NAVAL HISTORICAL REVIEW Patron: Vice Admiral T.W. Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN Chief of Navy Volume 38 No. 3 – September 2017 Contents Page The Bosun’s Call ............................................................................................................. ii HMAS Platypus – a Submarine Naval Base ................................................................ 1 AK 121 - Aroetta ............................................................................................................. 4 ‘Mission to Kerguelen’ – An Australian Military Operation ................................... 9 The Australia—India Relationship – Part 1 .............................................................11 A Communications Mystery .......................................................................................16 The Spectacle Island Railway ......................................................................................20 The Sailors of Fromelles .............................................................................................23 Dubbo born Olympian in command of His Majesty’s Australian Squadron .....30 Outsourcing in the Australian Defence Forces .......................................................37 Book Club ......................................................................................................................42 Letters to the Editor ....................................................................................................45 Editor (and Bosun): Walter Burroughs Assistant (and Bosun’s Mate): Doris Shearman All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is forbidden without the express permission in writing of the Society. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Society. The Editor of the Review is available to offer advice to prospective contributors. Contact: The Editor, The Boatshed, Building 25, Garden Island, NSW 2011 Telephone: 02 9359 2372/2243. Fax: 02 9359 2383 Email: [email protected] Website: www.navyhistory.org.au ii Naval Historical Review September 2017 The Bosun’s Call: There is no better sight than that of a well turned out new ship entering Sydney Harbour and we were suitably impressed by the arrival of the new Aviation Training Vessel MV Sycamore which arrived on 26 June 2017, berthing at HMAS Waterhen. With new ships arriving and older ones, HMAS Sydney IV, sadly departing we have an eclectic mix of material in this edition which should hopefully satisfy most tastes. We are at the stage of many significant anniversaries being recalled. These are addressed in looking at the 50th anniversary of the formation of an important submarine base in Sydney with the commissioning of HMAS Platypus on 18 August 1967. Sailors of Fromelles recalls that a number of a past in command of HM Australian Squadron. In generation donned khaki and served with these times past we are also seeking your distinction during that horrific campaign on help with a Communications Mystery where the Western Front a century ago. we are trying to identify where the important Recent investigations into the restoration 1905 historic photograph shown on the of HDML 1321 (NHR March 2017) drew us inside of the front cover of this magazine to examine the previous life of her was taken. commanding officer LEUT Ambrose For those seeking a little further Palmer, RANR. Ambrose was an stimulation we have the first part of an extraordinary character who started his intended trilogy on the Australian-Indian wartime career in the AIF serving in AK 121 relationship and where this leads. Aroetta, and he provides us with an Outsourcing is an expression we are now all interesting glimpse of service in the remote used to in our daily lives so we examine how areas of Arnhem Land. this impacts the RAN. Our recent article on Antarctica (NHR I should like to take the opportunity to June 2017) has sparked further interest acknowledge Mrs Doris Shearman, my Mate resulting in some letters, one of which has behind the pen. With this edition Doris has been included as a separate article on a 1941 performed an invaluable role in the Mission to the Kerguelen Islands. production of our magazine for 15 years. Fred Haynes, who for many years Doris does not have a naval background but worked in the Optical Workshop at Garden knows a thing or two about service life as Island and later helped with the preservation her late husband was an officer in the of the naval historical collection at Spectacle RAAF. Doris is an invaluable source of Island, has a story about railways on detail and often tells me to look again, and Spectacle Island. of course, infuriatingly she is always right. Going back further in time there is an Walter Burroughs, Editor and Bosun intriguing story provided by Captain John Doris Shearman, Assistant Editor and McGrath, RN on a Dubbo born Olympian Bosun’s Mate Naval Historical Review September 2017 1 HMAS Platypus - a Submarine Naval Base By Peter R. Smith This paper was prepared by the Submarine Institute of Australia to help mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the formation of a submarine base at Neutral Bay in Sydney Harbour with the commissioning of HMAS Platypus on 18 August 1967. Exactly 50 years later a ceremony to mark the occasion was held on the site of the old base. N THE EARLY twentieth century the Since her decommissioning the bell, fledgling Royal Australian Navy made a name boards and other paraphernalia from decisionI to include submarines in the fleet the ship had been quietly stored in the and in consulting with the Royal Navy it was Navy’s Repository until Tuesday, 10 decided to include two ‘E’ class submarines November 1964 when the Minister for the and a depot ship. Perhaps in copying the Navy, Mr. F. C. Chaney, announced that Royal Navy, the Australian Naval Board under the new three-year defence plan of chose a unique mammal to give its name to Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies the its new depot ship, the platypus. It was present Royal Australian Navy Torpedo recorded that the platypus lived on land, but Maintenance Establishment at Neutral Bay foraged for its food under the water using in Sydney had been chosen as the site for the electro receptors in its duck bill. The the Navy’s submarine base. similarities between the platypus and the The facilities, an old existing wharf plus submarines at that time had been noted. easy access to the establishment’s Subsequently the submarine depot ship torpedoes, were built in 1943 after the was ordered before the outbreak of World property passed from the North Shore Gas War One and built by John Brown and Co., Company to the Commonwealth in 1942. Clydebank, Scotland. On completion the The bay had been in use for many years by ship was requisitioned by the British submarines from the Royal Navy since the Government and commissioned as HMS Fourth Flotilla had been established at Platypus on 21 March 1917. On the Penguin at Balmoral in 1949. When weather completion of war, Platypus was handed back and sea conditions were unfavourable at to the RAN and made her maiden voyage to Balmoral the submarines were moved to Australia accompanying the ‘J’ class calmer waters. This consideration was taken submarines that had been gifted to Australia. into account in the final assessment of HMAS Platypus served as a submarine submarine needs. depot ship to both the ‘J’ class and the first In Mr. Chaney’s proposal, work would ‘Oberon’ class submarines. At one period begin on the $4 million base in June 1965. from August 1929 to February 1941 the ship Included in the works would be a new wharf had a name change to HMAS Penguin and for berthing and support facilities. To became a destroyer tender. From February placate the residents living around Neutral 1941 onwards the ship was given back its Bay, a shore charging station was established original name Platypus. On 14 May 1946 the to eliminate noise caused by submarines ship was placed into reserve and was sold when using their diesel engines to charge for scrap on 20 February 1958. batteries. 2 Naval Historical Review September 2017 On commissioning of HMAS Platypus a brass platypus is presented to the Fourth Submarine Division. In photo: Minister for the Navy Don Chipp, CO CMDR W.L. Owens, Minister for Defence Mr Fairhall, RN Flag officer Submarines Rear Admiral Ian McGeoch & Minister for Public Works in NSW David Hughes RAN Two days after the announcement, five were: ‘Enough is enough; the Navy and hundred residents around the proposed base Army have taken over and spoilt some of protested with a signed petition to the North the choicest land and harbour sites within Sydney Council. They demanded action Sydney’. In his posturing, he demanded ‘that from the council to stop the base from all bases east of the Harbour Bridge be being built. Other than their fears of their uprooted and moved west.’ He continued property values dropping, they felt that ‘the with: ‘People who know the harbour and its submarine base was akin to building a depths say there is no need for these ships hydrogen bomb plant in George Street, to be here. And now it is proposed that City.’ The residents believed the base would more submarines should move into what become a major target in another war. remains of the peace and beauty of Neutral Others complained that noise from the Bay, to cast their sludge upon the waters.’ submarines had already cracked walls, The Government and Navy were not brought plaster down from ceilings and moved by the remonstrations and both were rattled windows. The