HMAS Junee (J362/M362), named for the town of Junee, New South Wales

Junee, New South Wales

Junee is a medium sized town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town's prosperity and mixed services economy is based on a combination of agriculture, rail transport, light industry and government services, and in particular correctional services...

, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes

Bathurst class corvette

The Bathurst class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the Bathurst class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role.Sixty Bathurst...

 constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN).

Construction

Junee was laid down by Poole & Steele Limited at Balmain, New South Wales

Balmain, New South Wales

Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....

 on 17 February 1943. She was launched on 16 November 1943 by the wife of John Solomon Rosevear, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives

Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....

, and commissioned into the RAN on 11 April 1944.

World War II

After entering active service, Junee was briefly assigned to New Guinea before being redeployed to Darwin, where she served as an anti-submarine patrol ship until February 1945, when the corvette underwent refit in Melbourne.

In April 1945, Junee was sent to New Guinea, to serve as a convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol ship. In August, the corvette fired her weapons in anger

Fire in anger

"Fire in anger" is a phrase used in military contexts to describe the use of a projectile weapon to deliberately cause damage or harm to an opponent, as opposed to training exercises or warning shots. For example, Napier of Magdala Battery "never fired a shot in anger"; the battery never engaged in...

 for the first time; sinking three Japanese supply barges while in the Sangir Islands. The corvette was later assigned to Balikpapan as a guard ship, where she remained until the end of World War II.

Following the end of the war, Junee evacuated Australian prisoners-of-war and civilians, assisted in the transportation of occupation forces, and aided in the reestablishment of Dutch authority in the Netherlands East Indies. After fulfilling these duties, Junee returned to Australia, and was paid off into reserve in Melbourne on 21 January 1946.

Junee received two battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

s for her wartime service: "New Guinea 1943" and "Pacific 1944-45".

Post-war

The corvette was reactivated and recommissioned as a training ship on 25 February 1953. Initially operating along the east coast, Junee was reassigned to the west coast on 25 August, operating from Fremantle.

Decommissioning and fate

HMAS Junee paid off to reserve for the final time at Fremantle on 21 August 1957. She was sold for scrap to W. G. Davies of Fremantle on 18 June 1958. The ship was stripped and the hull sunk 20 miles (32.2 km) from Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...

, WA, in 1968.