Australian Navy Records

[kyt]

Well done Annie, it's more than I was able to trackdown yesterday. A lot of the "little" ships are rather difficult to find histories for, so that is good info. The NAA may have a file on her and the other ships but I haven't had a chance to check yet.

As for the Wallaroo, she collided with the American Liberty ship HENRY GILBERT COSTIN. Three of the Wallaroo's crew were killed:

Joseph John Clarke
Daris Leo Bernard Cowen
George William Garratty

Details of the ship and a picture:

http://www.navy.gov.au/spc/history/ships/wallaroo1.html

K

[kyt]

ML 807's files haven't been digitised but can be ordered. There are a number of reports on fuel, armament etc, but this seems to be the most likely/useful one:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=490300

None of the logs for Orara have been digitised either, and they seem to be divided into monthly sections.  Not sure how useful they would be, but if you wish to order them for the relevant months then I can list the file numbers

The same for Air Spray and Air Cloud

K

[trish251]

Hi K

Thank you for all the links. On the newspaper cutting I have, 2 folks were killed and one (Joseph Clarke) was missing. I attach my little personal paper report - my grandmother never kept the details of paper or date, but she had many newspaper cuttings in a little notebook she kept for many years.

I don't think I want to order anything yet, but will check the archives and think about it - I've spent too much on certificates lately.

many thanks

Trish

[liverpool annie]

I found this Trish .........

Wallaroo - AMS. Collided with US Liberty Ship and sank off Fremantle 11/6/43

Then I found this ....... with a bit more information !! 

11 June 1943
HMAS WALLAROO, (minesweeper) sank in a collision with the American merchant ship HENRY GILBERT COSTIN 60 miles west of Fremantle WA. 3 ratings lost their lives.

12 June 1943
The minesweeper HMAS DUBBO, (LEUT N. G. Weber, RANR(S)) picked up survivors from HMAS WALLAROO sunk in a collision west of Fremantle WA. Three of WALLAROO’S complement were lost in the sinking.

Sorry K ... I didn't read your post properly !! 

[trish251]

Hi Annie

The main newspaper cutting I have was only a day or two after the accident and they were still hoping to find one of the missing men (sadly they never did). I don't quite know why they didn't mention the name of the merchant ship. They were all supposed to be rescued within 2 hours of the sinking - which was 4-5 hours after the collision, so  perhaps the time my Uncle spent in the water has been somewhat exaggerated. Family stories (of which I have so many  ) said that he swallowed much oil, which caused him many health problems thereafter. He was only about 45 when he died.

Trish

I still get amazed that one small query and/or event in a life can generate so much information 

[liverpool annie]

One more thing then I'll shut up !! 

HMAS Rushcutter (training establishment & reserve depot Edgecliff Sydney)

Pass by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia buildings and the adjacent marina, although if the D’Alobora Marina is open, there is a café and a fascinating test of your sea legs amidst hundreds of millions of dollars worth of boats on the floating walkway which half crosses Rushcutters Bay. Next up are the disused slipway and two interesting ochre‐yellow corrugated iron buildings and a brick cottage which represent the remains of former HMAS Rushcutter, once the oldest RAN base It is so old that it was originally a base for the NSW Navy at the time of Federation. Its wonderful two‐storey drill hall is even older, being transferred to the site when Fort Macquarie at Bennelong Point was demolished. It was recently renamed the ‘Sir David Martin Reserve Drill Hall’ after the popular Rear‐Admiral who was Governor of NSW 1989‐90. Used as a training and administrative depot, the base was named ‘Rushcutter’ in 1940 by which time it was a base for anti‐submarine warfare and radar training as well as for WRANS, the womens’ service. Harbour defence vessels were also based here. The base was decommissioned in 1968 and handed over to the state government in 1979, but the RAN Sailing Association
still uses part of the site

[OzKat]

For what it's worth a couple of years from these posts, the Lieut. N.G.Weber mentioned in the newspaper article was my grandfather and he did speak about this rescue on a few occasions. Kath