey team leader Rear Admiral Simon Harrington says the thorny vegetation has helped prevent the trenches from collapsing."I'm sure that there is some sort of evolutionary advantage for the vegetation to grow thorns because everywhere we went there were thorns that we had to bash our way through," he said. "The vegetation tends to grow much more thickly in the trenches obviously because they collect water."

Rear Admiral Harrington says they are spending equal time on the Australian and Turkish sides of the battlefield.They have found Turkish handmade bricks used to strengthen trenches and sandstone used to bake bread.

Professor Sagona says they also found British-made medicinal, rum and beer bottles.
"It is interesting that in 100 years they still survived ... [there were] bully beef containers, lids, rings to peel off a tin, sardines," he said.

There are no excavations as part of the project, with researchers instead carefully recording visible features of significance and collecting objects from the ground.They will also use ground-penetrating radar to survey beneath the surface.The uncovered objects are being conserved and displayed in Turkey.The archaeological team will return to the battlefields to continue the survey in September.

By Adrienne Francis

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HMAS Canberra 2 FFG-02

Latest HMAS Canberra Diving Video posted on You Tube by Tourism Victoria 07 Mar 2011

 

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Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion - 02 April 2011

The HMAS Canberra Operation Damask VI Reunion was held at the Bells Hotel at Woolloomooloo NSW on the 02 April 2011.

The Reunion was attended by 50 personnel and was a resounding success!

The highlight of the evening was the speech given by the Ships former Commanding Officer Rear Admiral Raydon Gates AO, CSM, RANR. Raydon made a special mention of ex ABCK Scott "Scotty" Miles for his efforts in gaining the appropiate recognition for HMAS Canberra Operation DAMASK VI deployment.

 

Through Scotty's efforts a review by the Nature of Service Branch determined that service on Operation DAMASK VI during the period 13 January 1993 to 19 January 1993 was inappropriately classified.  In June 2009 the Prime Minister, following a recommendation by the CDF, agreed that the Operation DAMASK VI operational area be added to Schedule 2 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA).

The determinations for the AASM with Clasp ‘KUWAIT’ and ASM with Clasp ‘KUWAIT’ have been updated to reflect appropriate recognition for the ship’s company of HMAS CANBERRA engaged on Operation DAMASK VI in January 1993.

In addition Scotty has set up a veteran retreat at LANITZA in NSW, the retreat was named on honour of Operation DAMASK and is called VR DAMASK ...More

Another highlight of the evening was the scerenading of Allison Gates by Brian "Box" Brennan and Phil "Mac" McDonald.

Many thanks to Andrew "Gunna" Rourke who organised the Reunion, members and Family of the crew who assisted and the staff of the Bells Hotel who went above and beyond to make it a great reunion.

 

PS. I will be updating the Image Gallery to incorporate the Reunion Images shortly.

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Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion - this Saturday!!

UNCLASSIFIED

Shipmates,

We're 72 hours out from our little shindig.  Thus far I have had nearly 60 acceptances and apologies from many who would have loved to have been there but due work or family commitments can not make it. 

I'm still in negotiations with Bells Hotel over the cost of the smally eats and I certainly hope their bar service is quicker than I have found them thus far.  Anyway the cost will be either $10 or $15 / head. 

Lisa Batchler (Old DSO) has kindly volunteered to collect your money and will also have stickers for you to put your names on.  We have all aged to varying degrees or lost our memories so the name tags will help.  

Please ensure you pay Lisa otherwise I will be out of pocket as I will be paying for the event in advance.

If there are any late acceptances that is fine.  Let me know if you can via email or just turn up on the night.

See you all at 1800 Saturday 02 April at Bells.

Cheers

Gunna

Andrew Rourke

Andrew "Gunna" Rourke is the Point of Contact for the Reunion Contact email

For further information...More

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HMAS Canberra Website Milestone

The HMAS Canberra Website was established in 2001 and decicated to the HMAS Canberra Commissioning Crew.

in 2009 the website was redeveloped and is dedicated to all Royal Australian Navy personnel who served in the ship from 1981 to 2005.

The Website has recorded 1 Million hits this calender year from 01 April 2010 to the 30 March 2011. This has see 50,000 people visit the site and over 100,000 pages viewed in the past 12 months.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the website without the support through images, Cruisebooks, Media and information the site would not be successful.

Yours Aye,

Lee "Bickies" Webster

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HMAS Canberra wins AIO Shield

 

Former HMAS Canberra Crew member ex-ABRP Dave Askwith emailed this excellent image to me, I can not recall what year HMAS Canberra won the AIO Shield. 1984-86?

CPORP James Meredith, LSRP Michael Van Walle, ABRP Craig Brittain, ABRP Scott Christie, ABRP David Askwith, ABRP Mad Dog Madden, ABRP Les Tennent, ABRP Gray, ABRP Hector Crawford, LSRP Parkes pictured.

Please let me know the year at my email

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HMAS Canberra 1 Book released

 

AUTHOR Brennan Keats gives a special presentation on his book Quiet Waters at Orange and Cowra Libraries during March.

His book follows the life of Russell Keats, a sensitive 20 year old supply assistant on board HMAS Canberra as related from his personal letters to his parents before the Battle of Savo Sound.

The book provides graphic written accounts of day to day shipboard life in prominent naval units in WWII and the experiences of a young man with a strong sense of duty.

The book also gives a detailed account of the Japanese attack on Sydney Harbour during May and June of 1942. It includes many photos from the Australian War Memorial and others in private collections.

It also includes a CD of songs from World War II composed by Russell’s father Horace Keats and performed by Peter Dawson.

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HMAS Canberra FFG -02 Commissioning - 30th Birthday

"Second to None"

 

HMAS Canberra - FFG 02 Commissioning Images - 21 March 1981

HMAS Canberra - FFG 02 celebrates its 30 years since commissioning with much pride and fanfare in Seattle, Washington USA on the 21 March 1981...More

All the best to the Commissioning Crew who are all a little chronologically challenged at around 48 - 70 years old . Some members of the Commissioning Crew are still serving as fulltime members of the RAN and as Naval Reservists.

The ship was decommissioned in 2005 at Fleet Base West in Western Australia...More

She was sunk as a divining wreck off Ocean Gove, Victoria in October 2009...More

The HMAS Canberra Reunion will take place on the Sunshine Coast in October this year for all former members of the ship's company to celebrate the life of the ship...More

Lee"Bickies" Webster

HMAS Canberra Commissioning Crew

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HMAS Canberra FFG 02 Website Update 09 Mar 2011

Diving Wreck webpage and Image Gallery incorporated into the Website

• Diving Wreck Webpage
• Image Gallery

 

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HMAS Canberra 2 FFG-02

Latest HMAS Canberra Diving Video posted on You Tube - 07 Mar 2011

 

The ex HMAS Canberra is a great dive wreck, and sometimes it has different animals on it. This short movie shows a seal, fish, swimming scallops and scurrying crabs.

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Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion - 25 days away

The HMAS Canberra Damask VI 2011 Reunion is only 25 days away!!

The HMAS Canberra Damask VI 2011 Reunion for the 1993 crew will take place on Saturday the 02 April 2011 at the Bells Hotel at Woolloomooloo NSW.

Request former members of the 1993 Ship's Company contact your old shipmates to ensure maximum participation.

Andrew "Gunna" Rourke is the Point of Contact for the Reunion Contact email

For further information...More

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Australian Services Rugby Union

Roger Boyce appointed to Chairman of Australian Services Rugby Union.

Commodore Roger Boyce RAN has been appointed Chairman of the Australian Services Rugby Union.

The Australian Services Rugby Union will be very busy towards the end of 2011, with the International Services Rugby Challenge that is, aligned with the Rugby World Cup in NZ in October.

Roger is a former Commanding Officer of HMAS Canberra, he served in HMAS Canberra on 3 different occassions, intially as a the Principal Warfare Officer, the Executive Officer in 1994 and the Commanding Officer in 2002 where he was involved in several operations, most notably fisheries apprehension duties in the Southern Ocean, UN monitoring activities in the Solomon Islands and as part of the international MIF in the Persian Gulf...More

Roger Boyce

Anzac Day 2010 in the Middle East

Roger recently returned to Australia after serving in Afganistan as the Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force 633, Australian Forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan as a part of Operation Slipper.

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Top Jack - Memories

Greetings from Floyd, Virginia. Wow! Great website. In July 1988, Peter Price walked up to me in a bar in Waikiki and handed me a Top Jack card.

We corresponded for several years. The other day my daughter ran across my old scrap book and found the card and a picture of the HMAS Canberra that he mailed to me while deployed.

She stumbled across your website when she googled the name of the ship. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Michelle Schroeder

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Last living' WWI veteran turns 110 - Commissioned HMAS Canberra 1 in 1928

Claude Choules

Lied about his age: Claude Choules in the Royal Navy

The man believed to be the world's last living male veteran of World War I will celebrate his 110th birthday in Perth today.

British-born Claude "Chuckles" Choules was born in 1901 and signed up for the Great War at just 14 years of age, serving in the British Royal Navy.

He then moved to Australia, serving as an officer with the Australian Navy in World War II.

Mr Choules, who lives in a Perth nursing home, will mark his birthday just days after the death of American Frank Buckles made him the conflict's last surviving male veteran.

He lied about his age to join the Royal Navy - later witnessing the 1919 scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow.

Mr Choules became the 1914-1918 war's last surviving combatant after Mr Buckles' death at 110 on Sunday. British veterans Henry Allingham and Harry Patch, aged 110 and 113 respectively, both died in 2009.

The only other surviving WWI veteran is believed to be Britain's Florence Green, who served with the Royal Air Force in a non-combat role and is now 110 years old.

Mr Choules moved to Australia in 1926 and served in the RAN, he commissioned HMAS Canberra 1 in 1928 in the United Kingdom and served in the ship until 1931.

HMAS Canberra 1

He then became a chief demolition officer for Australia's vast western coastline, which was then considered vulnerable to attack from the Japanese.

Adrian Choules said his father, who was born in Wyre Piddle in the English Midlands on March 3, 1901, had been taught to think "that the Germans ... were monsters, terrible people" after joining the navy.

But he soon after realised "they were exactly the same as any young people".

"And he hated war. War for him was a way of making a living, that was his job," Adrian Choules said.

Adrian Choules says when his father talked about his life he rarely mentioned his war experiences, adding that the only military marches he participated in were when he was a serviceman.

"He wasn't interested in war, war to him was a terrible thing," he said.

Mr Choules's daughter, Anne Pow, says while her father is not too fussed about today's milestone, his family, friends and some representatives from the Navy will mark the occasion with a small birthday party.

"We're delighted for him. It's hard to be really excited when you're 110 and you're blind and deaf," she said.

Mr Choules published a book about his life, The Last of the Last, in 2009...More

ABC - 03 Mar 2011

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HMAS Canberra 3 Launching

 

Royal Australian Navy Video of HMAS Canberra 3 Launch released 18 Feb 2011.

 

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Raydon Gates appointed CEO of Lockheed Martin

Former Commanding Officer of HMAS Canberra 1992 -93 RADM Raydon Gates has been appointed as the CEO of Lockheed Martin Australia.

Lockheed Martin yesterday said the Royal Australian Air Force would receive it first two Joint Strike Fighters as planned in 2014, with the remaining 12 aircraft delivered as scheduled by 2018. Lockheed Martin also announced that it had won the A$3.5 billion contract to supply the navy's new helicopters, and that retired naval officer Raydon Gates had been appointed chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia

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HMAS Canberra 3 - Launched !!!

LHD launch paves the way for amphibious transformation

18 February 2011

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HMAS Canberra 3

Vickie Coates the widow of the former Commanding Officer of HMAS Canberra 2 RADM Nigel Coates will be launching HMAS Canberra 3.

The story below has been translated from a Spanish Newpaper

Admiral's widow a megaships be the godmother of "Canberra"

Ferrol / Voice 31/1/2011

Ferrol shipyard live next February 17 a major milestone in the construction of the first program for the Navy amphibious megaships of Australia, Canberra . Navantia bounce this superlative ship, in a ceremony to act as godmother Vicki Coates, the widow of an admiral of the country of the Antipodes who died last summer.

Nigel Coates was commander of the Australian fleet between 2007 and 2009, but had previously captained the ship HMAS Canberra , the same name as the first megaships take now that the old building, and Bazan Astano for the navy of his country.

It is not yet closed the list of the authorities to attend the ceremony, to be held at the foot of the larger tier of the factory Ferrol.

The Canberra will be launched two months ahead of schedule construction. It is based on the model of the Juan Carlos I to Navantia built for the Spanish Navy.

The shipyards would build and another sister, whose keel was laid in the stands a day after the launch of the first.

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HMAS Canberra 3

 

 

Latest images of HMAS Canberra 3 which is due to be launched i n Spain 17-18 Feb 2011

The Canberra Class are impressive Ships

It reminds me of the first ship I served in HMAS Melbourne CVS- 21.

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HMAS Canberra 2 FFG-02

Latest HMAS Canberra Diving Video posted on You Tube - 05 Feb 2011

 

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HMAS Canberra 3

 

Latest Public Relations Video for the Canberra Class LHD...More

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The Canberra Times

The latest HMAS Canberra Newsletter 24 Jan 2011...More

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Former HMAS Canberra Commanding Officer Commodore Stuart Campbell MAYER CSC RAN awarded BAR to the CONSPICUOUS SERVICE CROSS (CSC and Bar)

Commodore Stuart Campbell MAYER CSC RAN, from NSW
For outstanding achievement in a non-warlike situation as the Commander Joint Task Force 631 on Operation ASTUTE in East Timor from October 2009 to February 2010.

Commodore Mayer is an exceptional naval officer who displayed consistent professional excellence, inspirational leadership and initiative, and outstanding dedication to duty in the stable but fragile security environment of East Timor. Commodore Mayer’s exceptional leadership of Joint Task Force 631 was crucial to the successful restructure of the joint headquarters and the transition of the primary mission to providing development of the East Timor security sector.
Australian

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HMAS Canberra FFG 02 Website Update

Operation Slipper 2002 Image Galleries incorporated into the Website as follows:

• Anzac Day
• Crew at Sea
• Crew Ashore
• Boarding Party
• Operational
• Replenishment at Sea
• Sports
• Arriving Home

Operation Slipper 2002 Deployment Home Page...More

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Navy eyes redundant UK vessel

Sydney Morning Herald...More

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HMAS Canberra Battle Honours

The HMAS Canberra Battle Honours have been revised and approved as from March 2010

HMAS Canberra Battle Honours

EAST INDIES 1940-41
PACIFIC 1941-42
GUADALCANAL 1942
SAVO ISLAND 1942
PERSIAN GULF 2002

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Operation Damask VI 2011 Reunion - 02 April 2011

The HMAS Canberra Damask VI 2011 Reunion for the 1993 crew will take place on Saturday the 02 April 2011 at the Bells Hotel at Woolloomooloo NSW.

For further information...More

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Latest HMAS Canberra Diving Video - 09 Jan 2011

HMAS Canberra was scuttled on the 05 October 2009, the latest diving  video was posted on You Tube 09 Jan 2011, the video is average quality, however it clearly demonstates that the marine life is well established particularly on the extenal upperdecks of the ship...more

PS.. as a former CPOCSM in the ship I was particularly unhappy with the cleanliness of the Operations Room, Captains Flat, SCR and the 01 Deck Port passageway. Fish swimming around the Command OSC was particlarly disturbing...Bicks

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Vale ex CPOCD Gary Williamson- HMAS Canberra Commissioning Crew

A Send Off for Garry "Bungy" Williamson was held in Sydney at the Harbord Beach Hotel at Freshwater on the 08 January 2011. Forty of his friends and colleauges attended the wake to remember him, members of the HMAS Canberra Commissioning Crew were on hand to farewell Gary...More

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HMAS Canberra FFG 02 Website Update

Operation Damask VI 1992-93 Deployment incorporated into the Website as follows:

• Operation Damask VI Webpage
• Crew Nominal List
• Red Sea Deployment Cruisebook

North East Asia 2000 Deployment

• Deployment Cruisebook

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LHD 01 NUSHIP Canberra

 

LHD 01 Canberra is sheduled to be launched in Spain on the 17 February 2011.

 

Latest construction Images of HMAS Canberra 3

 

News Image Gallery

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