Henry Burrell ( admiral ) Vice Admiral Sir Henry Mackay Burrell ( 13 August 1904 – 9 February 1988 ) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . He served as Chief of the Naval Staff ( CNS ) from 1959 to 1962 . Born in Wentworth Falls , New South Wales , Burrell entered the Royal Australian Naval College in 1918 as a thirteen - year - old cadet . His first posting at sea was aboard the cruiser . During the 1920s and 1930s , Burrell served a number of years on exchange with the Royal Navy , specialising as a navigator . Following the outbreak of World War II , he filled a key liaison post with the US Navy , and later saw action as commander of the destroyer , earning a mention in despatches . Promoted captain in 1946 , Burrell played a major role in the formation of the RAN ' s Fleet Air Arm , before commanding the flagship in 1948 – 49 . He captained the light aircraft carrier in 1953 – 54 , and was twice appointed Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet , in 1955 and 1958 . As CNS in 1959 , Burrell began a major program of acquisitions for the Navy , including new helicopters , minesweepers , submarines and guided missile destroyer s . He was credited with helping to reverse a plan by the government to dismantle the Fleet Air Arm . Knighted in 1960 , Burrell retired to his farm near Canberra in 1962 and published his memoirs , " Mermaids Do Exist " , in 1986 . He died two years later , aged eighty - three . Early career . Henry Burrell was born at Wentworth Falls , in the Blue Mountains district of New South Wales , to schoolteacher Thomas Burrell and his wife Eliza . His father , who had emigrated from England , joined the Australian Imperial Force at the age of fifty - five during World War I , seeing active service in Egypt . Henry attended Parramatta High School before entering the Royal Australian Naval College , Jervis Bay , on 1 January 1918 , at the age of thirteen . A keen sportsman , he competed in Rugby union , tennis and hockey , winning colours for the latter . Burrell graduated from the college in 1921 and became a midshipman the next year , going to sea firstly aboard the light cruiser and then the destroyer . Posted to the United Kingdom for further training in 1924 , he served on the light cruiser and the battleship . In April 1925 , he was promoted to sub - lieutenant , rising to lieutenant by July 1926 . After attending a Royal Navy course in 1930 , Burrell became a specialist navigator , and saw service aboard the minesweeper HMS " Pangbourne " , destroyers and , and cruiser . He married Margaret MacKay at Scots ' Church , Melbourne , on 27 December 1933 and was promoted lieutenant commander in July the following year . Graduating from an advanced navigation course in 1935 , Burrell served on exchange with the Royal Navy as navigator aboard the cruisers and , the latter during her tour in the Spanish Civil War . Described as being " egalitarian " and " approachable " , his familiarity with ratings earned him the criticism of " Devonshire " s captain ; Burrell however considered that a close relationship between officers and men was necessary for the smooth running of a ship . After completing the Royal Navy ' s staff course in 1938 , he returned to Australia and was appointed Staff Officer ( Operations ) at the Navy Office , Melbourne , in March 1939 . It was Burrell ' s first shore - based position , and he spent the next four months bringing up to date naval sections of the War Book ( documentation on preparations for war ) . World War II . Burrell was still based at the Navy Office when World War II broke out in September 1939 . A reorganisation of the headquarters in May 1940 saw him promoted to commander and given the new role of Director of Operations , overseeing troop convoys and air cover , local defence , and staffing issues . Burrell ' s " full knowledge of Australian naval plans and resources " led to him being personally nominated by Prime Minister Robert Menzies to participate in staff talks with representatives of the Royal Navy and US Navy in October . Soon after , he was posted as the first Australian naval attaché to Washington , D . C . , in an effort to improve communications with the US in light of the threat from Japan . Burrell was credited with helping to foster closer cooperation between the two navies in the Pacific region . Travelling to Britain , Burrell was appointed commanding officer of the newly commissioned N - class destroyer on 15 September 1941 . The ship ' s first operation was transporting a Trade Union Congress delegation led by Sir Walter Citrine to Archangel , Russia . After returning to Britain , she steamed to the Indian Ocean to join Admiral Sir James Somerville ' s Eastern Fleet at Addu Atoll , Maldives , on 26 February . Following the Eastern Fleet ' s withdrawal to Kilindini , Kenya , " Norman " took part in the capture of Diego Suarez on Madagascar in May . The next month , she was involved in the desultory Operation Vigorous , an attempted resupply of the besieged island of Malta . Burrell led " Norman " during the second campaign of the Battle of Madagascar in September , and was mentioned in despatches on 19 February 1943 for his " bravery and resource " during the operation . By this time " Norman " was escorting convoys in the Pacific , before deploying to the South Atlantic for anti - submarine duties in April – May . On 23 June 1943 , Burrell relinquished command of " Norman " and returned to the Navy Office , Melbourne , as Director of Plans . Having been divorced from his first wife Margaret in November 1941 , he married mineralogist Ada Weller ( also known as Ada Coggan ) on 21 April 1944 ; the couple had a son and two daughters . Burrell took charge of the RAN ' s latest destroyer , , at her commissioning in Sydney on 25 May 1945 . Arriving on the scene too late to see action , the ship was deployed to Japan via the Philippines in July , docking in Tokyo on 31 August . There she participated in the formal surrender ceremonies on 2 September that took place aboard . " Bataan " remained in Japan as Australian Squadron representative until November , assisting with the repatriation of inmates from Japanese prisoner - of - war camp s . On a mission to one such camp at Sendai , Burrell located survivors from the light cruiser , which had been sunk on 1 March 1942 during the Battle of Sunda Strait . Post - war career . Burrell ' s first appointment following the cessation of hostilities was as commander of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla . He was promoted captain in June 1946 , and became Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff ( DCNS ) that October . As DCNS , Burrell played a major role in establishing the Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm and preparing for the introduction of carrier - based aircraft . He then served as commanding officer of the heavy cruiser , flagship of the RAN , from October 1948 to the end of 1949 . Posted to Britain in 1950 , Burrell attended the Imperial Defence College , London , and spent two years as Assistant Australian Defence Representative . He took command of the light aircraft carrier on 2 December 1952 , less than three weeks after she was commissioned into the RAN after transfer from the Royal Navy . The ship began working up for deployment to the Korean War in June 1953 , but in the end her place was taken by the carrier . " Vengeance " was involved in a collision with HMAS " Bataan " near the Cocos Islands on 5 April 1954 , while acting as part of the escort for the Royal Yacht of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their inaugural tour of Australia , but continued on duty . Completing his tour as captain of " Vengeance " , Burrell briefly resumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1954 . He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1955 New Year Honours , and became Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet in February with the acting rank of rear admiral ; this was made substantive in July . In Sydney on 12 May 1956 , he hoisted his standard aboard the recently arrived aircraft carrier , marking her replacement of sister ship HMAS " Sydney " as flagship of the RAN . Burrell was posted soon afterwards to the Navy Office , Canberra , to redevelop the service ' s officer structure and produce a new " General List " . The Second Naval Member ( Personnel ) from September , he again became Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet in January 1958 . Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1959 New Years Honours , Burrell was raised to vice admiral on 24 February and became First Naval Member , the Chief of the Naval Staff ( CNS ) . As CNS , Vice Admiral Burrell had to contend with a threat by Defence Minister Athol Townley to disband the Navy ' s fixed - wing Fleet Air Arm capability by 1963 , but gained approval for a major vessel re - equipment drive that was to include new submarines , destroyers , minesweepers , and auxiliaries . This led among other things to the procurement of British s , selected by Burrell when his original preference for an Australian - built craft proved too expensive , as well as s and the Navy ' s first purpose - designed hydrographic survey ship , . It also resulted in augmentation of the RAN ' s rotary - wing assets with Westland Wessex anti - submarine warfare helicopters . Most significant , however , was the purchase of three guided missile destroyer s , a decision of " ingenuity and forethought " on the part of Burrell and then Navy Minister John Gorton , according to naval historian Tom Frame . The shift in reliance for equipment from Britain to the United States was contrary to prevailing Australian defence policy at the time , and provoked pressure from the Royal Navy and UK shipbuilders , which had lobbied for purchase of their . Burrell later declared that the superiority of the US weapons system was a key factor in his preference for the " Adams " design over the County class . On a mission overseas to discuss trends and acquisitions in January 1960 , he was rebuffed by Britain ' s Chief of the Defence Staff , Admiral of the Fleet Lord Louis Mountbatten , who mistakenly thought him responsible for the imminent dissolution of the RAN ' s Fleet Air Arm , but warmly welcomed by the US Chief of Naval Operations , Admiral Arleigh Burke . In the event , Burrell would gain credit for maintaining the integrity of the FAA , and its fixed - wing component remained a going concern until the early 1980s . He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen ' s Birthday Honours , gazetted on 3 June 1960 . Retirement . Burrell made his farewell to the Australian Fleet aboard HMAS " Melbourne " at Jervis Bay on 8 February 1962 . On 23 February , he retired from the Navy to " Illogan Park " , his property near Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales . He enjoyed horse racing both as a gambler and as the owner of a number of successful mounts . Burrell suffered a serious heart attack in 1980 , having been diagnosed with cardiac problems shortly after his retirement from the Navy . His wife Ada died in August of the following year . In 1986 , Burrell published his memoirs as " Mermaids Do Exist : The Autobiography of Vice - Admiral Sir Henry Burrell " . He died on 9 February 1988 in Woden Valley Hospital . Survived by his three children , Sir Henry Burrell was buried in Gungahlin , Australian Capital Territory .