We had a good turnout of 62 at 100 Queen Street to hear our Guest Speaker Antony Wilson give an informative presentation of his time in the RAN in the late 1960's. Antony joined the Navy as an engineering officer in 1969 and was posted to the ill fated aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne which had been built in 1943 as HMS Majestic and sold to the Australian Navy in 1955. Full details of the ship can be accessed via this link http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-melbourne-ii
Antony mentioned that the ship had been designed and built for Northern Hemisphere Arctic Convoys not the Tropics so was equipped with plenty of steam heating but no aircon making for somewhat uncomfortable living conditions. Antony was on board when the disastrous incident resulting in the sinking of the USS Frank E Evans occurred in 1969 and gave us a first hand account.
The ship was eventually decommissioned in 1982 and sold for scrap to the Chinese.
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HMAS Melbourne was originally one of six Majestic Class light fleet aircraft carriers ordered for the Royal Navy (RN) during World War II.. 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.
www.navy.gov.au
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Our brochure produced by John Brown detailing the history of ANZROC Victoria was sent to Members who have email addresses last month.
We will send a hard copy to those members without email over the next few weeks.
Details of our forthcoming events including lunch in Geelong on Sept 13 and golf at Cheltenham on Sept 21 are contained in the newsletter so hope to see many of you there.
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