1 GREENBANK NAA NEWSLETTER GREY FUNNEL DITS Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is in the nature of entertainment for the members. Contributions are acknowledged, with thanks, from service organisations. The editor expressly Disclaims all and any liability to any person, whether an association member or not. Views expressed may not necessary be those held by the Executive or the members. Editor: Tony Holliday [email protected]0403026916 Series No. 3 Date: September 2020 No.9 GREENBANK NAVAL ASSOCIATION Sub Section Events for September and October 2020 Tuesday 01 September 1900-2100 Normal Meeting RSL Rooms Wednesday 30 September 1000-1030 Executive Meeting RSL Rooms Tuesday 06 October 1900-2100 Normal Meeting RSL Rooms Wednesday 28 October 1000-1030 Executive Meeting RSL Rooms Great news with the awarding of the Australian Victoria Cross to Ordinary seaman Teddy Sheean. Great pride for his family and us Gunnery Jacks. Editors Request: Articles for the newsletter can be handed in at meetings, or by email: articles may be edited to fit the newsletter. The contents of this edition of the newsletter have been obtained from information provided from Len Kingston-Kerr whom I thank greatly, various publication publications and NAA information emailed in.
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GREENBANK NAA NEWSLETTER GREY FUNNEL DITS
Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is in the nature of entertainment for the members. Contributions are
acknowledged, with thanks, from service organisations. The editor expressly Disclaims all and any liability to any person, whether an
association member or not. Views expressed may not necessary be those held by the Executive or the members.
Events for September and October 2020 Tuesday 01 September 1900-2100 Normal Meeting RSL Rooms Wednesday 30 September 1000-1030 Executive Meeting RSL Rooms Tuesday 06 October 1900-2100 Normal Meeting RSL Rooms Wednesday 28 October 1000-1030 Executive Meeting RSL Rooms Great news with the awarding of the Australian Victoria Cross to Ordinary seaman Teddy Sheean. Great pride for his family and us Gunnery Jacks.
Editors Request:
Articles for the newsletter can be handed in at meetings, or by email: articles may be edited to fit the newsletter.
The contents of this edition of the newsletter have been obtained from information provided from Len Kingston-Kerr whom I thank
greatly, various publication publications and NAA information emailed in.
Macquarie, were built to the British River Class design and Australia likewise named its frigates after
Australian rivers. A further four, HMA Ships Condamine, Culgoa, Murchison and Shoalhaven, were
also named after Australian rivers but were built to the design of the Royal Navy's Bay Class Frigates.
These latter ships were generally known as Modified River Class Frigates although they are sometimes
referred to as Bay Class.
After a period working up in the waters off New South Wales waters, Condamine proceeded to New
Guinea in May 1946, visiting Port Moresby, Wewak, Alexishafen, Finschhafen, Rabaul and the fleet
base at Manus, before returning to Sydney at the end of July.
In October 1946 she proceeded to Darwin where she remained based until 13 December 1946. On this
day she began the long voyage to Kangaroo Island, South Australia, towing an oil fuel lighter. This task
was accomplished without mishap on 11 January 1947, when, after handing over the lighter to the tug
HMAS Reserve in D'Estree Bay, Condamine proceeded to Melbourne where she remained in refit until
early March 1947.
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Between May and August 1947 and again from December 1947 to March 1948, Condamine saw further
service as the Australian Squadron Representative in New Guinea waters. Except for a brief visit to
Manus in September 1948, the remainder of the year was spent in home waters. At the close of 1948
Condamine had steamed 63,000 miles.
Throughout 1949 Condamine remained in Sydney Harbour, commencing seagoing service again in
January 1950 when she exercised with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Thorough. The remainder of
the year was spent in eastern Australian waters, mainly on anti-submarine exercises with one of the
Royal Navy submarines operating with the Australian fleet.
Condamine was continually in service in 1951, exercising with other units of the fleet and averaging
about one thousand miles per month in eastern Australian waters.
In June 1952 Condamine departed Sydney to join the United Nations forces operating in Korean
waters. She reached Singapore on 11 July and Japanese waters at the close of the month.
Condamine began operational duty in the Korean War in the Haeju area on the Korean west coast as a
unit of Task Unit 95.12.4 on 4 August 1952. Three days later she fired her first shots of the war with a
bombardment of enemy positions on the mainland opposite Mudo Island.
On 8 August Condamine relieved USS Kimberly as Commander Task Unit 95.12.1 in defence of the
Sokto/Chodo area at the entrance to the River Chinnampo. The following week was spent on daily
bombardment of the mainland, largely in co-operation with air elements of the west coast carrier group,
Task Element 95.11. Condamine was relieved on 16 August by HMS St Brides Bay and after a typhoon
delayed passage the frigate reached Sasebo on 19 August.
Condamine';s next assignment was on the east coast theatre and she was the first Australian frigate to
operate in that area. On 22 August she reported for duty to Commander Task Element 95.22,
Commander Chandler USN in USS McDermut, at Yongdo. There she relieved HMS Mounts Bay and
with other ships of the Task Element began a period in defence of Yandgo, with coastal patrols north to
Chongjin and south to Chado harassing enemy rail communications.It was in the main a quiet period
for Condamine with suitable targets scarce. Railway traffic proved elusive and apt to seek the safety of
tunnels and cuttings. Even direct hits were no guarantee of ultimate destruction as Condamine
discovered when after hitting a two engine train and forcing it to stop, it divided at the point of damage,
half disappearing into a tunnel while the other half made haste for the shelter of a cutting.
Some compensation for Condamine's disappointed gunners came on 10 September when a highly
successful bombardment near Tanchon ended with the complete destruction of six buildings previously
untouched.
On 11 September HMS Charity relieved the Australian frigate. In the nineteen operational days on the
east coast Condamine had steamed 2577 miles.
Ten days at Kure, 13 to 22 September, was followed by a return to the Haeju area on 23 September
where she relieved St Brides Bay as Commander Task Unit 95.12.4. Other ships of the unit comprised
South Korean Navy patrol craft.
A fortnight was spent in defence of the offshore islands of the area. Night stations were normally to the
east of Taesuap Island from which position the mud flats between the mainland and Yongmae Do
Island were effectively covered and the movement of enemy junks down the Haeju prevented. Day
stations were normally in the vicinity of Taeyongpyong Do.
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On 28 September the frigate gave support to a United Nations guerilla raid on the Chomi Do peninsula.
Strong opposition eventually forced a withdrawal, with Condamine evacuating a wounded United
States Major and a Marine Sergeant. On other days harassing fire served to relieve the monotony of
what proved to be a mainly routine patrol. On 7 October Condamine began the last phase of her third
patrol in the Sokto/Chodo area and after six uneventful days, proceeded for Sasebo.
Her fourth patrol began with four days as Commander Task Unit 95.12.2 at Paengyong Do. Bad
weather restricted both friend and enemy, reducing Condamine's task to routine watch over the offshore
islands.Six days at Haeju followed, with daily bombardment tasks. Ten rounds of 4-inch ammunition
were fired on 26 October, twelve rounds the next day and eighty rounds north of Mudo on the 28th.
Two days at Sokto supporting the minesweepers brought a quiet month to a close. The patrol finally
ended with the frigate operating at Haeju on 8 November. A return to Haeju on 28 November followed
a week at Kure. Ten days on patrol were followed by a visit to Sasebo before returning to the Korean
west coast on 23 December. Patrols off Paengyong Do and Haeju extended to 6 January 1953.
On 5 January 1953 Condamine engaged the enemy batteries opposite Mudo Island on the mainland.
Her Commanding Officer commented "This shoot of sixty-six rounds was the best Condamine has
done, and I was almost ready to believe the Korean spotters reports".On 6 January the frigate left Haeju
for escort duties before proceeding to Kure. Haeju and Sokto/Chodo patrols on the west coast continued
to occupy Condamine until 15 March 1953, when she completed her final patrol, having steamed more
than 22,000 miles in Korean waters.Condamine returned to Sydney on 20 April 1953 for a refit before
resuming duty as a unit of the fleet operating in eastern Australian waters. Between April and July 1954
Condamine was based at Darwin, conducting surveillance of the Japanese Pearling Fleet operating in
the waters to the north of Australia.
In February 1955 she returned to the Far East to begin a period of service in Japanese and Korean
waters. On 14 November she returned to Sydney having steamed some 180,000 miles since
commissioning in February 1946. Condamine paid off into Reserve on 2 December 1955.
Without being again brought into commission, Condamine was sold on 21 September 1961 to the Tolo
Mining and Smelting Co Ltd of Hong Kong. Late in December 1961 the former Royal Australian Navy
tug Reserve left Sydney for Hong Kong towing Condamine and her sister ship Burdekin. The other two
vessels had been purchased by the same firm. All were ultimately released to the Mitsubishi Company
of Japan to be broken up for scrap in Japan.
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ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY – NEW SHIPS
HMAS Warramunga (ll)
Class Anzac Class Displaceement 3,600 tonnes
Type Frigate Helicopter FFH Length 118 Mtrs
Builder Tenix Defence Systems Beam 14.8 Mtrs
Laid down 26 July 1997 Draught 4.5 Mtrs
Launched 23 May 1998 Machinery 1 x GE LM 2500 gas turbine
2 x MTU 12V 1163 diesels
Commissioned 31 March 2001 Speed 27 knots
Crew 177 Missiles Mk 41 V launch Sea Sparrow
Aharpoon Anti ship
Guns 5in Mk 45 Mod 2 Rapid Fire
4 x 50Cal Machine guns
Torpedoes 2 x Mk 32 Mod 5
Triple mounted tubes
Helicopter 1 x MH- 60R Sea Hawk Counter Measures Various
HMAS Warramunga (II) is the third of eight Anzac Class frigates built by Tenix Defence Systems at
Williamstown, Victoria for the Royal Australian Navy. The design is based on the German Meko 200
frigate.
Warramunga is a long-range frigate capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance,
reconnaissance and interdiction. Warramunga's combat capabilities have been significantly improved
under the Anti-Ship Missile Defence upgrade program, a world class program that provides an
enhanced sensor and weapons systems capability. The upgrade showcases Australian design and
integration capability, with new Phased Array Radar technology designed by CEA Technologies in
Canberra, upgrades to combat systems performed by Saab Systems in South Australia, and platform
integration design by BAE Systems in Victoria. Warramunga is fitted with an advanced package of air and surface surveillance radars; omni-directional hull mounted sonar and electronic support systems that interface with the state-of-the-art 9LV453 Mk3E combat data system. The ship can counter simultaneous threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.
The ship's main armament comprises one Mark 45 capable of firing 20 rounds per minute, ship
launched Mark 46 torpedoes and a Mark 41 vertical launch system for the Evolved Sea Sparrow
missile. Warramunga also has eight anti-ship/land attack canister launched harpoon missiles. The ship's
other defence systems include the Nulka active missile decoy system, offboard chaff and a torpedo
Another practical introduction followed in May 1950 when a new short-sleeved white bush jacket was
introduced for officers of captain’s rank and above for use in tropical climates. Bush jackets remained
an optional item of kit until 30 July 2009, at which time they were removed from the approved RAN
clothing list. Today it is an optional piece of kit.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 the RAN again found itself on active service. For
those who served throughout the conflict it is often remembered for its freezing winter temperatures
which saw many personnel resort to wearing warm civilian apparel in conjunction with their uniforms
in an effort to keep warm, a lament of sailors since they first put to sea.
On 6 February 1952 King George VI died and Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne. The change in monarch marked the end of over fifty years of rule by successive British kings, all of whom had adopted the Tudor crown as the symbol of their authority. After Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in June 1953, the St Edwards Crown was adopted, replacing the Tudor Crown on badges, insignia, buttons and accoutrements of the Commonwealth’s armed forces.
After HM Queen Elizabeth's coronation in June 1953 a revised pattern naval officer's cap badge was
introduced incorporating the St Edwards Crown. Know colloquially as the 'Queen's Crown' it also
replaced all existing Tudor Crowns on badges, buttons and accoutrements.
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May 1952 saw the establishment of the Clearance Diving (CD) category and from September 1954, the
letter ‘C’ was added below the diver’s non-substantive rate badge to indicate the CD qualification. The
1950s saw the demise of officer’s distinction cloth (with the exception of the medical and dental
branches) and the abandonment of waved lace for officers of the reserve forces. They instead adopted a
small letter ‘R’ which was centred in the loop of the executive curl. This too was done away with in
1986
With the 1960s came the missile age and the beginning of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
Between 1965 and 1972 elements of the RAN undertook continuous service in Vietnam as sea, ashore
and in the air. Once again it was the environment in which RAN personnel were serving that influenced
changes to uniforms, placing practicality ahead of appearance. Both clearance divers and aviators of the
RAN could be found serving ashore in Vietnam dressed in army style ‘jungle greens’, while in ships on
the gun line, officers serving in the RAN’s destroyers adopted the khaki uniforms worn by their
counterparts of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet. The 1960s also saw the RAN band shift out of their
Royal Marine styled uniforms and into traditional naval rig.
Members of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam arming a gunship prior to a mission.
Integrated with the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company it was designated an 'Experimental
Military Unit' adopting the badge and unofficial motto see here.
Left: A gold wire example of the attractive ordinary musician’s badge incorporating the basic device of
a lyre embellished with a laurel wreath. This combination appeared on all other musician non-
substantive rates. Far right: An example of a qualified musician’s badge. Prior to January 1960 RAN
musicians were dressed in a derivative of Royal Marine Band uniforms.