Aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney

Concluding the mini series on ships on which my Uncle John served in the Korean War, today I look at the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney.

Launched as a Royal Navy ship HMS Terrible in 1944, Sydney was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1948.

Sydney was the first conventional aircraft carrier in the RAN.

Sydney was so named in memory of the previous HMAS Sydney, which was sunk in battle in 1941. The naming also carried £427,000 courtesy the HMAS Sydney replacement fund.

Sydney was the last RAN ship to be commissioned as “His” Majesty’s Australian Ship; as after the death of King George VI on February 6, 1952 and the Queen’s coronation, all RAN ships became “Her” Majesty’s.

In September 1951 Sydney, under the command of Captain David H. Harries, relieved HMS Glory as the carrier representative of the British naval forces in the Korean theatre. It was an historic occasion, being the first time that any Dominion carrier had gone into action.

Sydney began her first patrol of the Korean War on October 4 in the western theatre, transferring four days later to the east coast for special operations.

On October 11, 1951, operating against troop concentrations and suspected store dumps on the east coast, Sydney created a light fleet carrier record by flying 89 sorties, making a total of 147 sorties in two days of operations.

Sydney served with distinction through to January 25, 1952 and endured a typhoon.

Sydney was present at the Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia, when the first British atomic test took place on October 3, 1952. John was probably aboard.

In March 1953 Sydney left Australia for England via Suez with the Coronation Contingent (Navy, Army and Air Force) on board, returning to Australia via the United States, Pearl Harbour and New Zealand in August.

Sydney remained in commission until 1958 and was recommissioned as a Fast Troop Transport in 1962.

On October 28, 1975 Sydney was sold for scrap to Dongkuk Steel Mill Company Limited of Seoul, South Korea.