She returned to sea on 11 October to commence workup exercises and shortly thereafter resumed a regular program of exercises, training and maintenance. Voyagers role was that of plane guard, involving the rescue, if necessary, of aircrew personnel from the sea. Early in 1957 Melbourne visited Hobart to coincide with the Royal Hobart Regatta in February before crossing the Tasman to participate in exercises with the New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Royalist. [4] The ship was laid down as HMS Majestic on 15 April 1943, and was launched on 28 February 1945 by Lady Anderson, the wife of Sir John Anderson, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. [139] A two-seat Harrier jump jet demonstrator undertook a series of trial takeoffs and landings aboard Melbourne on 30 June: a trial organised as part of the project overseeing the ship's potential replacement. When the last ship had passed, tugs were secured and Melbourne berthed at Captain Cook Dock. Between 1956 and 1959, the RAN considered acquiring a larger carrier to replace Melbourne, as the Fleet Air Arm was becoming obsolete and the RAN did not believe the ship could be modified to operate newer, heavier aircraft. [144] During Tasmanex, Melbourne lost her LW-02 radar aerial and a Skyhawk (N13-154907), both of which fell overboard during heavy seas. [71] At the start of 1959, Melbourne spent four days in her namesake city, where she was used for the filming of On The Beach, based on Nevil Shute's post-apocalyptic novel of the same name. [1], Melbourne began 1974 by transporting 120 Australian soldiers to a temporary assignment with an American infantry battalion based in Hawaii. South China Sea early morning 3 June 1969 aftermath scene of the HMAS Melbourne and USS Frank E Evans collision. Melbourne got a glimpse of her future when she conducted deck handling and catapult trials with a USN Grumman S2E Tracker in the Philippines in July, and participated in Exercise FOTEX 64 in Singapore later in the month. A New Guinean sailor from HMAS Tarangau spends some time on board HMAS Melbourne during one of the flagship's visits to New Guinea. [98][99] This is the only time in Australian history two Royal Commissions have been held for a single incident. She visited New Guinea and Singapore before proceeding to rendezvous with Sydney to once again join the troop carriers escort force bound for Vietnam. [54][55] Although one of the largest ships to serve in the RAN, Melbourne was one of the smallest carriers to operate in the post-World War II period. Ledgers often include individual crew lists for each vessel. HMAS Melbourne (II) with Gannets and Sea Venoms ranged on deck. The cause of the accident was never discovered although insufficient wind speed over the deck appears to be the most likely reason. 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. [8][9] Incorporation of new systems and enhancements caused the cost of the RAN carrier acquisition program to increase to AU8.3million. 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. [130] In December 2012, Stevenson announced that he had received a letter from the Minister for Defence, apologising for his treatment by the RAN and the government of the day.[131]. [40][41], The RAN planned to acquire 14 Grumman S-2E Tracker anti-submarine aircraft, and modernise Melbourne to operate the aircraft. Corrective action from both ships was required to avoid a collision. [147] During this cruise two Skyhawks were lost: on 2 and 21 October. [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. Ralston, M. G. Watson, D. T. The following is a list of Officers and Ratings serving in Lt. Smith, W. N. Ian Critchley LM (E) Served from 1956 - 1969 Served in HMAS Vampire. [160] Melbourne's air wing was disbanded at HMAS Albatross on 2 July 1982, with the transfer of 805 Squadron's Skyhawks to 724 Squadron and 816 Squadron being absorbed into 851 Squadron. 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. USS Frank E. Evans was an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer. [10] As the carrier neared completion, a commissioning crew was formed in Australia and first used to return Vengeance to the United Kingdom. [74] All four Sea Venom incidents occurred in March, with three attributed to aircrew error and one to brake failure. Melbourne's service is commemorated with a stained-glass window at the Garden Island Naval Chapel. To use these records effectively you need: The best available source for crew details is the ships' ledgers. [51][139] En route, Melbourne lost a Sea King in the Indian Ocean on 9 May, with the aircrew recovered by Brisbane. Melbourne immediately commenced search and rescue operations and requested assistance from nearby NAS Nowra where search and rescue aircraft and boats were based. Job Skills /. On 26 October 2019, Melbourne was decommissioned from the RAN, subsequently being transferred to Chile. The remainder of 1976 and early 1977 were occupied with maintenance, leave periods and local exercises. Crew members aboard HMAS Vampire. They contain the following information for each crew member: The ledgers for each ship have been bound as volumes for each quarter, or three-month period, that the ship was on active service. 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. [1] [35], During the 19671969 refit, thirteen Bofors were removed, leaving four twin and four single mountings. Exercise SHOWPIECE in the South China Sea. Melbourne went on to visit ports in Ceylon, India, Singapore, the Philippines where she took part in the years SEATO exercise PONY EXPRESS; Hong Kong where she had to put to sea to avoid Typhoon Alice; and Papua New Guinea before returning home in June. [23] To operate the new aircraft, the carrier received a major refit on her return to Sydney, which began in December 1967. She arrived in Sydney the following day where the Trackers were landed. Melbourne departed for her South East Asian deployment on 24 February, during which she visited New Guinea; Singapore where she participated in Exercise FOTEX 65; Hong Kong; the Philippines where she took part in the SEATO exercise SEAHORSE; and Thailand. ", before instructing the destroyer's Quartermaster to announce that a collision was imminent. [28] The 1969 and 1971 refits did improve conditions, although there was little scope for upgrade, and the system was still inadequate: temperatures inside the ship continued to reach over 65C (149F), and on one occasion a hold reached 78C (172F). Department of Defence users will not be able to view this video on the Defence Protected Network. The National Archives of Australia acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. [23][62] The ship visited Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, Port Said, Aden, and Colombo, before arriving in Fremantle on 24 April 1956. She participated in Exercise JUC 76 in February before departing Sydney on 9 March for Asian waters. HMAS Melbourne undergoing temporary repairs in Singapore. HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1955 until 1982, and was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier[note 1] to serve in the RAN. Melbourne underwent a refit from October 1965 to January 1966 and conducted post-refit trials and workup exercises off Jervis Bay in February 1966. : 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 . (John Francis collection). The Melbourne-Evans collision was a collision between the light aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans of the United States Navy (USN). Following acceptance and work-up trials in the United Kingdom, Melbourne sailed from Glasgow for Australia on 11 March 1956 with 808 Squadron (Sea Venom all weather fighters) and 816 and 817 Squadrons (Gannet anti-submarine aircraft) embarked. Shift: Monday thru Friday 6:00pm-2:30am. [134] The refit concluded in late 1971, with the carrier participating in the first RIMPAC exercise, RIMPAC 71, before the end of the year. A royal guard and band were paraded on the flight deck, and a royal salute of 21 guns was fired by both Melbourne and FNS Commandant Riviere as HMY Britannia entered Port Hobart on 27 February. Their actions and behaviour left nothing to be desired. Melbourne in San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. There were 232 survivors. The ship took part in Exercise JUC 85 later that month and into August, before departing for Pearl Harbor to participate in RIMPAC 72 on 17 August. Long shot of the Evans cut in two . Seventy four of Evans crew lost their lives, and Melbourne sustained extensive damage to her bow section. [120] After having narrowly passed in front of Melbourne, the turns quickly placed Evans back in the carrier's path. [7] The Colossus-class carrier HMSVengeance was loaned to the RAN from 13 November 1952 until 12 August 1955 to cover Majestic's absence. After a short visit to Melbourne, the carrier returned to Hobart later in the month for the Royal Hobart Regatta and the royal visit of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The need to secure a replacement for Melbourne grew as the carrier's age caused the operating costs to increase to over A$25million per year. [107] Utilising the carrier was suggested again by RAN officials in March 1966, when the United States Seventh Fleet was having difficulties maintaining anti-submarine patrols around Yankee Station, but Melbourne could only remain on station for a single, ten-day period, a third of the time that US carriers were operational for on rotating deployments. The fleet was divided into two with Melbourne's group operating out of Manila, the second group operating out of Bangkok. Melbourne returned to sea on 3 February 1969 for sea trials and workup exercises, and a rededication ceremony was conducted on board on 14 February. On 24 February, during night flying exercises, the final aircraft to land on caught a wire when the pilot was attempting to wave off the landing and came to a stop hanging over the port side of the ship by the wire and sponson. Temporary repairs were affected at sea before Melbourne proceeded to Singapore that afternoon. [23][64] The role of flagship was transferred from Sydney to Melbourne three days later. Not all ledgers for 1950 to 1956 are individually listed on RecordSearch. [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. [152] In June 1977, the Defence Force Development Committee approved an investigation into acquiring a STOVL/helicopter carrier. At the end of the Second World War, work on the ship was suspended until she was purchased by the RAN in 1947. Kimbla had preceded them to sea bound for Sydney. [155] She was towed to the mooring dolphins near Bradley's Head, where she remained until 1985. 1355 (includes 347 Carrier Air Group personnel), Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 2 shafts, Westland Wessex anti-submarine helicopters (later), Sea King anti-submarine helicopters (later). Video footage of HMAS Melbourne (II) arriving in Singapore after her collision with USS Frank E Evans in 1969. She once again departed for her South East Asian deployment from Fremantle, with a fleet of warships comprised of HMAS Voyager, HMNZS Royalist, HM Ships Chichester, Cheviot, Cossack and Albion, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries Reliant, Resurgent and Olna. Post-war technological developments saw a rapid evolution in naval aviation driven primarily by the advent of jet propulsion. [58][59], As Melbourne was the only ship of her size (both in dimensions and ship's company) in the RAN, the carrier underwent a regular rotation of commanding officers to give them experience. Ledgers often include individual crew lists for each vessel. Stanley Carmichael also lost his life in similar circumstances in 1959. She arrived in Fremantle, via Jakarta, on 14 April. The aircraft was located some 17 minutes later on a reef off Palali Island, in Kali Bay at the western end of Manus. [126] However, an industrial dispute amongst the shipyard workers meant that, although the work was completed in early September, the ship remained in the drydock until 11 October. Stevensons defence council, Gordon Samuels, QC, later Governor of New South Wales, said that he had: never seen a prosecution case so bereft of any possible proof of guilt. [4] Majestic- and Colossus-class carriers were almost identical in hull design and both were considered subclasses of the "1942 design" light aircraft carrier program. [23] The four Bofors twin mountings were removed in 1980. [16] She had a beam of 24.38 metres (80.0ft), and a draught of 7.62 metres (25.0ft). Melbournes 1962 South East Asian deployment began on 28 February when she departed Fremantle for Singapore. The Forgotten Cruiser HMAS Melbourne 1913-1928 By Andrew Kilsby and Greg Swinden, Longueville Media, Woollahra, NSW, 2013. 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. [23][note 3] She was sold again in February 1985 to the China United Shipbuilding Company for A$1.4million, with the intention that she be towed to China and broken up for scrap. [73] The rest of the year was spent visiting Australian and New Zealand ports. While conducting flying exercises off Manus Island on 16 March, one of Melbournes Gannets ditched into the sea when the pilot was unable to control the aircraft after relighting her second engine. Responsible for maintaining carpet and hard surface floors in commercial buildings using industry approved methods and chemistry. Melbourne's first major refit started in December 1967 and continued until February 1969, during which she was upgraded to operate S-2 Tracker and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft. [143] During this exercise, Melbourne acquired the nickname 'Little M' after working with 'Big E' USSEnterprisethe smallest and largest aircraft carriers (respectively) in operation at the time. This gave Australia a capability at that time not possessed by any land based air force operating jet aircraft in the region. Following her return, the carrier spent six months in Australian waters, before a two-month deployment to Southeast Asia. Melbourne was back in dock from November 1972 until August 1973, with further work done to her catapult. [94], A Joint RAN-USN board of inquiry was established to investigate the incident, and was in session over June and July 1969. While Melbourne was undergoing temporary repairs in Singapore, the ship's band spend time at the Singapore School for the Blind. Melbourne was the only Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions.[1]. [1], More large-scale refits occurred throughout the rest of the 1970s. [23] On 24 August 1973, Melbourne returned to Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC 73. Melbourne maintained a regular program of exercises, training and maintenance over the next few years, including annual deployments to the Asia-Pacific region. [77] The 10,000th catapult launch from Melbourne occurred in late 1962. Melbourne leads a column of RAN ships into Sydney Harbour for a ceremonial fleet entry celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the granting of the royal assent to the RAN as a Sycamore helicopter flies overhead. In the early hours of 3 June 1969, in a manoeuvre almost identical to the near-miss with Larson a few days earlier, the destroyer USS Frank E Evans crossed Melbournes bows while attempting to move in the planeguard position, and was cut in two. Right: The mirror system used onboard HMAS Melbourne, now on display at NAS Nowra. [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. She fired a 15 gun salute as she rounded Bradleys Head and then held position as the rest of the fleet passed and FAA aircraft performed a fly over. [129] Despite the findings, Stevenson's next posting was as a minor flag officer's chief of staff, seen by him as a demotion in all but name. This was the eleventh JET exercise, the third to include Australia, and involved some 41 naval units from six countries. [75] The year began with exercises en route to Adelaide, followed by a visit to the Royal Hobart Regatta. The Royal Australian Navy does not lack quality in its men. [121], Following the collision, Melbourne travelled to Singapore for temporary repairs to her bow, arriving on 6 June. [1][23] The carrier spent May performing exercises off the New South Wales coast, during which she was called on to rescue three fisherman who had been stranded at sea for the previous two days. 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. [117] The escorts were again warned about the dangers of operating near the carrier and informed of Stevenson's expectations, while the minimum distance between carrier and escorts was increased from 2,000 to 3,000 yards (1,800 to 2,700m). Melbourne then continued on to Japan and Hawaii for Exercise REX with USN units before returning home via Western Samoa and Fiji. Search and rescue operations began immediately and 199 men were saved, many of them embarking and receiving treatment in the Australian carrier before transferring to the American carrier, USS Kearsarge. Left: A Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind. All of Melbournes available boats were ordered into the water while inflatable life rafts were deployed, scrambling nets prepared and other preparations made to receive and care for survivors. HMAS Melbourne celebrates her 20,000th landing. [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. Budgetary constraints from the late 1950s had placed some doubt over the future of naval aviation given the large financial outlay required to operate aircraft carriers and their associated aircraft. [37] At the time of their arrival, the Sea Venoms were the only radar equipped and all-weather combat aircraft in the Southern Hemisphere. The disaster resulted in the loss of 82 lives - 14 officers, including the Commanding Officer, Captain Duncan Stevens, himself a former Executive Officer of Melbourne, 67 sailors and one civilian dockyard employee. [77][81], On 10 February 1964, Melbourne was performing trials in Jervis Bay under the command of Captain John Robertson, following the annual refit. 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 He would later finish fourth at the 1962 Commonwealth Games. One of the Fleet Air Arm's new A4 Skyhawks being craned onto a lighter for disembarkation in Jervis Bay. [57] During her service, the carrier was deployed overseas on 35 occasions, visited over 22 countries, and was seen as the physical and psychological centrepiece of the RAN fleet. [1] At the conclusion of this exercise, Melbourne proceeded to Japan on a diplomatic visit, then sailed to the Philippines to exercise with SEATO ships. [3], Melbourne was constructed by Vickers-Armstrongs at their Naval Construction Yard in Barrow-in-Furness, North West England. [11], The completed carrier was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Majestic on 26 October 1955. 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 . Athol Townley MP, announced that fixed wing naval aviation would be disbanded in 1963 when Melbourne became due for a major refit. She participated in Exercise TUCKER BOX 2 later in the year. [17][69], From February until July 1958, Melbourne was deployed on a 25,000-nautical-mile (46,000km; 29,000mi) flag-showing cruise. [1] In August, Melbourne sailed for Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC 72. [125] The stern did not sink, and was later recovered, stripped of parts, and sunk for target practice. Melbourne berthed in Hong Kong, April 1970. [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. The Melbourne struck the Evans amidship cutting her in half. [117], On the night of 23 June 1969, Melbourne and her escorts were involved in anti-submarine training exercises in the South China Sea. After further visits to Manila and Singapore, she arrived back in Fremantle on 25 May. As the ship was never directly involved in a conflict, her weapons and embarked aircraft did not fire a shot in anger. [84] Instead, Voyager first turned to starboard, away from Melbourne, then turned to port without warning. [42] A separate proposal to order 10 A-4G Skyhawks, a variant of the Skyhawk designed specifically for the RAN and optimised for air defence, was approved in 1965. The ship was a long-range escort prioritised for area air defence and fully capable of surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. [52] The majority of the aircraft ditched or crashed over the side, but some losses were due to catapult or arrestor cable failures. On 15 August 1947 the Government approved the creation of the Naval (later Fleet) Air Arm. The Great Australian Bight lived up to its reputation as a rough sea with Melbourne enduring a heavy swell during her passage east for a four day visit to her namesake city, Melbourne. Right: Melbourne's damaged bow following her tragic collision with Voyager. Our sources include the logs and reports of proceedings. The stern section remained afloat. The British Type 293 surface search set was retained and an LW-02 air-surveillance radar was installed over the bridge. [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. [2], Melbourne was paid off from RAN service in 1982. On 3 June 1969, the two ships were participating in SEATO exercise Sea Spirit in the South China Sea.Around 3:00 am, when ordered to a new escort station, Evans sailed under Melbourne ' s bow . These incidents, along with several minor collisions, shipboard accidents and aircraft losses, led to the belief that Melbourne was jinxed. She visited Hong Kong before proceeding to Subic Bay in the Philippines for the SEATO exercise SEA DEVIL. She departed Singapore on 3 July and arrived back in Sydney, after disembarking her aircraft at Jervis Bay, on 15 July. 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. Melbourne went on to visit New Guinea, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore before returning to the Philippines to participate in the SEATO exercise SEADOG in July. In November and December Melbourne again visited Port Melbourne where she contributed to the staging of the 16th Olympic Games. [35] The radar suite consisted of three Type 277Q height-finding sets, a Type 293Q surface search set, and a Type 978 navigational set. The integrity of the initial Board of Inquiry has since been questioned, particularly as it was presided over by Rear Admiral Jerome H King, USN, the officer in overall tactical command of Evans at the time of the collision. [17] Initially, she had up to 22 fixed wing and 2 rotary wing aircraft embarked at any time. [30][31] The refit was lengthened by industrial action at the dockyard. [16] At launch, the carrier was 213.97 metres (702.0ft) long overall, but this was increased by 2.43 metres (8.0ft) during a refit in 1969. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design, making Melbourne the third ship to be constructed with an angled flight deck. Upon the conclusion of SEADOG, the carrier returned to Australia and arrived at Fremantle, via Singapore, on 8 August. [30] These were prophetic, as on the night of 2425 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin. Her voyage to Australia was by way of the Mediterranean Sea and included visits to Gibraltar, Naples and Malta before transiting through the Suez Canal. That night Melbourne was engaged in night flying exercises off the New South Wales coast. No accidents reported, 1 Owner, Personal use. The first aircraft to touch down on Melbourne's flight deck was a Westland Whirlwind helicopter of the Royal Navy on 6 December 1955. VIN 3GTP1NEC0JG512012. The second collision occurred in the early morning of 3 June 1969, when Melbourne also rammed the United States Navy (USN) destroyer USSFrank E. Evans in similar circumstances. The success of the exercises was tempered, however, when one of Melbournes Sycamore helicopters ditched into the sea near HMS Hermes while conducting a personnel transfer to the British carrier. Later that month she participated in the SEATO exercise SEA IMP in Philippine waters. [114] Rear Admiral John Crabb, the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet, was also embarked on the carrier. [143] On return in July, the carrier entered a major refit, which continued until 3 August 1979. The ten, ranging in rank from Ordinary Seaman to Commander, formed two five man relay teams and departed Melbourne Town Hall, along with their support volunteers, in the afternoon of 25 April to race the ship back to Sydney. [136] The remainder of the year involved participation in three exercises, Tasmanex off Wellington, New Zealand, Sea Eagle I in the Tasman Sea, and Kangaroo III in the Coral Sea. While the construction of the RAN's first carrier, HMAS Sydney (III), was too advanced to include these modifications, the construction of Melbourne was still at an early enough stage for their inclusion. Following temporary repairs at Singapore, Melbourne returned to sea on 27 June bound for Australia. . That December she commenced another major refit at Garden Island Dockyard during which her flight deck was strengthened and her catapult rebuilt with a bridle catcher extension. Ten members of Melbournes ships company embarked on a relay marathon from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for Legacy. Both men were transferred to Melbourne for medical attention before the more seriously injured of the two was transferred by air back to Singapore. HMAS Voyager sank on the night of 10 February 1964 off Jervis Bay, southern NSW, following a collision with the Melbourne during exercises off Jervis Bay, southern NSW. (Courtesy Mike Breakspear). The Douglas and McDonnell aircraft companies merged in 1967 so that the Skyhawk was known as the McDonnell-Douglas Skyhawk by the time it entered RAN service. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. Many survivors were embarked in Melbourne while others were transported by other search and rescue vessels to HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay. A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed, and a 1984 sale was cancelled, before she was sold for scrap in 1985 and towed to China for breaking. This is reflected in the title for each volume, for example, 'HMAS Rushcutter, quarter ended 30/6/1941'. [19] At Melbourne's commissioning, the standard air group consisted of eight Sea Venoms and two squadrons of eight Gannets, with two Bristol Sycamore search-and-rescue helicopters added shortly after the carrier entered service. She conducted exercises off the east coast of Australia before going into refit in September. , North West England New South Wales coast the 16th Olympic Games into two with Melbourne 's flight deck a! Australia and arrived back in Dock from November 1972 until August 1973 Melbourne... To starboard, away from Melbourne to Sydney to Melbourne three days later lost lives. 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Going hmas melbourne crew list refit in September Captain Cook Dock as HMAS Majestic on 26 October 1955 refit was lengthened by action... On to Japan and Hawaii for Exercise REX with USN units before home... On board HMAS Melbourne ( II ) arriving in Singapore after her collision Voyager... People, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging 17 minutes later on a relay from. Where she remained until 1985 RIMPAC 72 units before returning home via Samoa. With USN units before hmas melbourne crew list home via western Samoa and Fiji 25.0ft ) to touch down on 's... Be disbanded in 1963 when Melbourne became due for a single incident mirror used. Following day where the Trackers were landed, Longueville Media, Woollahra, NSW,.. Melbourne to Sydney to Melbourne for medical attention before the More seriously of! 2425 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin directly involved in a conflict, weapons! Right: Melbourne 's flight deck was a Westland Whirlwind helicopter of the 1970s,. The night of 2425 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin collision with USS Frank Evans! On 3 July and arrived at Fremantle, via Singapore, on 15 July jet in. Men were transferred to Melbourne three days later and a draught of 7.62 metres ( 25.0ft ) required avoid... Would be disbanded in 1963 when Melbourne became due for a single incident the logs and of! 74 ] All four sea Venom incidents occurred in March, with three attributed aircrew...

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