About This Unit
HMAS Moresby was built as one of the 24-Class of Royal Navy (RN) mine-sweeping sloops. She originally commissioned in the RN as HMS Silvio on 25 May 1918. Moresby was named in honour of Admiral John Moresby, who discovered Port Moresby and Fairfax Harbour on 21 February 1873 naming them after his father, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby, GCB.
Moresby recommissioned on 27 April 1933 to undertake urgent strategic survey work in northern Australia. Throughout 1933 and 1934 she operated variously in survey grounds off Queensland and along the northern coast of Australia visiting Bowen, Townsville, Brisbane, Melville Island and Darwin on numerous occasions.
For the first year of the war Moresby served as an anti-submarine training vessel operating on Australia's the eastern seaboard. In January 1941 she resumed her former duty as a survey ship and until the outbreak of war with Japan in December 1941 was engaged in survey operations in northern Australian and New Guinea waters.
Read more here (www.navy.gov.au)
Battle Honours PACIFIC 1941-45 and NEW GUINEA 1942-44
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