HMAS Melbourne
From Our Contribution
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Melbourne |
| Builder/Built | 1913 Cammell Laird & Co, Birkenhead |
| Type | Town Class Light cruiser (4 screws) |
| Displacement | 5,400 tons |
| Speed | 23 knots |
Remarks
Sailed with a complement of 485. Armaments were 8 x6 inch guns; 4 x 3 pounders; 1 x12 pounder gun; 2 x .303 inch Maxim guns; 8 x .303 inch Lewis guns; and 8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes.
Town class light cruiser launched in 1913 and commissioned in 1913. Early in the war the Melbourne spent time in the Pacific and Indian Oceans searching for the German East India Squadron, before joining the escort of the first convoy of troops to Egypt. She remained guarding the convoy while the HMAS Sydney went to the Cocos Island group to fight the Emden.
In December 1914, Melbourne was deployed to the Caribbean and based at Bermuda. For the next 18 months, she carried out patrol duties between the islands of the West Indies and along the east coast of North America, in concert with HMAS Sydney.
From September 1916 she served with the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea, based at Scapa Flow. Melbourne was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918. She returned to Australia in April 1919.
List of local crew members
Signaller Richard William Thomas Boyle