Lord Howe Island - a little military and naval history

 

Lord Howe Island, 600KM off the coast of New South Wales, is well known as a remote and idyllic haven for bush walkers and nature lovers.

Together with the adjacent Admiralty Islands, it is a beautiful part of the world.

But it has an eventful maritime and military history, faithfully told by the excellent museum. 

Judging by the island's war memorial, and other plaques around the place, the islander took a full share of the sacrifices made during World War One.

I think this trophy is a German Spandau HMG

Fortunately most came home again:

No doubt with wounds and sickness, not all visible:

But sadly it wasn't quite the 'War to end all wars' and the tiny island braced itself for another period of service and sacrifice:

Islander Service continued in the post-War era:

I found this naval radar of interest in its second career assisting the Island's met station:

Tragically in 1948 an RAAF Catalina crashed into Malabar ridge. 

Large items of wreckage remain strewn around the valley below, but some items are on display in the museum:

The Royal Australian Engineers build the island's airstrip, allowing regular flights to replace the seaplane service:

And bringing us into the 21st century, my old ship HMS Nottingham got overly familiar with nearby Wolf Rock. Counter intuitively, the CO, who had only just landed on seconds after impact, after racing to the bridge, ordered the engines to 'full ahead', holding her hull into the rock thus reducing the sea's entry into the torn bows.

This allowed the courageous and skilled Damage Control parties to shore up and isolate the flooded forrad compartments, keeping her afloat.

Just to clarify, this was long after my stint on the Notty - It wasn't me, I wasn't there, and You can't prove it Chief!