Navy | The Royal Australian Navy |
Type | Sloop |
Class | 24 |
Pennant | |
Built by | Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland) |
Ordered | |
Laid down | 27 Nov 1917 |
Launched | 12 Apr 1918 |
Commissioned | 20 Jun 1925 |
End service | 14 Mar 1946 |
History | Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Silvio on 25 May 1918. |
Former name | HMS Silvio |
Commands listed for HMAS Moresby
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Lt.Cdr. William Harold Martin, RAN | 23 Mar 1939 | 17 Dec 1939 |
2 | Cdr. (retired) Harold Exton Turner, RN | 17 Dec 1939 | 25 May 1940 |
3 | Lt.Cdr. (retired) Basil Theodore Brewster, DSC, RN | 25 May 1940 | 26 Jul 1940 |
4 | Cdr. William Harold Martin, RAN | 26 Jul 1940 | 13 Oct 1940 |
5 | Lt. John Midford Little, RANR(S) | 13 Oct 1940 | 8 Nov 1940 |
6 | Cdr. William Harold Martin, RAN | 8 Nov 1940 | 28 Apr 1941 |
7 | Lt.Cdr. Robert Bagster Atlee Hunt, RAN | 28 Apr 1941 | 19 Jan 1942 |
8 | T/Lt. Charles Hugh Brown, RANR(S) | 19 Jan 1942 | Jan 1944 |
9 | A/Cdr. Colin Goyder Little, RAN | Jan 1944 | 15 May 1945 |
10 | A/Cdr. Robert Bagster Atlee Hunt, OBE, RAN | 15 May 1945 | 9 Aug 1945 |
11 | Lt.Cdr. D'Arcy Thomas Gale, DSC, RAN | 9 Aug 1945 | 14 Mar 1946 |
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Notable events involving Moresby include:
10 Mar 1942
HMAS Vendetta (Lt. W.G. Whitting, RANR(S)) departed Fremantle for Melbourne. Once again she was in tow of the naval auxiliary HMS Ping Wo (T/Lt. J. Fant, RNR).
On 12 March 1942, HMS Ping Wo developed engine trouble and course was set for Albany where they arrived on the 15th. HMAS Vendetta then anchored outside Albany harbour. Due to the bad weather conditions and the risk of dragging anchor she was towed into the harbour on the 19th.
On 24 March 1942, HMS Ping Wo towed HMAS Vendetta out of the harbour where the merchant vessel Islander (British, 1619 GRT, built 1929) took over the tow.
Early on the 25th the tow parted and later HMS Ping Wo took over while the Islander prepared a new tow line. The Islander was able to resume towing HMAS Vendetta late in the afternoon.
Early the 29th, weather had become so bad that the ships had to hove to. HMS Ping Wo then parted company and continuing on to Melbourne independently. Late on the 29th the Islander resumed towing.
Around noon on 31 March the tow again parted and due to the bad weather conditions a new tow could not be established. HMAS Vendetta was at the mercy wind and sea.
On 1 April weather had cleared a little and an attempt was made to pass another tow line but while doing so the Islander fouled the line and as a result also lost propulsion to her port screw decreasing her manoeuvring capabilities.
Shortly before noon on the 3rd of April a new tow line was finally established and the ships got underway again. It had been decided to proceed to Adelaide.
Around mid afternoon of 5 April 1942, the sloop / escort vessel HMAS Moresby (T/Lt. C.H. Brown, RANR(S)) joined.
Around mid afternoon of 6 April 1942, the tug Woonda joined and shortly afterwards she took over the tow and towed HMAS Vendetta into Adelaide harbour. (1)
21 Jul 1942
Convoy ZK 15.
This convoy departed Sydney on 21 July 1942.
It was made up of the transports; Oakbank (Australian, 5154 GRT, built 1926), Sea Witch (American, 6021 GRT, built 1940) and Van der Lijn (Dutch, 2464 GRT, built 1928).
On departure from Sydney the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Stuart (Cdr. S.H.K. Spurgeon, DSO, RAN) and the sloop / escort vessel HMAS Moresby (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.H. Brown, RANR(S)).
On 24 July 1942, the escorts parted company with the convoy near Lady Elliott Island. The convoy was then dispersed. (2)
27 Jul 1942
on this day both HMAS Stuart (Cdr. S.H.K. Spurgeon, DSO, RAN) and HMAS Moresby (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.H. Brown, RANR(S)) arrived at Sydney after escort duty with convoy ZK 15. (3)
Sources
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta from 6 December 1941 to 15 April 1942
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Moresby for July 1942
- War diary Naval Officer in Charge, Sydney for July 1942