Sea Fury: Australian War Memorial The RAN Hawker Sea Fury Mk11, airframe number VW232, side number 109, on display in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, has an interesting history. Although painted in 805 Squadron Korean War colours and sporting repairs consistent with possible ground fire, other evidence points to it never having served in Korea. […]
The Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway, fought 4-7 June 1942, is regarded by many to be as significant for the USA and Australia as any of Nelson’s victories were for England. This article, downloaded from the USN’s Naval Historical Center’s web site, describes the fight: The Battle of Midway, fought near the Central […]
The Battle of the Coral Sea by John B Macartney. Republished with permission from the Australian-American Newsletter, April 2000. (John Macartney retired as a Paymaster LCDR after service in HMAS Australia, Hobart and Shropshire between 1939 and 1946. He spent all but three months of his war service in a seagoing ship.) There has only […]
The billowing spinnakers of these cruising yachts reflect
the interest many retired RAN officers have with sailing.
This photo adorned the 1950 Yearbook.
Jutland 1916 Book review by Fred Lane Steel, N. and P. Hart. Jutland 1916: Death in the grey wastes. Cassell: London, 2003. 439pp. Photographs and Maps. Paperback $19.75. The biggest naval battle since Trafalgar in 1805 was the 1916 Battle of Jutland. Fought during 31 May and the early hours of 1 June, […]
Hard Jacka Book review by Kevin Rickard Lawriwsky, M. Hard Jacka: The story of a Gallipoli legend. Mira Books: Chatswood, 2007. 421 pp. 16 pp of plates, illustrations, maps. General Peter Cosgrove, in his introduction to Michael Lawriwsky’s book, Hard Jacka, mentions that in the Australian Army’s pantheon of men there is none more inspirational, […]
Russia leaves the war: Soviet-American relations Book review by Fred LaneKennan, G.F. (1956) Soviet-American relations, 1917-1920: Volume 1, Russia leaves the war. Princeton University Press: Princeton. Paperback version (available used from US$3, Barnes and Noble) 544 pp including index, maps and photos. This old learned treatise smacks of bygone-era literary devices but it is well […]
The Great War Book review by Kevin Rickard Carlyon, L. The Great War. Pan Macmillan Australia Pty. Ltd.: Sydney, 2006. 863 pp., $39.95 (ABC Shop). This is a meticulously researched, elegantly told account of the battles, actions and ‘God forsaken fights’ in which the five Divisions of the AIF were involved in Belgium and […]
The Tlingits, of the north west coast book review by Fred Lane Hancock, D. Tlingit: Their art and culture. Hancock House Publishers: Surrey. 2003. Paperback, 94 pp. US$11.95. Nearly all those who completed Sociology 101 in the past 50 years will be familiar with the ground-breaking work of Franz Boas (Boaz) investigating the complex anthropology […]
F-III crash aftermath McNess, J. The thirteenth night: A mother’s story of the life and death of her son. Fremantle Arts Centre Press: Fremantle, 2003. 319 pp. $24.95 paperback. This is a poignant story written by a mother who raised a difficult but beautiful child, proud to see him join the RAAF Academy, qualify as […]
