HMAS AUSTRALIA (II) felt pennant

Date1950s

Object number00001528

NamePennant

MediumTextile, felt

DimensionsOverall: 220 x 550 mm, 0.05 kg

ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John Hodge

Terms

DescriptionThis souvenir pennant features the ship's badge of the County class cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA.HistoryHMAS AUSTRALIA (II) was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy built by John Brown & Co Ltd of Clydebank, Scotland and commissioned on 24 April 1928. The ship's complement numbered 679 in peacetime and 848 during war conditions. During World War II it conducted operations in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans acting as a convoy escort and protecting shipping routes. The ship also served in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Guadalcanal invasion, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and allied landings at Lingayen Gulf. AUSTRALIA suffered damage from Japanese kamikaze attacks on 21 October 1944 which also killed the commanding officer Captain E F V Dechaineux. The cruiser was used as a training ship after 1945 and was sold for scrap in January 1955. It was broken up at Barrow-in-Furness, UK in 1956. The pennant features the ship's badge which has a symbol representing each of Australia's six states. The ship's motto was ENDEAVOUR - reflecting the ideal of the Australian spirit and a link with James Cook's ship of 1768-1771.SignificanceThis pennant represents the Royal Australian Navy's heavy cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA which served with distinction in World War II.