RAN exercises Freedom of Entry to Melbourne

Today the Royal Australian Navy exercised its Freedom of Entry with 'Swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying' to the City of Melbourne.  The parade commemorates the century of the granting of Royal Assent by King George V to the Navy, and mark the important contrubution that Melbourne and the State of Victoria continues to provide to the Royal Australian Navy.

About 1,300 RAN personnel took part in the march past the Melbourne Town Hall, most of whom are currently serving at HMAS Cerberus at Flinders.  HMAS Cerberus this year celebrates 90 years of training officers and sailers to serve at sea, having Commissioned in 1911.

The RAN first came into being as the Commonwealth Naval Forces on 1 March 1901 as a small coastal defence force.  In 1909, in response to increasing international tensions and the recognition that Australia needed to assume full responsibility for its broader maritime defence, the nation embarked on a significant naval expansion program.  Its aim was to created a national navy capable of both defending Australia's maritime interests and contribute to regional defence.

Company Quartermaster Sergeant Joel Reginald Eade

Private Joel Eade of Edward St, Essendon, soon impressed the AIF with his physical attributes, education and training and was promoted quickly to Company Quartermaster Sergeant.  He embarked for Egypt early in 1916, but things began to go wrong.  Read Rod Martin's account here.








A 1915 recruitment poster from the
Australian War Memorial Collection.

He answered to the Empire's call

JUNIER. -Whose death has been officially con-
firmed, previously reported wounded and missing,
Pte. Edward Wilfred (463, "Dolph"), youngest
beloved son of Mrs. Junier, 73 Hall street,
Moonee Ponds, and the late C. A. Junier, formerly
of Morwell, Gippsland, who fell at Gallipoli on the
25th April, 1915, loved brother of Ernest, Elsie
(Mrs. Fordred), Albert, Gus, and Ethel, aged 23
years.

Buried in a nameless grave
Laid aside with other brave,   
His life for King and country gave -
My youngest son.
He answered to the Empire's call;
We ill could spare him, one and all, 
And prayed God would not let him fall -
My dearly loved son. 
But all should fight, and some must die,  
He took his chance - my youngest son;
And I can only grieve and say -
Thy will be done.
I kept the home fire burning, but the lad I've  
waited and yearned for will speak to me never  
again.

Family Notices. (1917, October 6). The Argus ), p. 11.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1654270

Victorian Veterans Virtual Museum

The photo above was taken by Gordon Anderson.

                           
The Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development has developed an online Virtual Museum for material relating to our war veterans.  Explore the resources here.  They include:

Victorian War Heritage Inventory

Victorian War Memorials

Digital Stories - In Our Words

Preserving Veterans Heritage

Anzac Centenary

Victorian Unit Histories 

UPDATE
Wouldn't you know it, they've moved the Victorian Veterans Virtual Museum, now under the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Private James Thomas Roy Easton of Kensington

A shipping clerk from Bellair Street, Kensington, Roy Easton joined the AIF in July 1915, not long after the landing at Gallipoli.  He embarked with the 14 Infantry Battalion, and died of wounds after a trench raid in 1916.  Rod Martin tells his story here.

Pte John Dalglish, 21 Inf Bn

 

Soldiers of the 21 Inf Bn searching the village of Hamel for 

survivors, July 1918 (Australian War Memorial Collection E02666)

Private John Dalglish arrived in France in February 1917 to reinforce the 21 Infantry Battalion, AIF, and from that time forward, apart from periods in hospital or on leave, was involved in very heavy fighting.  In July the Australian took the village of Hamel (or what survived of it) from the Germans in ninety-three minutes.  Rod Martin tells of this and other battles which Dalglish survived, only to succumb to broncho-pneumonian in December 1918, not long after the Armistice.  Read his story here.

Sergeant Leo James Harty, MM

 

Sergeant Leo James Harty of  Normanby Street, Moonee Ponds, survived the landing at Gallipoli and the battle of Lone Pine, but was probably killed in the bombardment at Messines in 1916.  Rod Martin tells his story here.   The photograph, by John Philpott, shows the Berks Cemetery Extension where Leo was buried.