HMAS Wagga (J315), named after the city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...

 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). During the war, the ship operated primarily in New Guinea waters. After war service, the corvette was placed in reserve, but she was recommisioned in 1951 as a training vessel, and was repeatedly moved into and out of reserve. Wagga was decommissioned in 1960, making her the last of the Australian-operated corvettes.

Construction

Wagga was laid down by Morts Dock & Engineering Co in Sydney, New South Wales on 8 March 1942. She was launched on 25 July 1942 by Mrs H. E. Gissing, the mayor of Wagga Wagga, and commissioned into the RAN on 18 December 1942.

World War II

Wagga entered service in January 1943, escorting convoys along the eastern Australian coast. Her area of operations extended into New Guinea in March, before the corvette operated in support of Operation Lilliput

Operation Lilliput

Operation Lilliput was the name given to a convoy operation that transported troops, weapons, and supplies from Milne Bay to Oro Bay, New Guinea between December 1942 and June 1943 during World War II....

 until June 1943. During the operation, on 14 April 1943, Wagga and several British and Dutch ships were attacked by over 100 Japanese aircraft. Wagga was not damaged, although several other ships were set on fire. Following Lilliput, she returned to convoy duties until the end of end of 1943.

Wagga visited Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....

 for refits over December 1943 and January 1944, before spending the rest of the war operating in New Guinea. Wagga fulfilled many roles in this time; escorting convoys, performing anti-submarine patrols, transporting troops and supplies, and bombarding enemy land positions in support of Allied troops.

At the conclusion of World War II, Wagga sailed for Hong Kong, arriving on 29 August 1945. She remained there until October 1945, conducting mine sweeping and anti-piracy patrols. The corvette returned to Melbourne on 7 November, and was decommissioned into reserve on 28 November.

The corvette's wartime service was recognised with the 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 "Pacific 1943-45" and "New Guinea 1943-44".

Training ship

The ship was reactivated and recommisioned as a training ship on 12 December 1951. As well as training reservists and National Service trainees, Wagga was called on to tow the cruiser HMAS Hobart

HMAS Hobart (1939)

HMAS Hobart was a Modified Leander class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Originally constructed for the Royal Navy as HMS Apollo, the ship entered service in 1936, and was sold to Australia two years later...

 to Newcastle in August 1952, perform patrols of New Guinea in 1954 and 1956, and assist in oceanographic surveys. Wagga underwent several refits and modernisations, and was decommissioned and recommissioned at least six times, one one occasion being in commission for only 11 days.

Fate

Wagga decommissioned for the final time on 28 October 1960, after travelling 190000 nautical miles (351,880 km). She was the last of the Bathurst class to leave Australian service. The corvette was sold to the South Australia Carrying Company for scrapping in March 1962.

The White Ensign

White Ensign

The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....

flown from Wagga was presented to the mayor of Wagga Wagga on 23 April 2011, during the final reunion for the ship's company. The flag is to be preserved and placed on display in the city's Civic Centre.