HMAS VAMPIRE South East Asian Cruise Book

Date5 January to 28 June 1979

Object number00051780

NameBook

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 210 x 260 x 12 mm

ClassificationsBooks and journals

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Greg Thompson

Terms

DescriptionThis HMAS VAMPIRE Cruise Book unofficially records the destroyer's 1979 South-East Asian deployment from 15 January to 28 June under the command of Captain A L Beaumont. Naval cruise books are written and produced by the ship's company as a memento of their shared experience. VAMPIRE stopped at the following ports: Stirling, Singapore, Madras, Sri-Lanka, Belewan, Singapore, Port Kelang, Manila, Subic, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shimizu, Ominato, Yokosuka, Guam, Manus Island, Brisbane and Sydney. The book contains a list of the ship's company, casual photographs of sporting competitions, ports visited and events on board such as a Crossing of the Line ceremony. Witty poems, illustrations and jokes shared by the men are also included in the book. HistoryHMAS VAMPIRE was the last of three Daring class destroyers built and launched in Australia. Originally ordered in 1946, VAMPIRE was built between 1952 and 1956 and commissioned in 1959. Her sisterships were VOYAGER (commissioned 1957) and VENDETTA (commissioned 1958). A fourth ship - WATERHEN - was planned but never ordered. They were named in honour of the Royal Navy Admiralty V&W class destroyers. Together, the three Darings formed the 9th Destroyer Squadron. During a 27-year career, VAMPIRE steamed some 808,000 nautical miles. VAMPIRE is a ship from another era - the last of the big destroyers built in Australia at the former premier shipbuilding facility on Cockatoo Island, Sydney - which closed in 1990. Ships such as VAMPIRE represent the last of the ships which had guns as their primary armament and which still relied to an extent on the skill of the gunners. The Daring class destroyer was regularly deployed to South East Asia, being attached to the Far East Strategic Reserve on five occasions. It escorted the troop transport HMAS SYDNEY on numerous transport voyages to Vietnam. In 1979 the ship undertook a cruise to South-East Asia. Decommissioned in 1986 for the final time, VAMPIRE was put on display at ANMM where it remains one of the most popular exhibits at the Museum.SignificanceThis cruise book is a reminder to those members of the RAN who embarked on the six-month deployment to South East Asia. It provides researchers and the public alike with an impression of life onboard VAMPIRE for the sailors and officers.