Anglo-Australian Naval Relations and Co-operation, 1945-1975 Mark Desmond Francis Gjessing Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of History November, 2011 ii The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his/her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the staff at the various archives I have visited during this project. In particular, appreciation should be given to the following State offices of the National Archives of Australia; Melbourne, especially Ms. Anna Koh, Canberra and Sydney. In addition the staff at the Australian War Memorial were particularly helpful in the acquisition of primary sources for this piece. A great debt is owed to the members of the Sea Power Centre-Australia, in particular Dr David Stevens, Petar Djokovik, John Perryman, and Victoria Kitanov. I have much appreciation for this admirable institution for their kind permission to utilise photographic material, as well as other primary source material in the preparation of this thesis. Various UK archives have provided crucial primary source material including the Public Record Office in Kew, Churchill College Archives Centre in Cambridge, the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the Imperial War Museum in London, and the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Kings College, London. Many individuals have been crucial in providing support during this project. Personal thanks should be given to Professor John Gooch of the University of Leeds for suggesting the topic as one worthy of further research. Thanks too, to Dr. Eric Grove of Salford University for confirming this was indeed the case. Appreciation is also due to Dr. F. R. Bridge for his continued support of my academic endeavours over the years. Special thanks are due to Alastair Cooper for his enthusiasm that I should continue to build on his initial studies on post-war Anglo-Australian naval relations. His support has been much appreciated. Particular thanks to Charlie and Patricia Elliott, and all at SPS Electronics, for their support during this project. Thanks too, are due to the Royal Historical Society for financial support provided for certain UK and Australian-based archive visits. Tim Duffy provided a roof over my head during my many visits to London- based archives. Great thanks are given to Tim for this support and his ongoing iv friendship. Robert Gjessing kindly provided the same facilities during my travels to Australian-based archives, and many hours of welcome giggles were provided by Romilly and Willow. My father, Garry Gjessing, has unfailingly provided enthusiasm and encouragement during my academic studies and this thesis is a testament to his faith in me. I cannot adequately convey my great thanks to Professor Edward Spiers of the University of Leeds for his constant support and patience as the main supervisor of this thesis. Nor can I thank enough, Dr. Owen Hartley, of the same institution, for his willingness to act as a co-supervisor, and for many years of academic mentoring. This thesis is a much superior piece of work because of the input from both of my PhD supervisors. All mistakes and opinions however, are those of the author. Greatest thanks are due to my wife, Maggie. Any account of the support she has provided to me throughout, not only the fabrication of this thesis, but during my academic career, could not do justice. Maggie has an unfailing support and abiding belief in this ‘old salt’ that is both remarkable and greatly appreciated. To state that this thesis could have been completed without her would be a falsehood. v Abstract This thesis explores the relationship between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Navy (RN) between 1945-75. My original contribution to knowledge is assessment of a historical topic that is greatly under-researched. In addition this research has revealed instances where naval policy in both the United Kingdom and Australia was in direct contrast to national policy, a topic that has not been previously addressed in an Anglo-Australian context. The aim of this study is to analyse the changing relationship between the Royal Navy and the RAN in the post-Second World War period, specifically 1945- 75. Particular areas of interest include the alterations in inter-service cultural ties, operational co-operation, collaboration in matters of personnel, and equipment procurement and design. As national policy and strategic concerns have an impact on lower-level military affairs, assessment is also made of the altering national and strategic relations between Australia and Great Britain in the same period. This includes consideration of the diminution of British military influence in the Asia- Pacific region, as well as the strategic shift of Australia towards the United States in the post-war period. The methodology of the study is based on analysis of primary sources such as governmental archives, oral recordings and unpublished memoirs from United Kingdom and Australian archives. Consideration has been made of secondary sources concerning both the RAN and the Royal Navy to provide historiographical context to the research topic. Statistical assessment of the RAN Navy List’s from 1945-75 has also been made to chart the movement of officers between the Royal Navy and the RAN. This thesis concludes that the relationship between the Royal Navy and the RAN between 1945-75 underwent a great level of change. This modification in some ways mirrored the gradual disassociation between Great Britain and Australia in the same period but the shift in naval relations did not take place at the same time, nor did the alteration in naval relations occur for the same reasons. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... iii Abstract ...................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ........................................................................................................... vii List of Diagrams…………………………………………………………………..viii List of Illustrative Material………………………………………………………..ix Chapter 1 Introduction, Methodology, Historiography, the Utilisation of Primary-Sources and Literature Review ................................................................1 Chapter 2 Communications, Personal Relations and Cultural and Historical Ties.............................................................................................................................23 Chapter 3 High-Level Strategy …………………………………………... ….......56 Chapter 4 East of Suez Dilemmas …………………………………………….….72 Chapter 5 Operations..……………………………………………………………110 Chapter 6 Co-operation in Matters of Manpower, Personnel and Training ……………………………………………………………………………………...136 Chapter 7 Co-operation in Equipment Design and Procurement ….................172 Chapter 8 Australia, Allies and the RAN ……………………………………….206 Chapter 9 Conclusion …………………………………………………………….238 Bibliography….……………………………………………………………………251 List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………...271 vii List of Tables Table 1 Professional Heads of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy ….……………………………………….………………25 Table 2 Geographic Spread of Royal Navy/Royal Marines Personnel, 1971……………………………….………………………………………………108 Table 3 Visiting Ships of the Royal Navy to Australia, 1971………….……....127 Table 4 RAN to RN Officer Ratios, 1945-1974 ………………………………..166 Table 5 RAN Officers Serving with Other Navies, 1945-1974 ……………….168 Table 6 RAN Officers on Course and/or Training with the RN, 1945-1974 ...170 Table 7 Major Vessels of the Royal Australian Navy, 1947-1975 ……………204 Table 8 RAN Destroyers Serving with the United States Seventh Fleet in Vietnam, 1967-71 ………………………………………………………………..225 viii List of Diagrams Diagram 1 Professional Heads of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy Timeline .......................................................................................................... 26 Diagram 2 RN Officers Serving with the RAN as a % of the Total Officer Strength, 1945-1974 …………………………………………………………..…167 Diagram 3 RAN Officers Serving with Other Navies, 1945-1974 ……………169 Diagram 4 RAN Officers on Course and/or Training with the RN, 1945-1974 ………………………………………………………………………...171 ix List of Illustrative Material Photograph 1 HMS Victorious, Sydney Harbour, 1967 ....................................... 22 Photograph 2 HMS Glamorgan, Sydney Harbour, October 1968 ……………135 Photograph 3 HMAS Melbourne in company with HMA Ships Vendetta and Voyager …………………………………………………………………………...205 Photograph 4 HMA Ships Perth and Hobart, 15 November 1966 ……………237 1 Chapter 1 Introduction, Methodology, Historiography, the Utilisation of Primary-Sources and Literature Review This thesis will examine Anglo-Australian naval relations between 1945-75, a period of great change for both Australia and Great Britain in matters of strategy, economics, diplomacy and international affairs. The transformation of both nations had a marked impact on the relations between the two countries. At the end of the Second