[88] The aft section did not begin sinking until half an hour after the collision, completely submerging just after midnight. [36], On 5 December 1976, a fire at the Naval Air Station HMASAlbatross destroyed or heavily damaged 12 of the Fleet Air Arm's 13 S-2E Trackers. [36] The three 277Q radars were replaced with updated American and Dutch designs: a LW-02 air search set and a SPN-35 landing aid radar. [77] The 10,000th catapult launch from Melbourne occurred in late 1962. [60] The majority of Melbourne's commanders later reached flag rank. She went on to participate in the international cross service Exercise TUCKER BOX in the Coral Sea in August before visiting New Zealand in September. Right: The survivors were disembarked from Melbourne when the carrier arrived back in Sydney on 12 February. [84] Instead, Voyager first turned to starboard, away from Melbourne, then turned to port without warning. [135] Melbourne, Brisbane, and eleven other ships were deployed as part of the largest peacetime rescue effort ever organised by the RAN: Operation Navy Help Darwin. One of the ship's anchors is incorporated into a memorial to naval aviation at Nowra, New South Wales. [155], Plans to replace Melbourne changed in July 1981; the British 1981 Defence White Paper had marked the recently commissioned HMSInvincible as surplus to requirements, and she was offered to the RAN for the 'bargain' price of GB175million (A$285million). The remainder of the deployment proceeded without incident as Melbourne visited Nagasaki, Kure, Kobe and Yokohama before returning home via Guam and Papua New Guinea. Building trust in the public record policy, Getting started with information management, Royal Australian Navy ship and crew records, the approximate service period of the individual, remarks about punishments or qualifications, any incidents occurring on board during tours of duty, the design, construction and maintenance of vessels, ships' logs from 1855 onwards, in a number of series, records on design, construction and maintenance (including. The ship was not scrapped immediately; instead she was studied by Chinese naval architects and engineers as part of the nation's top-secret carrier development program. The Royal Australian Navy does not lack quality in its men. A line was attached to Morris hammer and he bridged the gap between the two ships with ease, striking Ponchatoula's smokestack. [23] The modifications cost A$8.5million, and included an overhaul of the hull and machinery, strengthening of the flight deck, improvements to the catapult and arrestor cables, modification of the aviation fuel systems and flight control arrangements, and upgrades of the navigational aids and radar. [1] possessed 63 Ships, 22 of these were requisitioned. He was 31 years of age. She remained alongside in Sydney until February 1969. [110], In September 1967, Melbourne travelled to the United States to collect new aircraft: 14 Trackers and 10 Skyhawks. The aircraft was seen to take off normally but quickly veered to the right and down into the water. However some crew records may be restricted because they contain sensitive personal information. Exercise SHOWPIECE in the South China Sea. She arrived in Jervis Bay on 20 July. The Australian War Memorial also holds relevant information. Pls b advised that HMAS Melbourne arrived at Port Huangpu, intact n safely afloat, proud n majestic. In 1960, the United States Navy offered an Essex-class carrier to the Australian government, in the interest of improving relations between the two nations and their navies. [135] Melbourne remained off Darwin until 18 January 1975, acting as operational headquarters and a helicopter base. [36][39] The decision to retire the fixed-wing component of the Fleet Air Arm was rescinded in 1963, and on 10 November 1964, a AU212million increase in defence spending included the purchase of new aircraft for Melbourne. The Australian carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21, left) and the British carrier HMS Bulwark (R08) pictured at anchor in Singapore during the SEATO exercise "Operation Oceanlink" on 4 May 1958.The photo was taken from the U.S. Navy carrier USS Philippine Sea (CVS-47).Note the 40 mm Bofors flak in the foreground and the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker planes of Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-21 on deck of the . [18] These included an angled flight deck, steam catapult and a mirror landing aid, making Melbourne the third aircraft carrier (following HMSArk Royal and USSForrestal) to be constructed with these features, instead of having them added later. Ledgers often include individual crew lists for each vessel. We hold several sources of information on RAN ships. 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. She was, however, involved in two major collisions with allied vessels; though Melbourne was not found to be the primary cause of either incident. 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. Ironically, the following day Melbourne celebrated her 20,000th landing when Lieutenant Ryland Gill, RAN, landed his Gannet on board. She joined HMAS Sydney (III)s escort force for four days during the troop carriers voyage to Vietnam in early June, and arrived back home in Sydney later in the month. [114][119] Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under Melbourne's bow, Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port, signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts. Melbourne was laid down for the Royal Navy as the lead ship of the Majestic class in April 1943, and was launched as HMS Majestic (R77) in February 1945. Blue exterior, Brown interior. [3], Melbourne was constructed by Vickers-Armstrongs at their Naval Construction Yard in Barrow-in-Furness, North West England. This definition does not include seaplane tender. Later that year she participated in Fleet Concentration Period off Jervis Bay in October, and visited New Zealand in November. Laid down for the RN as HMS Majestic on 15 April 1943 and launched in 1945, the ship was nearing completion when construction was virtually brought to a halt with the cessation of wartime hostilities. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations. On returning to Sydney in July she commenced a refit and leave period before sailing again for work-ups in September. [95] A Royal Commission into the events of the collision was held in 1964, and found that while Voyager's crew was primarily at fault for neglecting to maintain an effective lookout and awareness of the larger ship's location, Melbourne's bridge crew was also at fault, for failing to alert Voyager and not taking measures to avoid the collision. [41] The acquisition of 18 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers was also suggested, but these were dropped from the initial plan. [134] The refit concluded in late 1971, with the carrier participating in the first RIMPAC exercise, RIMPAC 71, before the end of the year. [75] The year began with exercises en route to Adelaide, followed by a visit to the Royal Hobart Regatta. The two other sailors in the car with him suffered only minor injuries. [19] The flight deck, hangar deck and aircraft lifts were strengthened, and reinforced arrestor cables were installed. [15], Melbourne had a standard displacement of 15,740 long tons (17,630 short tons), which increased to 20,000 long tons (22,000 short tons) at full load. That afternoon a Gannet experienced a total power loss on take off and ditched into the sea about 500 yards from the ship. She arrived in Sydney the following day where the Trackers were landed. HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). [83] Following a series of turns intended to reverse the courses of both ships beginning at 8:40pm, Voyager ended up to starboard of Melbourne. Melbournes 1962 South East Asian deployment began on 28 February when she departed Fremantle for Singapore. The PLAN subsequently arranged for the ship's flight deck and all the equipment associated with flying operations to be removed so that they could be studied in depth. She visited Pearl Harbor and Suva en route, and arrived in Jervis Bay, where the Skyhawks were landed, on 21 November. Melbourne went on to visit Yokohama and Djakarta before arriving back in Fremantle on 24 June. The fleet made its way northwards to the Philippines over the course of the exercise which concluded with a fly-over of aircraft over Manila. She arrived in Sydney on 9 July. [132] The carrier's engineers often resorted to making replacements from scratch. Additional medical officers were embarked by aircraft from Nowra, and members of Melbournes ships company not directly involved in search and rescue efforts tended to the survivors immediate needs. The Australian Government had by this time committed naval forces to what became known as the Far East Strategic Reserve, which provided for an annual visit from an aircraft carrier as part of the RAN's contribution. Less than three months later, on 29 April, the ship celebrated her 1000th deck landing since completing her refit when Sub Lieutenant Ross Smith, RAN, the youngest pilot aboard Melbourne at the time, successfully landed his Tracker. She visited Hong Kong before proceeding to Subic Bay in the Philippines for the SEATO exercise SEA DEVIL. In November and December Melbourne again visited Port Melbourne where she contributed to the staging of the 16th Olympic Games. Search using the name of the vessel as a keyword, and the series number as A4624. Melbourne departed Pearl Harbor on 25 November and arrived back in Sydney, via Suva, on 10 December. [1], Operations in 1972 commenced with a three-month deployment to Southeast Asia. [140] A Tracker from Melbourne located the disabled Dutch vessel Impala Princess in the Gulf of Aden on 25 May and directed a French destroyer to assist. SEALION was the largest SEATO exercise yet involving more than 60 ships from Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, France, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan. She departed Sydney for Asian waters on 5 May and visited New Guinea before continuing on to the Philippines to participate in the SEATO exercise, SEA SPIRIT. [11], The completed carrier was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Majestic on 26 October 1955. The Gannet fleet was grounded pending an investigation and was cleared to recommence flying operations on 12 February. Not long afterwards the first fixed wing aircraft, a Hawker De Havilland Sea Venom and a Fairey Gannet, arrived during trials in the English Channel. [77] The carrier's annual refit began in Sydney on 1 October. Salvaged by USS YLLC-5 ( United States Navy) and floating crane YD-220 and refloated the next day. [64] The carrier immediately underwent a two and a half-month refit, allowing for the inspection of machinery and repair of defects detected during the maiden voyage. In the act of taking a new station 1,000 yards astern of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21), the two ships were soon on a collision course. The Gannets crew, Lieutenant David Farthing, RAN, Lieutenant Graham Bessell-Browne, RAN, and Petty Officer Frederick McCreanor, were quickly recovered by helicopter, somewhat shaken but otherwise unhurt. Sources are inconsistent regarding who attempted to purchase. They arrived at Garden Island at 4:13am on 28 April, some 5 hours and 32 minutes ahead of the ship. [151] Both offers were turned down due to operating and manpower costs. [156] The Invincible class had been considered and discarded during the investigation, but the decreased price and the fact the already-constructed carrier would be ready for RAN service in 1983 prompted the Australian government to announce its intention to purchase Invincible on 25 February 1982 and close the carrier acquisition program. There was a moment of levity during the exercises when Melbourne fuelled from USS Ponchatoula and the American replenishment vessel demonstrated its method of passing the first line with a baseball and bat. [114] Despite these warnings, a near-miss occurred in the early hours of 31 May when Larson turned towards the carrier after being ordered to the plane guard station. 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. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died. She participated in Exercise JUC 76 in February before departing Sydney on 9 March for Asian waters. Search using the name of the vessel as a keyword, and the series number as A4624. [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. Melbourne rendezvoused with Sydney on 30 April and remained in company until 4 May, when she detached south of Vung Tau for Hong Kong. Some groups of vessels, referred to as tenders, have been recorded together as one ledger. USS Frank E. Evans was an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer. [164] At this time, few western experts expected that the Chinese government would attempt to develop aircraft carriers in the future. After further visits to Manila and Singapore, she arrived back in Fremantle on 25 May. Robertson, D. D. Taylor, R. D. Beames, L. A. The refit included a communications upgrade and a new radar suite, consisting of both Dutch and American radars. [121] Melbourne hit Evans amidships at 3:15am, cutting the destroyer in two. [126][133] During this year, the carrier also visited Japan to participate in Expo '70, and was hit by Manly ferry South Steyne while alongside at Garden Island, causing minor damage to both vessels. In her captain's first television and press interviews much was made of the revelation that Melbourne possessed the ability to operate her jet aircraft by night as well as by day. [109] Consideration was also given to using Melbourne as a floating helicopter base, but only ten Wessex helicopters could be provided, and modifications were required for them to operate as troop carriers. On 5 July Melbourne, along with other RAN and RAAF units, conducted a search and rescue operation for a fishing boat, Fishing News, which had not returned to Sydney after putting to sea the previous morning. [120] It is uncertain which ship began to manoeuvre first, but each ship's bridge crew claimed that they were informed of the other ship's turn after they commenced their own. 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. [23], At the end of March 1978, Melbourne left Sydney for RIMPAC 78. [94], A Joint RAN-USN board of inquiry was established to investigate the incident, and was in session over June and July 1969. Melbourne was damaged but sustained no casualties. Delays in construction and integrating the enhancements meant that the carrier was not commissioned until 1955. [73], The following year, 1960, was a bad year for the carrier's air group, with four Sea Venoms and two Gannets damaged in separate incidents aboard Melbourne. The Act applies to most records except: court records some records of Parliament some records of governors-general some records held by other national collecting institutions, such as the Australian War Memorial and the National Library of Australia You have a right of access to most other records in the open access period. Her steam catapult, arresting equipment and mirror landing system were not removed. [23] During this deployment, on 21 June 1981, Melbourne rescued 99 Vietnamese refugees from a disabled fishing vessel in the South China Sea. Crew members of the HMAS Melbourne (II) attend a memorial service on the deck of the aircraft carrier while it transports injured sailors from HMAS Voyager (II) to Sydney. Hourly Rate: Full Time $16.75/hr-$18.00 based on experience. The helicopters aircrew was recovered uninjured by HMAS Derwent. The aft section of USS Frank E Evans carefully being brought along side in Subic Bay. 555 mi - Jacksonville, FL. The second of the Royal Australian Navy warships to carry the name HMAS VENDETTA was an Australian built Daring Class Destroyer similar to the vessels of the Royal Navy's Daring class but with modifications for Australian conditions. She visited Pearl Harbor, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before proceeding to San Diego, where the new aircraft were embarked on Friday 27 and Monday 30 October. State. The defect was rectified in time for her to take her place in phase two, which once again saw the fleet proceeding north to the Philippines. [45] In 1969, the RAN purchased another ten A-4G Skyhawks, instead of the proposed seventh and eighth Oberon-class submarines. [36] Approximately 350 Fleet Air Arm personnel were stationed aboard the carrier. [151] The performance of Invincible and other Royal Navy aircraft carriers during the conflict showed that the report which suggested reductions in the size of Britain's carrier fleetwith the follow-on effect of making Invincible available for salewas flawed, and both sides withdrew from the deal in July. [76] The carrier's Strategic Reserve deployment ran from April to June, and was followed by manoeuvres along the east coast of Australia until September. The stern section remained afloat. In June 1981, crew on the Australian Navy's HMAS Melbourne were flying in an anti-submarine patrol plane, a Grumman S-2G Tracker 851, when they helped rescue 99 refugees from their broken-down vessel in the South China Sea, 250 nautical miles east of Vietnam. [5] Initial plans were for three carriers, with two active and a third in reserve, although funding cuts led to the purchase of only two carriers in June 1947: Majestic and sister ship HMS Terrible, for the combined cost of AU2.75million,[note 2] plus stores, fuel, and ammunition. There were 232 survivors. She departed for her annual South East Asian deployment from Darwin on 7 April, and visited Singapore before proceeding on to Manila to participate in Exercise SEALION. The forward section sank soon afterwards and the after section about three hours later. The work was completed on 27 April, with the shipyard receiving a commendation. Melbourne never fired a shot in anger during her service career, having only peripheral, non-combat roles in relation to the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War. [152] In June 1977, the Defence Force Development Committee approved an investigation into acquiring a STOVL/helicopter carrier. . The missing vessel was located on the morning of 6 July some 60kms offshore, and the three occupants, suffering from exposure but otherwise in good health, were embarked in Melbourne by the carriers rubber Gemini dinghy. [1][27] The flight deck was again reinforced and strengthened, and attempts were made to increase the effectiveness of the air conditioning system installed in 1969. The text of the telex message has been altered for readability. Left; a pilot's view of the angled flight deck. She participated in Exercise JUC 63 in August, visited New Zealand in September, and took part in Exercise SWORDHILT in the Coral Sea in October. Not all ledgers for 1950 to 1956 are individually listed on RecordSearch. [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. She entered refit in November in preparation for embarking the RANs new Skyhawk and Tracker aircraft in 1967, though a longer and more extensive modernisation would be required to make her fully operational with her new aircraft. [67][68] The carrier spent the rest of the year visiting Australian ports for open inspections by the public. [46][47][48][49] The carrier was sent to the United States in 1977 to transport back 16 S-2G Tracker aircraft as replacements. He would later finish fourth at the 1962 Commonwealth Games. At around 3:35am on 31 May, USS Everett F Larson was ordered to take up a planeguard position astern of Melbourne from off her starboard bow. [84] It was initially assumed by Melbourne's bridge crew that Voyager was conducting a series of tight turns to lose speed before swinging behind Melbourne, but Voyager did not alter course again. Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system completed in 2010, Melbourne was retroactively awarded the honour "Malaysia 196566" for her service during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.[170][171]. [155] The RAN was again offered HMS Hermes, and again declined due to the carrier's age and manpower requirements. Left: HMAS Melbourne (II) in company with HMA Ships Vendetta (II) and Voyager (II). 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. [1], More large-scale refits occurred throughout the rest of the 1970s. [155] The government also announced that the ship would be renamed HMASAustralia and operated as a helicopter carrier, and that a decision on the purchase of fixed wing aircraft would be made after acquisition. Melbourne in San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. [23] In May 1967, it was proposed that while Melbourne was out of service, A-4 Skyhawk pilots and maintenance personnel could be attached to a United States Marine Corps Skyhawk squadron in South Vietnam. Stanley Carmichael also lost his life in similar circumstances in 1959. Work resumed on Melbourne in 1949 at which time it was decided to increase the size of the flight deck lifts to accommodate the larger aircraft coming into service. During the First World War the R.A.N. 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. Great Price $165 off avg. [159] A Sydney-based group proposed in 1984 to purchase Melbourne and operate her as a floating casino moored in international waters off Eden, New South Wales, but nothing came of this. [145], During February and March 1980, Melbourne participated in RIMPAC 80, as the flagship of Battle Group Two. A crew member of the search and rescue helicopter entered the water but could not find him, and tragically, subsequent search and rescue efforts found no trace of him. She participated in the Fleet Concentration Period off Hervey Bay in August followed by Exercise JUC 58 off Jervis Bay in late August and early September. [151] A 2012 article in Jane's Navy International stated that the large quantity of equipment recovered from Melbourne "undoubtedly helped" Admiral Liu Huaqing secure the Chinese government's support for his proposal to initiate an aircraft carrier development programme.[164]. US Navy Sea King helicopters in flight. [150] The only cost to the RAN would have been the modifications required to make the carrier operationally compatible with the RAN's primarily British-designed fleet. Leading Seaman Moore was assisting in securing a 40 foot workboat to the Lighthouse Jetty in Montagu Roads, and suffered fatal injuries when he was crushed between the boat and the jetty. References to many ledgers appear at item level on RecordSearch. Gannet 858 precariously suspended over Melbourne's port side after the pilot had unsuccessfully attempted to 'wave off' his landing. 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 . [114] During Sea Spirit, Melbourne was assigned five escorts: US Ships Everett F. Larson, Frank E. Evans, and James E. Kyes, HMNZS Blackpool, and HMSCleopatra. See more photos. [4] Following the end of World War II, the Admiralty ordered the suspension of many British shipbuilding projects, including the fitting out of Majestic and her five sister ships. [23] A major refit scheduled to begin in late 1981 was postponed pending the decision on a replacement carrier. [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. The Navy stopped recording crew information in this way after 1956. The two groups started SEALION independently before rendezvousing in the South China Sea on 11 May. [13], As the lead ship of the Majestic-class of light aircraft carriers, Melbourne was conceived as a modified version of the Colossus-class carrier, incorporating improvements in flight deck design and habitability. [151] Prior to the ship's departure for China, the RAN stripped Melbourne of all electronic equipment and weapons, and welded her rudders into a fixed position so that she could not be reactivated. Left: Lady White unveils Melbourne's ship's badge. She has been innocent, never once bowed to the natural or human force, in spite of the heavy storm and the talked about jinx. [70] In November, the carrier took part in disaster relief exercises. Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness, England, Lady Anderson, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 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. The cause of the accident was never discovered although insufficient wind speed over the deck appears to be the most likely reason. Wild was transferred to the USN hospital at Sasebo before being returned to Australia. You can also find information on crew members to the rank of Petty Officer by checking punishment returns for 1912 to 1959, series A7111. [120] After having narrowly passed in front of Melbourne, the turns quickly placed Evans back in the carrier's path. [150] In the late 1960s, the British made a similar offer, following a 1966 review indicating that HMSHermes was a superfluous naval unit. [17] Initially, she had up to 22 fixed wing and 2 rotary wing aircraft embarked at any time. [53], Melbourne was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to operate with the RAN. [69] During the visit to Port Adelaide, on 28 October 1957, Melbourne was slightly damaged when she was struck by MV Straat Lankathe first of several minor collisions the carrier would experience throughout her career. Left: The band played a concert featuring a guest conductor. A large proportion of this ships company had only recently joined the ship and some 25% were ordinary seamen, barely accustomed to wearing naval uniform. Middle: Some students receiving instruction on the drums from Musician Wright. A shore party took part in an internal security exercise at RNAS Sembawang in August before the ships departed for home later that month. However, a subsequent RAN court martial cleared him of any responsibility. The ship was laid down by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in England in 1911, launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1913. [73] The rest of the year was spent visiting Australian and New Zealand ports. [1] This was followed by goodwill visits to numerous Southeast Asian ports, including Hong Kong, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, and Surabaya, before Melbourne returned to Sydney at the end of April. Her embarked aircraft also participated in search and rescue efforts as did HMA Ships Stuart (II), Curlew, Hawk, Ibis, Snipe and Teal. The fleet was divided into two with Melbourne's group operating out of Manila, the second group operating out of Bangkok.