Here is a piece of Australian ‘ANZAC’ Naval history which deserves to be much more widely recognised and acclaimed. This piece comes from a more expansive and comprehensive work which was researched and written by Commander Greg Swinden RAN for a book First In – Last Out (The Navy at Gallipoli) (1990) which he co-authored [ read more ]
The Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011Life in the 1500′s
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011…..or at least, pre WWII The next time your circumstances aren’t just as you would like them, think how things used to be. Here are some potentially interesting habits of life in the 1500s…..no, not from personal experience. Most people were married in June and brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body [ read more ]
President’s Report March 2011
Friday, March 25th, 2011Every now and then the NWOA committee is moved by the desire to recognise exceptional service to the Navy and naval community by an outstanding officer. You will be very much aware of RADM Guy Griffiths AO DSO DSC RAN Rtd and his highly distinguished career in war and peace. Following discussion by your committee [ read more ]
Royal New Zealand Navy
Monday, February 21st, 2011This article originally appeared in the Royal Navy Surface Warfare Officers’ Association newsletter By Lieutenant Commander Martin Doolan, RNZN The Navy’s capability to patrol New Zealand’s coast received a massive boost in 2010 with the formal acceptance of the Offshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS WELLINGTON into the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral [ read more ]
Royal Canadian Navy
Sunday, February 20th, 2011This article originally appeared in the Royal Navy Surface Warfare Officers’ Association newsletter By Commander Martin Langford CF(N) This year has been a banner one for the Canadian Navy as we celebrate our Centennial. The year began however, with the massive security operation for the winter Olympics in Vancouver, a whole-of-government effort led by the [ read more ]
Royal Australian Navy year in review
Friday, February 18th, 2011This article originally appeared in the Royal Navy Surface Warfare Officers’ Association newsletter The RAN has maintained an almost constant presence in the Middle East AO over the last twenty years. This continued in 2010 with HMA Ships Stuart, Parramatta and Melbourne fulfilling Australia’s commitment. Melbourne is the first upgraded FFG to deploy and will [ read more ]
The First Sea Lord – What did he do 100 years ago
Thursday, February 17th, 2011This article originally appeared in the Royal Navy Surface Warfare Officers’ Association newsletter By Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Bates, Royal Navy It is difficult today to imagine CINCFLEET writing weekly intemperate letters rubbishing Admiralty Board Policy to the Defence Secretary over the head of 1SL. Yet this was actually happening in 1906 and 1907. The Commander [ read more ]
Warfighting in the Littorals
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011This article originally appeared in the Royal Navy Surface Warfare Officers’ Association newsletter By Lt Cdr Kevin Rowlands, SOO to COMATG The biggest disservice that we in the dark blue ‘amphibious community’ do ourselves is to talk about the capability as if it were all about putting boots on the ground. It isn’t. If I [ read more ]