page_title: HMAS Moresby (1918)
section_title: Royal Australian Navy
hierarchical_section_title: HMAS Moresby (1918) / Operational history / Royal Australian Navy
caption_attribution_description: Australian War Memorial catalogue number P02325.006. Koepang, Timor. 1945-09-11. Surrender ceremony aboard HMAS Moresby. Sergeant Keith. B. Davis, official photographer Military History Section (MHS) (centre), is photographing the proceedings with a Mentor Reflex camera. RAN crewmen are observing the ceremony (an officer, probably Major John Baillieu, at far left is holding swords surrendered by the Japanese). A Japanese Officer, either Colonel T. Kaida or Major Shoji (right), is using a handkerchief to wipe away tears in front of the table draped with an Australian flag. (Donor: K. Davis)
context_page_description: HMAS Moresby was a 24-class "Fleet Sweeping" sloop that served in the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy as a minesweeper, anti-submarine vessel, and survey ship. The ship was involved in both World Wars, and was the venue of the Japanese surrender of Timor on 11 September 1945.
context_section_description: Moresby participated in the Great Barrier Reef survey until 21 December 1929, when she was decommissioned into reserve in Sydney.
  She was recommissioned on 27 April 1933, to perform urgent strategic surveys of the waters north of Australia. During the 1930s, conditions for the sailors aboard were a matter of contention. Survey work was already arduous, but the ship had not been designed for tropical operations, causing greater discomfort. In addition, the sailors had experienced reductions in pay. Over the course of mid-1934, the number of sailors reported for discipline had increased. These issues came to a head in the early morning of 19 August, when an able seaman punched a petty officer who admonished him for dirtying the ship's paintwork while attempting to move a crate, then insulted the seaman for dropping the crate when a support rope the petty officer was holding came loose. The able seaman was arrested and restrained in irons until the ship reached Darwin in two days time for a court martial. At breakfast, other sailors discussed the incident, with the idea of refusing the morning's call to work. 27 sailors ignored the bosun's call to work, and when confronted by the executive officer, said they were protesting against conditions and discipline aboard Moresby. After consultation between the captain and his officers, the sailors were informed that they would be charged by warrant (with their actions judged by the captain, instead of by a court martial). After returning to duty, the 27 sailors were later charged with "an act prejudicial of good order and naval discipline" and generally punished by the removal of merit and good-conduct badges. The Australian Commonwealth Naval Board felt that the captain's decision to charge by warrant was alarming, and felt the charges and punishment were an underreaction to what they considered an act of mutiny. After an inquiry into the incident, six of the sailors, plus a seventh who had incited but not participated in the protest, were discharged from the navy, and provisions were made to restore sailor pay levels.
  After the surveying exercises were completed, Moresby was returned to reserve on 14 December 1934 and her boilers were converted from coal to oil burning. Moresby was reconverted for survey work and recommissioned on 11 April 1935, returning to northern Australia until the beginning of World War II in September 1939. In May 1937, after the eruption of volcanoes of the Rabaul caldera resulted in the evacuation of Rabaul to nearby Kokopo, Moresby was sent to New Britain and instructed to provide any assistance necessary. The only need for the sloop was to transport provisions to the refugees.
  During the first year of World War II, Moresby was used as an anti-submarine training vessel, a role she maintained until January 1941, when she was reassigned to survey duty in the waters of Australia and New Guinea. Following the Japanese attacks on the Allies in December 1941, the sloop was used as a convoy escort and anti-submarine vessel off the east coast of Australia. During the two years in this role, three of the convoys escorted by Moresby were attacked by Japanese submarines; December 1942 off Gabo Island with no damage, April 1943 with the sinking of the Yugoslav vessel Recina and the loss of 32 of her crew, and May 1943 off the New South Wales coast with SS Ormiston damaged but able to reach port. This two-year period saw the greatest Japanese submarine activity off Australia's east coast, with sixteen other ships sunk.
  In November 1943, Moresby was reassigned to survey duties, and spent the rest of the war based in Darwin. In September and October 1945, Moresby was assigned to a group of ships  assisting the re-occupation of Timor. The Japanese surrender of Timor was performed aboard Moresby on 11 September 1945. Moresby earned two battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942-43", and "New Guinea 1943-44".
  After the ceremony, the sloop was sent to survey Yampi Sound. On 4 October, a second mutiny occurred aboard Moresby. The overcrowded conditions (particu
caption: The Timor surrender ceremony aboard HMAS Moresby
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