| Accession Number | P05692.003 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: Northern Territory, Darwin |
| Date made | 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Informal outdoor group portrait of crew members of RAN Boom Defence Vessel HMAS Koala A315. ...
Description
Informal outdoor group portrait of crew members of RAN Boom Defence Vessel HMAS Koala A315. Identified are: Warrant Officer (WO) ‘Ned’ Kelly, standing group, far left; PA2595 Able Seaman (AB) Douglas William Bobrige, of Holmesdale, SA, standing group, tenth from left; F3717 AB William James (Bill) Reside, standing group, eighth from right (tall); B3586 AB Norman Alfred (Norm) Vockenson, standing group, fourth from right; WO and Commanding Officer Mackenzie, standing far right; and 26831 AB Kenneth Larcombe Durban (Ken) Willder, front row, crouching, second from right. HMAS Koala, commissioned on 7 February 1940, arrived in Darwin on 29 April 1940. She participated in boom defence service alongside her sister ships HMAS Karangi A304 and HMAS Kangaroo A291, and Net Class Boom Defence Vessel, HMAS Kookaburra A331. Following the first Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942, she was transferred to Brisbane for some three months before returning to Darwin on 5 June 1942 where she resumed her boom defence duties, serving in that capacity until 30 April 1945.