HMAS Bundaberg (I)

HMAS Bundaberg was one of 60 Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during the Second World War in Australian shipyards as part of the Commonwealth Government’s wartime shipbuilding program. Twenty were built on Admiralty order but manned and commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy. Thirty-six (including Bundaberg) were built for the Royal Australian Navy and four for the Royal Indian Navy.

HMAS Bundaberg was laid down at Evans Deakin & Co Ltd, Brisbane, Queensland on 7 June 1941. It was launched on 1 December 1941 by Mrs Hurwood, wife of a director of Evans Deakin Ltd and was the first RAN warship to carry the name of the Queensland city situated on the Burnett River, 385km north of the state capital, Brisbane.

HMAS Bundaberg wearing wartime disruptive pattern camouflage paint.

Bundaberg commissioned at Brisbane on 12 September 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Neville D Pixley, RANR.

On completion of its trials in October 1942, Bundaberg was assigned to operational duty as a convoy escort vessel on the east coast of Australia between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Until the end of 1942, the enemy were comparatively inactive in Australian waters, but in January 1943 the Japanese launched their third and final submarine campaign on coastal shipping in an attempt to disrupt the flow of war materials to the forward areas. Between January and May 1943, during which period Bundaberg was almost constantly at sea, 11 ships were lost off the coast. Only four of these, however, were in convoy at the time of attack, one of which, the United States vessel SS Portmar, was being escorted by Bundaberg.

In December 1943 Bundaberg began escorting convoys from Cairns to Port Moresby and Milne Bay. After nearly three months of this duty which were mainly uneventful, it transferred to the operational control of Commander Task Force 74 (Australian Squadron) for service in New Guinea waters. Thereafter until it returned to Australia in September 1944 for refit, it was engaged on escort, antisubmarine patrol and bombardment assignments in support of military operations ashore in the New Guinea theatre.

During this period (April to August 1944), Bundaberg bombarded Japanese positions on Alim Island (Admiralties), took part in the landings on Sek island, and gave general support to the campaign which ended with the capture of the Admiralties and the establishment of an Allied base at Manus Island. In addition it carried out antisubmarine patrols in the Solomon Sea, off Hollandia, off Alexishafen and in the Sepik River area. Escort duties were a continuing commitment during this period which included the escort of troop transports from Finschhafen to Madang.

In July 1944 Bundaberg, assisted by HMAS Whyalla, succeeded in refloating the Australian Landing Ship Infantry HMAS Kanimbla which had gone ashore at Cape Cretin, New Guinea.

Following a refit in Adelaide during September and October 1944, Bundaberg returned to New Guinea and for the next six months was engaged on escort and antisubmarine duties between Mios Woendi, Biak and Morotai.

In May 1945 it returned to Australia for another refit but by mid-June was back in New Guinea waters to resume duty in the Biak and Morotai areas. There it carried out patrol and escort duties until the end of hostilities.

In September 1945 Bundaberg proceeded to Borneo where it took part in the recovery of Allied prisoners of war. It was also present at Kuching (Borneo) with HMAS Kapunda for the official surrender ceremony of the Japanese forces in the area on 9 September.

On 28 October 1945 it arrived at its namesake town in Queensland where it was given an official reception by the citizens. Bundaberg paid off at Brisbane on 26 March 1946, having steamed 112 199 miles since commissioning.

On 4 November 1947 Bundaberg, under tow by HMAS Katoomba, departed Brisbane for Sydney, where the vessels arrived on 7 November. Bundaberg remained in Reserve at Sydney. The ship was sold for scrap on 6 January 1961 to Kinoshita (Aust) Pty Ltd.