British Service Respirator Number 6
Date1965
Object number00056494
NameRespirator
MediumRubber, glass, metal, canvas, cotton
DimensionsOverall: 240 x 170 x 130 mm, 870 g
ClassificationsTools and equipment
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Jane Major
DescriptionRear Admiral Andrew Robertson AO DSC had a distinguished wartime and seagoing career in the Royal Australian Navy, including service during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He held the final operational command of Australia’s first aircraft carrier, HMAS SYDNEY (III), and played a significant role in the establishment of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum. This 1965 British Service Respirator No. 6 was donated in a 1942 cotton bag, with eyeshield packet and loose cotton wadding. The bag is marked with Robertson’s name and indicates his continuity of active service through several conflicts, including the risk of nuclear, biological and chemical warfare during the Cold War period.HistoryAndrew John Robertson AO DSC was born in England in 1925 and died in 2020. Robertson joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1939 as a Cadet Midshipman. He served in Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, Coral Sea and New Hebrides from 1942 to 1944, in the Mediterranean from 1944 to end of World War II, then in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was awarded the King’s Medal in 1942. He served as Captain of frigates HMAS QUICKMATCH and YARRA and aircraft carrier HMAS SYDNEY, as Director General of Operations and Plans, Navy Office, Canberra, and as head of the Australian Defence staff in the Australian High Commission in London. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1982 and thereafter served as Federal Vice-President of The Navy League of Australia. He subsequently played a significant role in the establishment of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum.
The naval items in this collection appear to all be related to RADM Robertson’s time in the RAN. The 1973 White Ensign flag was flown by HMAS SYDNEY (III) and presented to (then) Captain Robertson on the decommissioning of the ship in 1973. Captain Robertson was the last operational commanding officer of SYDNEY when he handed over the command for its decommissioning on 12 November 1973.SignificanceRADM Andrew Robertson had a distinguished wartime and seagoing career in the RAN, later playing a significant role in the preservation and interpretation of Australia’s maritime heritage. These items attract associative significance owing to their direct link to his extensive service. These are the primary reasons for retaining the respirator and associated bag, as they have limited significance otherwise.
