[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. de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.53 fighter aircraft were flown by 805 Squadron RAN and 808 Squadron RAN, while Fairey Gannet anti-submarine strike aircraft were operated by 816 Squadron RAN and 817 Squadron RAN. The two groups started SEALION independently before rendezvousing in the South China Sea on 11 May. State. On 5 March, while conducting an air defence exercise in the southern Coral Sea, one of the ships Wessex helicopters ditched into the water. Athol Townley MP, announced that fixed wing naval aviation would be disbanded in 1963 when Melbourne became due for a major refit. [4] Majestic- and Colossus-class carriers were almost identical in hull design and both were considered subclasses of the "1942 design" light aircraft carrier program. [49][138] Following participation in RIMPAC 77, Melbourne was sent to San Diego to collect replacement aircraft. [160] Melbourne's air wing was disbanded at HMAS Albatross on 2 July 1982, with the transfer of 805 Squadron's Skyhawks to 724 Squadron and 816 Squadron being absorbed into 851 Squadron. She visited Singapore and participated in Exercise FESTOON en route to Hong Kong, where members of her ship's company took part in the Queen's Birthday Parade on 21 April. Long shot of HMS Bulwark at anchor off Pall Tidman, 1969. . Melbourne once again visited Hobart in early February 1963 and conducted exercises with other RAN units in Tasmanian waters. [85] At 8:55pm, with Voyager approaching, Melbourne's navigator ordered the carrier's engines to half astern speed, with Robertson ordering an increase to full astern a few seconds later. 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. [146] On 8 September, Melbourne, accompanied by Perth, Derwent, Stalwart, Supply, and Otama deployed to the Indian Ocean as the Australian Squadron for a flag-showing cruise. [54] Melbourne was unavailable to provide air cover for the RAN for up to four months in every year; this time was required for refits, refuelling, personnel leave, and non-carrier duties, such as the transportation of troops or aircraft. Melbourne returned to sea for post-refit trials and workup exercises on 17 March 1967 and participated in the Fleet Concentration Period off Hervey Bay in April. [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. Their boat was towed back to Sydney by a police launch. Following the first decommissioning of sister ship HMASSydney in 1958, Melbourne became the only aircraft carrier in Australian service. She arrived back in Fremantle on 22 June. The service life of the Sea Venoms and the Gannets, meanwhile, was extended past 1963. Blue exterior, Brown interior. A search was immediately commenced which included aircraft from Melbourne but, sadly, no sign of Gartside could be found. The first aircraft to land on HMAS Melbourne. VIN 3GTP1NEC0JG512012. The Great Australian Bight lived up to its reputation as a rough sea with Melbourne enduring a heavy swell during her passage east for a four day visit to her namesake city, Melbourne. In 1964, Melbourne was involved in a collision with the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager, sinking the smaller ship and killing 82 of her crew. [23][62] The ship visited Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, Port Said, Aden, and Colombo, before arriving in Fremantle on 24 April 1956. [161][162] The Skyhawks remained in service as fleet support aircraft until 30 June 1984, while the Trackers were withdrawn from service on 31 August 1984 after being used as land-based maritime patrol aircraft. She has bn innocent, never once bowed to the natural or human force, in spite of the heavy storm n the talked abt jinx. The text of the telex message has been altered for readability. A Skyhawk coming over Melbourne's round-down. [166] The Australian government received a Telex on this day, reading:[note 4] .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. 19551982 Majestic-class aircraft carrier of Royal Australian Navy, During the late 1970s, the project to replace, Aircraft carriers of the Royal Australian Navy, For the purpose of this article, a conventional aircraft carrier is defined as a ship designed primarily to launch and recover multiple fixed-wing aircraft from a flight deck, and operated as such. 1355 (includes 347 Carrier Air Group personnel), Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 2 shafts, Westland Wessex anti-submarine helicopters (later), Sea King anti-submarine helicopters (later). [146] The carrier was in Sydney from mid-April until mid-August, during which the 25th anniversary of Melbourne's service in the RAN was celebrated on 15 August with a cocktail party aboard the carrier, popularly referred to as 'The Night of the Admirals'. She arrived in Pearl Harbor, via Suva, on 25 October. List of shipwrecks: 6 February 1969 Ship Country Description USS ATC-132-1 United States Navy The armoured troop carrier capsized off Vietnam. Melbourne was the only Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions. 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. HMAS Melbourne was a Town class light cruiser operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). [163] Three days later, Melbourne ran aground while still in Moreton Bay. [82] The trials involved interactions between both ships, and when Melbourne performed night-flying exercises that evening, Voyager acted as the carrier's plane guard escort. [1] During this deployment, Melbourne led a fleet of 17 ships from the RAN, Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, US Navy, Philippine Navy, and Royal Thai Navy in Exercise Sea Hawk. [70] The carrier returned to Australia on 27 November after 101 days at sea, and underwent a seven-month refit. 555 mi - Jacksonville, FL. [77] The carrier's annual refit began in Sydney on 1 October. 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. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. Reference staff can help you locate these ledgers and use the database. The two-carrier navy originally envisaged by the Naval Board was no longer feasible and HMAS Sydney (III) was successively relegated to a training vessel before being placed into reserve in 1958. She once again escorted Sydney for three days between 14 and 17 September northwards off the Queensland coast towards New Guinea before detaching for Port Moresby and, later, on to Rabaul. Melbourne maintained this commitment with the Strategic Reserve and later with ANZUK forces, participating in many exercises conducted under the auspices of the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). That evening Voyager closed Melbourne for the first time that day for transfer of mail by heaving line. 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. [77][81], On 10 February 1964, Melbourne was performing trials in Jervis Bay under the command of Captain John Robertson, following the annual refit. She fired a 15 gun salute as she rounded Bradleys Head and then held position as the rest of the fleet passed and FAA aircraft performed a fly over. [38] Under consideration were British carrier HMSAlbion and a ship of the United States' Essex class. [19] The flight deck, hangar deck and aircraft lifts were strengthened, and reinforced arrestor cables were installed. [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. RIMPAC activities occupied the ship for most of September before she went on to visit Yokosuka, Japan, in early October, and Manila where she participated in the SEATO exercise SEA SCORPION. [96] Robertson was posted to the training base HMASWatsona move that he and the Australian media saw as tantamount to a demotionbut resigned instead. [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. [126] However, an industrial dispute amongst the shipyard workers meant that, although the work was completed in early September, the ship remained in the drydock until 11 October. Note: This video is hosted on YouTube and has no audio. The National Archives of Australia acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. [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. In these cases, the remainder of the record will be made available. [16] Melbourne's two propellers were driven by two Parsons single-reduction geared turbine sets providing 40,000shp, which were powered by four Admiralty 3-drum boilers. Gannet 858 precariously suspended over Melbourne's port side after the pilot had unsuccessfully attempted to 'wave off' his landing. Front row, left to right: LEUTs Ronald McIver, Stanley Carmichael, Keith Potts, Neil Ralph and Bernard Brennan. Recovery of life rafts from the Evans. 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. Melbourne berthed in Hong Kong, April 1970. Subsequent reports and inquiries noted the exemplary behaviour, absence of panic, and the quiet and calm courage displayed by all involved in the aftermath of the tragedy. [82] This required Voyager to maintain a position 20 off Melbourne's port quarter at a distance from the carrier of 1,500 to 2,000 yards (1,400 to 1,800m). Following her return, the carrier spent six months in Australian waters, before a two-month deployment to Southeast Asia. [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. [132] The ship's catapult was replaced with parts from the decommissioned HMCS Bonaventure in 1970. You can also find information on crew members to the rank of Petty Officer by checking punishment returns for 1912 to 1959, series A7111. On 3 June 1969, the two ships were participating in SEATO exercise Sea Spirit in the South China Sea.Around 3:00 am, when ordered to a new escort station, Evans sailed under Melbourne ' s bow . There were 232 survivors. 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. To use these records effectively you need: The best available source for crew details is the ships' ledgers. 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