HMAS Gawler 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 (including Gawler) were built on Admiralty order but crewed and commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Thirty-six were built for the Royal Australian Navy and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.


HMAS Gawler (Allan C Green, State Library of Victoria)

 

HMAS Gawler was the first RAN warship to carry the name of Gawler, a country town located in South Australia. It was laid down at Broken Hill Pty Ltd, Whyalla, South Australia on 24 January 1941. It was launched on 4 October 1941 by Lady Ruby Dugan (née Abbott), wife of the governor of Victoria. Lady Dugan also launched HMAS Geelong, also a Bathurst class corvette, on 22 April 1941 at the Melbourne Harbour Trust, Williamstown, Victoria. Lady Dugan holds the distinction of being the only woman to launch 2 RAN corvettes.

Gawler commissioned at Whyalla on 14 August 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander William J Seymour RN (Emergency).

Following completion of its working up period and trials in September 1942, Gawler proceeded to Fremantle. After a brief period of local anti-submarine patrol duty, it was sent to join the British Eastern Fleet at Colombo. From January to April 1943, it served as an escort vessel to Indian Ocean convoys.

In mid-May 1943 Gawler proceeded to the Mediterranean where, with ships of the same class HMA Ships Ipswich, Lismore and Maryborough, it formed the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla. However, its service in the Mediterranean, from May to October 1943, was mainly confined to escort duty. In July 1943 it took part in the invasion of Sicily. In August Gawler entered the Atlantic to rendezvous with a Mediterranean bound convoy for which it acted as part escort. Gawler returned to the Indian Ocean at the end of October 1943 and rejoined the Eastern Fleet, having steamed 52 000 miles on war service.

Following further Indian Ocean convoy escort duty, Gawler spent January and February 1944 refitting at Durban. Escort duty was resumed in April 1944 and thereafter, until January 1945, it was constantly in service escorting convoys between Indian ports and between India and Aden.

On 26 January 1945 Gawler detached from the Eastern Fleet and departed from Ceylon to return to Australia. A long refit was completed at Adelaide in April 1945 and the ship then proceeded to the United States Navy base at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands, where it became an operative unit of the British Pacific Fleet.

In September 1945 Gawler proceeded to Hong Kong where, in company with several ships of the same class attached to the British Pacific Fleet, it spent several weeks on minesweeping and on anti-piracy patrol duties. On 17 October 1945 it arrived at Morotai Island and thereafter until the end of the year was one of a group of Australian warships engaged in surveillance of previously enemy occupied territory in the Moluccas and adjacent areas.

Gawler returned to Australia in February 1946. It paid off at Sydney on 5 April 1946 having steamed 129 845 miles. It recommissioned the same day as HMS Gawler and on 21 May 1946, sailed for Colombo in company with ships of the same class Launceston and Pirie. All were destined for transfer to the Turkish Navy.

Shortly afterwards it was transferred to the Turkish Navy and renamed Ayvalik. Jane’s Fighting Ships reported that it was withdrawn from service in 1963, its name then being transferred to ships of the same class Antalya (ex HMAS Geraldton).

 

 

 

Specifications

HMAS Gawler (I)
Class
Bathurst Class
Type
Australian Minesweeper
Pennant
J188
Builder
Broken Hill Pty Ltd
Laid Down
24 January 1941
Launched
4 October 1941
Launched by
Lady Dugan, wife of the Governor of Victoria
Commissioned
14 August 1942
Decommissioned
5 April 1946
Dimensions & Displacement
Displacement 650 tons
Length 186 feet
Beam 31 feet
Draught 8 feet 6 inches
Performance
Speed 15 knots
Complement
Crew 85
Propulsion
Machinery Triple expansion, 2 shafts
Horsepower 2000
Armament
Guns
  • 1 x 12-pounder gun (later 1 x 4-inch gun)
  • 1 x Bofor (later)
  • Machine guns
Other Armament
  • 3 x Oerlikons (later 5, then 3)
  • Depth charge chutes and throwers
Awards
Battle Honours
  • INDIAN OCEAN 1941-45
  • PACIFIC 1941-45
  • SICILY 1943