Volume 49, No. 12, July 13, 2006

CREATIVE CARRIER: Sporting one of the more colourful names in the Navy was HMAS Bombo, a Scottish-built ship which served as an auxillary minesweeper and stores carrier between 1941-47.

By Vic Jeffery

There is no quicker way to start a debate than to raise the subject of the naming of HMA Ships.

For openers, let me float the question: “why has there never been a ship named Kokoda?”

We have seen the Army honoured with names such as Anzac, Tobruk, Labuan, Tarakan, Balikpapan, Betano, Brunei, Lae, Wewak, Buna and Salamaua - but no Kokoda.

There can be little doubt that the stopping of the triumphant Japanese Imperial Army in their sweep, south in the dank jungles of the Kokoda Track in 1942, saved Australia from imminent invasion.

These young Australian “Choco” soldiers of the Army exhibited the courage and qualities that we have come to expect of the Australian soldier and the ADF in general.

Strangely, the Army have never named one of their vessels after this drawn-out battle, nor Milne Bay, another important link which prevented the Japanese invasion of the Australian mainland in force.

The largest ship ever built for the Army was named Crusader and its other major vessels were named after generals.
A post-World War II name which would be worthy of Army consideration is Long Tan of Vietnam fame.

Back to the Navy.

Selecting the names Adelaide and Canberra for the two new large amphibious ships has been an interesting choice.
One would have thought it was an appropriate time to reintroduce Australia, the name previously selected for the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible prior to the Falklands War which saw the sale cancelled.

Australia and Canberra would have been a fitting tribute to the WWII county-class heavy cruisers which carried those names with such pride, not forgetting our first flagship was the battlecruiser of that same name.

The selection of the name Sirius for the replenishment ship to replace HMAS Westralia has understandably raised a few eyebrows, with many believing it would be named Supply. Obviously linked to HMS Sirius of First Fleet fame, she will be the eighth ship to carry this name, the previous seven serving in the Royal Navy, the last, a Leander-class frigate being expended as a target last year.

At long last one glaring oversight which has finally been rectified is the naming of the Armidale Class patrol boat Albany, which is due to commission on July 15.

The City of Albany has a rich maritime history and has always been a most popular port with Australian and allied sailors.
Albany was where the original Anzac convoy formed up before their departure in 1914, and where US submarines were based in 1942.

How Australia named 56 Bathurst Class corvettes in WWII and overlooked Albany will always remain a mystery.
Post-war Albany has granted the Freedom of Entry to the destroyer escort HMAS Stuart and since, the present day HMAS Anzac.

Will those classic destroyer names Vampire, Vendetta and Voyager ever be revived?

It’s hard to say with the last Vampire now a museum ship in Sydney and its sister ship Voyager lost in a horrendous night-time collision in 1964.

We have had some fascinating names in naval service, albeit mainly caused by commercial and private vessels taken up from trade or requisitoned, but how can one forget names such as Blowfly, Bombo, Cockroach, Siesta, Silver Bullet, Three Cheers and Wyatt Earp.

It is interesting we have named ships and boats after marsupials and reptiles, but we have never managed an HMAS Dingo, the native Australian dog, a very clever predator and a master of stealth.

Vic Jeffery is Director of Defence Public Affairs, Fleet Base West.

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