Ship History
Built by John Brown & Co. Ltd. at Clyderbank, Scotland. Laid down August 26, 1925. Launched March 17, 1927. Comissioned on April 24, 1928. The Australia was involved in the North African campaign, the Battle of the Coral Sea as well as landings on Guadalcanal.

Leyte Gulf Kamikazie Attack
One of the ships in support of US landings at Leyte on October 21, 1944. One Val hit the ship's foremast, causing numerous fires and explosions. Apparently 30 were killed or died of wounds, and at least another 60 were wounded. After this attack, the AUSTRALIA was escorted by HMAS WARRAMUNGA to Manus Island and then to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides for repairs.

KILLED IN ACTION or DIED OF WOUNDS 21/10/44 (25):
Lt Henry Brinsmead Bayley
AB M Buckland
Ldg Smn Robert James Cornish
Sub Lt Ian Keith Debenham
Capt Emile Frank Verlaine Dechaineeux, DSC
AB Henry Peter Eller
AB Gordon Kenneth Fenton
Lt Cdr Harrie Binns Garrett
AB Vincent Leo Hansen
AB John Wilson Hocking
OD R Hocking
CPO George Frederick Hutchison
AB R Irvine
Lt Ivor Maurice Jones
AB Allan Richard Maunsell
AB Francis Gerard Miller
AB Richard John Parkinson
AB Frederick Percival Perrin
Ldg Smn Donald Pittendrigh
OD Christopher Peel Potter
AB Noel Audrey Rattray
Cmdr John Francis Rayment, DSC
OD Ronald Hamilton Sharpe
AB Francis Frederick Spurr
AB Robert Michell Steele

DIED OF WOUNDS (5):
OD Richard Southey Hookins (22/10/44)
AB John Neville Erwin (23/10/44)
Lt Graham J Greig (23/10/44)
AB Eric Stuart Fontaine (24/10/44)
AB Frederick George Stephenson (24/10/44)

After repairs, the AUSTRALIA was back in action covering Allied landings at Lingayen Gulf. On January 5, 6, 8 and 9, 1945, the AUSTRALIA was subjected to numerous Kamikaze attacks which resulted in the loss of another 44 lives with almost 70 more wounded.

The following Roll of Honour has been compiled from the AWM Databases:

AB J Annear (05/01/45)
AB Frank William Eames (05/01/45)
OD Neville Joseph Everson (05/01/45)
AB George Robert Frawley (05/01/45)
OD Ronald George Gannon (05/01/45)
AB Leslie Laurence Hart (05/01/45)
AB H Kennedy (05/01/45)
AB Maurie Desmond Kirchner (05/01/45)
Sub Lt K Levy (05/01/45)
AB Merton Stanley Loud (05/01/45)
AB C Moore (05/01/45)
AB William Thomas Munday (05/01/45)
Ldg Smn Henry Eric O'Neill (05/01/45)
AB Geoffrey Clive Reeve (05/01/45)
AB G W Riley (05/01/45)
Lt Colin Neil Russell (05/01/45)
AB Ronald Ashley Verdon (05/01/45)

AB Norman William Anderson (06/01/45)
AB Clarence Robert Avery (06/01/45)
AB F Beake (06/01/45)
AB James Thomas Harold Bourke (06/01/45)
AB Malcolm George Brown (06/01/45)
OD William Graeme Brown (06/01/45)
OD R Clifford (06/01/45)
AB Alfred Albert DeVere (06/01/45)
AB Charles Douglas Donnelly (06/01/45)
Ldg Smn Edward John Ezard (06/01/45)
AB William Robert Fisher (06/01/45)
OD Harold Desmond Ford (06/01/45)
AB William George Gummow (06/01/45)
AB Edwin Lawrence Hardeman (06/01/45)
AB Vivian William Hearne (06/01/45)
AB Lindsay Ivo Herdman (06/01/45)
Ldg Smn Charles Morris Hughes (06/01/45)
AB Alan W Lade (06/01/45)
Lt Max Howard Marsh (06/01/45)
AB R Meddings (06/01/45)
Ldg Smn Joseph John James Moore (06/01/45)
AB N Pringle (06/01/45)
Ldg Smn Sidney Charles Rowley (06/01/45)
AB Ivan Stanley Sharman (06/01/45)
AB Peter Septimus Utting (06/01/45)
AB Charles Reginald Ward (06/01/45)
AB Harold Richard Whittaker (06/01/45)

Display
A piece of the Val which hit the ship is currently on display in the Second World War Hall at AWM.

References
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for this information

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