HMAS Sydney ( R17 ) HMAS " Sydney " ( R17 / A214 / P241 / L134 ) was a " Majestic " - class light aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . She was built for the Royal Navy and launched as HMS " Terrible " ( R93 ) in 1944 , but was not completed before the end of World War II . The carrier was sold to Australia in 1947 , completed , and commissioned into the RAN as " Sydney " in 1948 . " Sydney " was the first of three conventional aircraft carriers to serve in the RAN , and operated as the navy ' s flagship during the early part of her career . From late 1951 to early 1952 , she operated off the coast of Korea during the Korean War , making her the first carrier owned by a Commonwealth Dominion , and the only carrier in the RAN , to see wartime service . Retasked as a training vessel following the 1955 arrival of her modernised sister ship , , " Sydney " remained in service until 1958 , when she was placed in reserve as surplus to requirements . The need for a sealift capability saw the ship modified for service as a fast troop transport , and recommissioned in 1962 . " Sydney " was initially used for training and a single supply run in support of Malaysia ' s defence policy against Indonesia , but in 1965 , she sailed on the first voyage to Vũng Tàu , transporting soldiers and equipment to serve in the Vietnam War . 25 voyages to Vietnam were made between 1965 and 1972 , earning the ship the nickname " Vung Tau Ferry " . " Sydney " was decommissioned in 1973 , and was not replaced . Despite several plans to preserve all or part of the ship as a maritime museum , tourist attraction , or car park , the carrier was sold to a South Korean steel mill for scrapping in 1975 . Design . " Sydney " was one of six " Majestic " - class light fleet carriers ; a modified version of the " Colossus " - class carrier , incorporating improvements in flight deck design and habitability . These two classes of carriers were intended to be ' disposable warships ' : they were to be operated during World War II and scrapped at the end of hostilities or within three years of entering service . " Sydney " was the second ship of the class to enter service , following Canadian aircraft carrier . The carrier had a standard displacement of 15 , 740 tons , and a deep displacement of 19 , 550 tons . Her length was between perpendiculars and at her longest point , with a beam of and a draught of . " Sydney " was fitted with four Admiralty 3 - drum boiler s , which provided steam to Parsons single reduction geared turbines ; these supplied to the two propeller shafts , and allowed the ship to reach speeds of . The average size of the ship ' s company in peacetime was 1 , 100 , but could be increased to 1 , 300 for wartime deployments . Refitting the ship to serve as a transport reduced the standard displacement to 14 , 380 tons and the ship ' s company to a core of 544 , which was supplemented by trainees and personnel from the Royal Australian Navy Reserve when required . The Admiralty predicted that all " Majestic " - class carriers would require upgrades to their aircraft lifts and arrester gear in the early 1950s , to operate the faster and heavier carrier aircraft under development . Originally , the RAN wanted to upgrade " Sydney " to the same or similar standard as sister ship , after the second carrier was delivered . The installation of an angled flight deck and mirror landing aid , would have allowed " Sydney " to operate modern jet aircraft . However , financial and manpower restrictions led to the cancellation of this program . Armament , sensors , and aircraft . " Sydney " was initially armed with thirty Bofors 40 mm anti - aircraft guns : eighteen single mountings and six twin mountings . During her refit as a troop transport , the carrier ' s armament was reduced to four single Bofors . The radar suite included two Type 277Q height - finding sets , one Type 293M surface search set , one Type 960 / 281BQ long - range air warning set , and one Type 961 air search set . As an aircraft carrier , " Sydney " operated with the RAN Fleet Air Arm ' s 20th and 21st Carrier Air Groups ( CAGs ) , which were assigned alternately to the carrier . The former was made up of 805 and 816 Squadrons , while the latter was made up of 808 and 817 Squadrons . Twenty - four aircraft , split evenly between Hawker Sea Fury fighters and Fairey Firefly attack aircraft , were normally carried . Two Supermarine Sea Otter amphibious aircraft were carried for rescue duties ( but were never required for this purpose ) ; they were not attached to any squadron , but operated as the ' Ship ' s Flight ' . The amphibians were removed from the ship at the start of her Korean War deployment , and were replaced by a helicopter . During the carrier ' s Korean War deployment , 805 Squadron was added to the 21st CAG to form a 38 - strong wartime air group . While undergoing conversion into a troop transport , the ability to operate aircraft was removed from " Sydney " . However , on seven of the troopship ' s twenty - five voyages to Vietnam , she carried a flight of four Westland Wessex helicopters , sourced from either 725 or 817 Squadron , for anti - submarine surveillance . Construction and acquisition . The ship was laid down by HM Dockyard Devonport in England as HMS " Terrible " on 19 April 1943 , with the Viscountess Astor presiding over the ceremony . She was the only aircraft carrier of the " Colossus " or " Majestic " classes to be constructed in a ' royal dockyard ' : a dockyard owned and operated by the Royal Navy . She was launched on 30 September 1944 by the wife of British politician Duncan Sandys . Work on the ship continued until the end of World War II , when the Admiralty ordered the suspension of all warship construction . A post - war review by the Australian government ' s Defence Committee recommended that the RAN be restructured around a task force incorporating multiple aircraft carriers . Initial plans were for three carriers , with two active and a third in reserve at any given time , although funding cuts led to the purchase of only two carriers in June 1947 ; " Terrible " and sister ship " Majestic " , for the combined cost of AU£ 2 . 75 million , plus stores , fuel , and ammunition . As " Terrible " was fitted out as a flagship and was the closer of the two ships to completion , construction was finished without major modification . Although " Terrible " was due for completion on 24 June 1948 , a skilled labour shortage affected the installation of the ship ' s boilers , causing the Admiralty to revise the delivery date to October 1948 . A commissioning crew for the aircraft carrier was raised in Australia from the ship ' s company of the decommissioned cruiser , which departed from Sydney aboard in June 1948 . Ex - Royal Navy sailors were used to fill out the carrier ' s complement . " Terrible " was handed over to the RAN on 16 December 1948 , and was commissioned at noon as HMAS " Sydney " . One of the reasons behind the choice in name was so AU£426 , 000 raised by the HMAS " Sydney " Replacement Fund after the loss of the light cruiser HMAS " Sydney " in 1941 could be accessed . " Sydney " was the last vessel to be commissioned into the RAN as ' His ' Majesty ' s Australian Ship : as after the death of King George VI on 6 February 1952 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II , all RAN ships became ' Her ' Majesty ' s . Operational history . 1949 – 1951 . Although commissioned in mid - December 1948 , " Sydney " did not enter service until 5 February 1949 , as work was still being completed . On 25 December 1948 , while still fitting out in Devonport , a helicopter from carrying Santa Claus became the first aircraft to land on " Sydney " s flight deck . The ship ' s sea trials and post - commissioning workup were not without event : in early December 1948 , a 771 Naval Air Squadron de Havilland Mosquito crashed while helping " Sydney " calibrate her radar suite , killing both British aircrew , and a RAN pilot undergoing landing qualifications aboard on 17 March 1949 crashed while attempting to land : none were killed , but the pilot ' s Fairey Firefly and four others in the deck park were destroyed . The carrier sailed from Devonport on 12 April 1949 , carrying the 20th CAG . " Sydney " arrived at Jervis Bay on 25 May , where the aircraft of the 20th CAG and training equipment were offloaded for transport to the new naval air station , , before the carrier proceeded to her namesake city . " Sydney " arrived in Sydney on 2 June , and took over as Flagship of the Australian Fleet from on 25 August . 20th CAG was reembarked during August , and " Sydney " exercised in Australian and New Guinea waters until late November . From January to April 1950 , the carrier continued training exercises and visited ports in south - east Australia and New Zealand , and on 7 June , she departed for England to collect the 21st CAG . The 21st CAG embarked in October , and the carrier returned to Australia in December . Before " Sydney " departed in late October , the British Admiralty suggested that she be deployed to the Korean War as relief for and her worn - out catapult , but this was withdrawn because of the plan ' s drawbacks . On 29 January 1951 , " Sydney " was part of an eighteen - ship fleet present in Sydney Harbour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Australia ' s Federation . Following this , the carrier joined a multinational training exercise in south - east Australian waters , then visited Hobart for the Royal Hobart Regatta . During the exercise , a Sea Fury accidentally fired four practice rockets into the superstructure of the New Zealand flagship , : although an inquiry concluded that the pilot had unintentionally pressed the fire button , it was later found that certain signal frequencies transmitted by " Sydney " s radio aerials could trigger a Fury ' s firing circuits . " Sydney " was presented with the Gloucester Cup in April 1951 , recognising her as the most efficient ship in the RAN for 1950 . The two CAGs were switched over in April , and on 3 May , a Sea Fury crashed during a rocket - assisted take off ; the pilot became the carrier ' s first fatality . Korean War ( 1951 – 1952 ) . In March 1951 , the First Sea Lord requested that " Sydney " be deployed to Korea while was refitted in Australia , to maintain a Commonwealth carrier presence . This was agreed to , and a 38 - strong wartime CAG was formed on 14 May by incorporating the Sea Furies of 805 Squadron into the 21st CAG . Because RAN Fireflies were optimised for anti - submarine warfare , and consequently not fitted with cannon , cannon - equipped RN aircraft were loaned for the duration of " Sydney " ‘ s deployment . After completing pre - departure exercises , during which several aircraft were destroyed in non - fatal , weather - induced deck crashes , " Sydney " and the destroyer sailed for Korea on 31 August . While en route , the carrier ' s aircraft were used for a fly - past demonstration over Rabaul on 6 September , following civil unrest . On her arrival , " Sydney " became the first aircraft carrier owned by a Commonwealth dominion to see wartime service . " Sydney " was attached to the United States Navy ( USN ) Seventh Fleet and assigned to Task Element 95 . 11 , which operated primarily off the western coast of Korea . The carrier was sent on nine or ten - day patrols in the operational area , with nine - day replenishment periods in Sasebo , Nagasaki or Kure , Hiroshima between each ; to maintain coverage , " Sydney " alternated with a USN carrier ( initially , then from December with ) . RAN aircraft were mainly used for air strike s against North Korean units and supply lines ; secondary duties including reconnaissance , bombardment spotting , combat air patrol s , and anti - submarine patrols . During her deployment , the carrier operated an unarmed USN Sikorsky Dragonfly ( designation UP28 , which acquired the nickname " Uncle Peter " ) in the search - and - rescue and plane guard roles . This was the first helicopter to operate from an Australian warship , and the first USN equipment used by the RAN . The success of helicopter operations convinced the RAN to acquire three Bristol Sycamore s ; the first helicopter squadron in Australian military service . " Sydney " s first patrol commenced on 4 October , with two days spent providing air support of efforts to push the front line away from the Han River . " Sydney " was then briefly repositioned off the east coast , where her aircraft flew strike missions near Wonsan . After returning to the east coast , " Sydney " set a record on 11 October for light carrier operations : her aircraft flew 89 sortie s during the day , with 31 aircraft aloft at one point . Following her first patrol , the carrier sailed to Sasebo to resupply , but on 14 October , all ships were ordered to sea to avoid Typhoon Ruth . Although the order to clear the anchorage was given that morning , the number of ships present meant " Sydney " did not leave until late in the day , and sailed during the worst part of the storm . A Firefly , a motor dinghy , and a forklift were lost overboard , six other aircraft parked on the deck were destroyed , and the carrier experienced extreme winds — the wind recorder broke after registering . " Sydney " s second patrol began on 18 October , with her aircraft involved in strikes against North Korean units , coastal shipping , railway bridges , and other supply routes . They also performed their first close air support mission on 21 October , providing cover for the 1st Commonwealth Division . Two Sea Furies were shot down on 25 October ; both pilots escaped unharmed . The next day , during a moderately successful strike involving five RAN aircraft against a railway tunnel , a Firefly was shot down inland , deep inside North Korean territory . There were doubts that a rescue helicopter could reach the crash site and return safely , as it was at the extreme limit of helicopter range and some of the return flight would occur after dark . Despite this , Uncle Peter ' s USN aircrew volunteered to try , and after the observer was quickly taught how to use an Owen submachine gun , the helicopter launched at 1622 hours . The four RAN aircraft provided cover for the two downed personnel until they were ordered to return to the carrier ; two of the Fireflies met Uncle Peter at 1715 hours , and turned around to escort the helicopter . At 1733 hours , Uncle Peter arrived at the crash site and collected the RAN aircrew , with covering fire provided by the escorting Fireflies and the helicopter ' s observer . All three aircraft were at extreme fuel limits on their return : the two Fireflies barely made it back to " Sydney " , while Uncle Peter arrived at Kimpo airfield at 1830 hours and had to land with the aid of truck headlights . The rescue was the longest helicopter rescue transit over North Korean territory during the war , and Sikorsky pilot received both the British Distinguished Service Medal and the United States Navy Cross : the only instance of these two medals being awarded to the same person for the same action . " Sydney " was relieved by USS " Rendova " on 27 October and returned to Kure . " Sydney " began her third patrol on 5 November , operating on the west coast of Korea and escorted by the Canadian destroyers , , and , and American destroyers and . On the same day , the first RAN casualty of the war occurred , when a Sea Fury pilot failed to pull up from a strafing run and crashed . Despite foul weather , the carrier ' s aircraft continued to attack lines of supply and communication , and provide support to United Nations ships : the 1000th combat sortie was flown on 12 November , a day before the patrol ' s end . On 18 November , after replenishing in Sasebo , " Sydney " , " Tobruk " , and the British light cruiser sailed to Hŭngnam , where they joined Task Force 95 . 8 to aid a USN bombardment of Hŭngnam during 20 – 22 November . On that day , " Sydney " was being refuelled by when there was an accident that resulted in a large spill of fuel and damage to " Wave Chiefs " refuelling rig . Aircraft from " Sydney " performed strikes against coastal artillery batteries , barracks , industrial areas , and railway lines , and provided a combat air patrol for the ships . At the conclusion of the operation , " Sydney " returned to the west coast , but was unable to resume operations because of snow and high winds until 27 November , a day before being relieved . In December , UN Command temporarily switched some of the responsibilities of Task Element 95 . 11 and the US Fifth Air Force . Consequently , " Sydney " was required to provide air support for convoys between Japan and Korea amongst the other duties of her fifth patrol , which commenced on 7 December . On 8 December , a second RAN pilot was killed ; although successfully bailing out from a flak - damaged Sea Fury , he was struck by the tail of his own aircraft , and died from wounds . Four other aircraft were damaged that day . Clear weather , which lasted until 14 December , allowed the carrier to maintain a high rate of attack against North Korean troop concentrations , railways , and coastal vessels , while providing air cover for the Task Element . Ending on 18 December , the fifth patrol was the most costly to " Sydney " s CAG , with one pilot killed , five aircraft destroyed , and another 25 aircraft heavily damaged . The carrier was in Kure for Christmas , and relieved USS " Badoeng Strait " on 27 December , the start of her sixth patrol . The remaining days of 1951 were spent providing air cover in the Inchon area for both UN ground forces and supply convoys returning to Japan . On New Year ' s Day 1952 , " Sydney " s aircraft helped repel the North Korean invasion of the island of Yongho Do . The third RAN pilot to be lost in Korea died on 2 January while performing a combat air patrol around the carrier ; personnel on the flight deck saw the aircraft fly into a cloud , but not emerge . No wreckage was found , and it was assumed that the plane dived into the Yellow Sea . For most of the patrol , RAN aircraft attacked artillery emplacements and concentrations of junks in the Cho Do - Sok To area , while also proving air support for South Korean Army and irregular forces . " Sydney " s seventh and final patrol commenced on 16 January , with , , , and accompanying . This patrol was marked by minimal flying activity due to extremely poor weather and a lack of co - ordination between UN forces and the convoys RAN aircraft were meant to escort . The primary targets for strike missions were changed from North Korean supply line infrastructure to water tower s , as they took longer to repair . On the final day of the patrol , aircraft from " Sydney " did not fly at all , as overnight weather conditions had rendered all of the deck - parked aircraft unusable , including five which were completely encased in frozen sea water . On 25 January , " Sydney " was relieved by HMS " Glory " , and sailed for home . " Sydney " completed seven patrols during her 122 - day Korea deployment : flying operations were conducted for 42 . 8 days , poor weather stopped operations for 11 . 7 days , transits to and from the operational area or between assignments consumed 29 . 5 days , and 38 days were spent in harbour . During this time , RAN Sea Furies flew 1 , 623 sorties , while the Fireflies flew 743 , with the aircraft using 802 bombs , 6 , 359 rockets , and 269 , 249 rounds of ammunition between them . Three RAN pilots were killed and a fourth seriously wounded , while thirteen aircraft were lost : nine shot down by North Korean flak artillery ( which damaged aircraft on over ninety other occasions ) , and four to deck accidents or foul weather . Replacement aircraft were loaned from British Far East reserve supplies . RAN aircraft damaged or destroyed an estimated 66 bridges , 141 pieces of rolling stock , over 2 , 000 structures , 469 watercraft , and 15 artillery pieces , while causing over 3 , 100 North Korean casualties . Australian damage assessment practice was considered to be conservative , and claims of great underestimation by the RAN were made by US personnel inspecting the aftermath of RAN attacks . Personnel from " Sydney " and her CAG received four Distinguished Service Crosses ( one with bar ) , one Distinguished Service Medal , ten Mentions in Dispatches , and two United States Legions of Merit . Most of the personnel aboard would have been eligible for the Australian Active Service Medal , the Korea Medal , the United Nations Service Medal for Korea , and the Returned From Active Service Badge , while " Sydney " herself was awarded the battle honour " Korea 1951 – 52 " . The carrier ' s presence in Korea allowed the Australian government to avoid deploying additional Australian soldiers . 1952 – 1958 . During her return from Korea , " Sydney " ferried Spitfires and Vampires between several British bases in Southeast Asia . After a brief refit , " Sydney " embarked the 20th CAG in June 1952 , before proceeding on a round - Australia cruise . The carrier visited Manus Island , was present off the coast of the Montebello Islands for the first British atomic bomb test , Operation Hurricane , on 3 October , and arrived back in her namesake city in November . On 25 March 1953 , " Sydney " departed for England with representatives from each of the three branches of the Australian and New Zealand militaries for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II . The carrier and her aircraft participated in the Coronation Fleet Review on 15 June , and visited Canada , the United States , the Caribbean , Panama , Hawaii , and New Zealand on the return voyage , before reaching Sydney on 15 August . The carrier ' s 10 , 000th deck landing occurred during this voyage : a Firefly completed the landing on 17 July , while " Sydney " was en route to Pearl Harbor . " Sydney " left Fremantle on 27 October 1953 for a second deployment to Korea , to support United Nations enforcement of the July 1953 armistice . This deployment , which concluded in January 1954 , was mostly uneventful compared to the first , with flight operations limited to patrols along the demilitarised zone established by the armistice . During operations in Korea , one pilot died when his Sea Fury crashed into the ocean , while another pilot was killed and an aircraft handler seriously injured in separate deck accidents . " Sydney " returned to Fremantle on 2 June 1954 . A planned upgrade of " Sydney " to a similar standard as modified sister ship " Melbourne " was cancelled in 1954 , and she was prepared for service as a training ship . The carrier ' s embarked aircraft were flown off for the last time on 22 April 1955 , and " Sydney " underwent a brief reorganisation during 26 – 29 April before she departed for New Zealand waters on her first training cruise on 2 May . On 1 May 1956 , " Sydney " met " Melbourne " off Kangaroo Island during the latter ' s delivery voyage . The two carriers sailed together for the remainder of " Melbourne " s delivery voyage , visiting Melbourne and Jervis Bay before arriving in Sydney on 10 May . Three days later , the flagship role was transferred from " Sydney " to " Melbourne " . After this , " Sydney " continued on a program of training cruises throughout Australian and New Zealand waters , and visited the Far East Strategic Reserve to participate in a South East Asia Treaty Organisation multi - fleet exercise during September and October 1956 . Following an appraisal process by the RAN , during which " Sydney " ' s potential usefulness as a commando carrier , aircraft transport , or troopship was considered , the ship was paid off into Special Reserve on 30 May 1958 as surplus to requirements . " Sydney " could be reactivated for use as a transport , but required at least four months notice . Fast Troop Transport ( 1958 – 1965 ) . From 1958 to 1960 , opinion within the Australian military swung between reactivating " Sydney " as a fast troop transport ship and disposing of her . The Australian Army saw the need for such a vessel , particularly if war broke out in Southeast Asia : Australian forces would need to be rapidly deployed to the conflict , and sealift was the only way to effectively move the required number of personnel , equipment , and vehicles . However , the RAN did not want the cost of converting and maintaining " Sydney " coming from their share of the defence budget , as they felt there was no further use for her . As both strategic airlift and sealift with other naval or civilian vessels were unfeasible , " Sydney " was reactivated and converted into a fast troop transport ship during 1961 and 1962 . All of her aircraft operating equipment was removed , her hangar was converted into accommodation and storage , and her armament was reduced to four single - mounted 40 mm Bofors . " Sydney " was recommissioned as a Fast Troop Transport on 7 March 1962 , given the pennant number A214 , and assigned back to the training squadron . From April 1962 onwards , " Sydney " was used to train the ship ' s company and Army personnel for the troop transport role , while supplementing the RAN ' s regular training needs . The troopship first saw full use in her new role in August 1963 , when she was used to support an amphibious landing at Hervey Bay , Queensland during Exercise Carbine . From 27 September to 4 October , " Sydney " conveyed the Governor - General of Australia , Viscount De L ' Isle , on a tour of Norfolk and Lord Howe Island s . The ship then departed on a training cruise to northern Queensland , during which five personnel drowned in the Whitsunday Islands . Over several days , groups of trainee officers and sailors had been ordered to take one of the ship ' s whaleboats on a twelve - hour voyage around Hayman and Hooke Islands ; out of the sight of both the carrier and her escort , the destroyer . The third group boat left " Sydney " at around 0500 hours on 17 October with a midshipman and four trainee sailors aboard , and was believed to have capsized four to five hours later . Despite poor weather , " Sydney " s captain had declined an offer by " Anzac " s captain for the destroyer to move to the north of Hayman Island in case of incident , and a search party was not sent until after the boat failed to return at 1900 hours . A Board of Inquiry was held aboard " Sydney " , which resulted in the ship ' s captain , executive officer , and training officer facing courts - martial . The latter two were acquitted , and although the captain was found guilty on one of the charges brought against him , it was dropped on a technicality relating to the wording of the charge . " Sydney " s first overseas deployment as a transport was to Southeast Asia in 1964 . In late May , the ship was loaded with supplies and munitions for Malaysian forces in support of the country ' s defence policy against Indonesia . In total , 1 , 245 personnel were also embarked : engineers from the 7th Field Squadron , the Royal Australian Artillery ' s 111th Light Anti - aircraft Battery , and four UH - 1 Iroquois helicopters plus associated air - and ground crew from No . 5 Squadron RAAF . " Sydney " departed Garden Island just after midnight on 24 May . After entering New Guinea waters , the ship was put on high alert ; radio and radar silence was enforced , while the anti - aircraft guns of the 111th Battery were secured to the ship ' s deck to supplement her armament . " Sydney " met the destroyer escorts and off the Philippines on 3 June , and a day later , the ships arrived at Kota Kinabalu , where the 7th Field Squadron was offloaded with the aid of the Australian Army landing ships " Vernon Sturdee " and " Clive Steele " . " Sydney " and her companions left for Singapore at midnight on 5 June , and arrived three days later to offload 250 tonnes of ammunition . " Sydney " and " Parramatta " then proceeded to Penang , where the 111th Battery , No . 5 Squadron , defence stores , and more munitions were offloaded during 16 – 17 June . The return voyage to Australia was interrupted on the morning of 23 June by the detection of a suspected Indonesian submarine : the two Australian ships performed evasion tactics for eighteen hours before resuming the voyage to Fremantle . No awards were issued to " Sydney " for operating in support of Malaysia during her service life , but a reorganisation of RAN battle honours published in March 2010 saw the battle honour " Malaysia 1964 " retroactively awarded to the ship . Vietnam War ( 1965 – 1972 ) . The main feature of the second half of " Sydney " s career was the twenty - five voyages the ship made to Vietnam in support of the 1st Australian Task Force between May 1965 and November 1972 . " Sydney " , along with the civilian vessels and , was used to transport the majority of the Australian personnel and equipment contributed to the Vietnam War effort . These voyages earned " Sydney " the nickname " Vung Tau Ferry " . The visits to Vietnam were interspersed by other duties , and " Sydney " continued to function as a training ship , with up to 30 midshipmen and 200 trainee sailors aboard at any given time . " Sydney " normally transported 450 soldiers — the main force of a Royal Australian Regiment ( RAR ) battalion — plus equipment and vehicles on each voyage . The soldiers were accommodated in the sailors mess decks , with the sailors displaced to the hangar . Vehicles were secured to the flight deck , while other cargo was packed onto pallets and stored either in the hangar or on the flight deck . Although it was originally intended that " Sydney " would sail to and from Saigon , the ship ' s commanding officer at the time of the first voyage , John Crabb , informed the Naval Board that he would refuse orders to do so , as the Saigon River could easily be mined after " Sydney " had sailed up . Instead , the port of Vũng Tàu was selected as the destination , with soldiers and equipment transferred to shore by helicopters , landing craft , and barges . During the early voyages , unloading and reloading was a multiple - day process , with the transport moving to deeper waters each night , but improved cargo handling practices , upgrades to " Sydney " ( including the installation of three new cargo cranes and six embarked landing craft during mid - 1967 refit ) , and increased access to US cargo - and troop - carrying helicopters , reduced this to a single day by 1967 . Because of the perceived threat from Chinese submarines while in transit and from North Vietnamese swimmers with limpet mines while in harbour , " Sydney " was always escorted by at least one other RAN vessel . While in harbour , boats from " Sydney " and her escort would patrol around the troopship , while divers regularly inspected the hull , propellers , and anchor chain for explosives . On seven voyages , " Sydney " carried four Westland Wessex helicopters for anti - submarine surveillance , sourced from 725 or 817 Squadron . During May 1965 , " Sydney " was undergoing a refit at Garden Island , when she was ordered to prepare the ship for her first voyage to Vietnam . The refit was hastily completed , and cargo loading started on 23 May . A blanket media ban concerning the ship was issued , and soldiers of 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment ( 1 RAR ) and the Prince of Wales ' s Light Horse armoured regiment , along with a logistics unit and a group of journalists were covertly transported to the ship on 26 May to foil any protest attempts . " Sydney " began her departure at 0139 hours ; leaving Sydney Harbour with only her navigational lights lit . The troopship was in Vũng Tàu from 8 to 11 June , and returned to Fremantle on 26 June . " Sydney " was escorted by the destroyer for the entire voyage , and was joined by HMA Ships , , and for parts of the voyage . After loading troops and equipment in both Sydney and Brisbane , the troopship , accompanied by " Melbourne " and , started her second voyage on 14 September . " Sydney " was handed off to " Duchess " and off Manus Island six days later . The three ships reached Vũng Tàu on 28 September , and departed two days later : after clearing the Market Time area , the two destroyers headed for Hong Kong , while " Sydney " proceeded to Subic Bay , then her namesake city , where she arrived on 20 October . Despite these deployments , " Sydney " was later presented the Gloucester Cup for 1966 ; being the most efficient vessel in the RAN that year . " Sydney " sailed to Vietnam for the third time on 24 April 1966 , with units from both 5 RAR and 6 RAR aboard . She met her escorts , , , and " Melbourne " en route : the two smaller ships accompanied " Sydney " into Vũng Tàu from 4 to 6 May , while the aircraft carrier " Melbourne " left the group as soon as they reached the Vietnam operational area . " Sydney " and her escorts arrived in Hong Kong on 9 May , with the troopship returning to Sydney on her own on 18 May . On 25 May , " Sydney " departed on her fourth voyage to Vietnam , with the remaining units of 5 RAR and 6 RAR aboard , plus equipment and personnel of No . 9 Squadron RAAF . Carrying the remaining units of 5 RAR and 6 RAR , plus equipment and personnel of No . 9 Squadron RAAF and escorted by " Yarra " , " Melbourne " , " Derwent " , and " Vendetta " for varying sections of the voyage , " Sydney " arrived in Vũng Tàu on 6 June . The voyage officially ended with the arrival of " Sydney " and " Vendetta " in Hong Kong on 11 June . In November , " Sydney " provided assistance to the submarine , which ran aground on Frederick Reef . On 1 March 1967 , the ensign flown by RAN ships was changed from the British White Ensign to the Australian White Ensign . " Sydney " became one of only two RAN ships to undergo wartime service under both ensigns — the other being — and the only RAN ship to fly two ensigns during the same conflict . With 7 RAR embarked , " Sydney " departed her namesake city on 8 April for her fifth voyage to Vietnam . With " Vampire " escorting and Westland Wessex helicopters aboard for the first time , the troopship spent 20 April disembarking 7 RAR in Vũng Tàu before arriving in Singapore two days later . On 28 April , the two ships left Singapore on the sixth voyage , to collect 5 RAR . The battalion was embarked on 30 April , with " Sydney " arriving home on 12 May . Although the fifth and six voyages are officially recorded separately , they are sometimes counted as a single trip , because " Sydney " did not return to Australia in between . " Sydney " s seventh voyage began on 19 May from Brisbane , with 2 RAR and a company from 1st Battalion , Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment — the first New Zealand infantry force sent to Vietnam . " Sydney " and the destroyer escort " Stuart " reached Vũng Tàu on 30 May , where the troopship ' s passengers were offloaded by Chinook helicopters and replaced by 6 RAR . The ships left Vietnam on the same day , and arrived in Brisbane on 14 June . The eighth voyage required " Sydney " to transport 3 RAR from Fremantle . Departing on 20 December , " Sydney " was met by " Yarra " en route , with the two ships arriving in Vietnam on 27 December , and returning to Fremantle on 3 January 1968 . On 17 January 1968 , " Sydney " departed Sydney on her ninth voyage to Vietnam . Meeting " Stuart " off Singapore on 25 January , the two ships visited Sattahip , Thailand on 31 January before continuing on to Vietnam . " Sydney " arrived in Vũng Tàu on 3 February , and departed the same day for home ; arriving in Sydney on 16 February . " Sydney " s tenth voyage began on 27 March , with 1 RAR embarked for their second Vietnam deployment , and the destroyer escort " Parramatta " meeting the troopship off Singapore . The battalion was delivered to Vũng Tàu on 9 April , with 7 RAR on board for the return to Australia , where they arrived on 26 April . The eleventh voyage saw " Sydney " , with the destroyer " Anzac " escorting , depart Brisbane on 21 May with 4 RAR aboard . The ships arrived at Vũng Tàu on 1 June , where the battalion was replaced by 2 RAR for the return voyage to Brisbane , which was reached on 13 June . After this voyage , " Sydney " underwent an extensive refit in which she was fitted with three new Favelle Favco - type cargo cranes and modified to carry six Landing Craft , Vehicle , Personnel ( LCVP ) on davits . 16 landing craft were constructed for use with " Sydney " , but half were put up for sale in the early 1970s . During September and October , " Sydney " temporarily resumed flagship duties , and participated in the amphibious warfare exercise Coral Sands . After the exercise , the troopship undertook a training cruise to New Zealand . " Sydney " s twelfth voyage was to deliver 9 RAR to Vietnam . The troopship sailed from Fremantle on 13 November , and met the destroyer " Duchess " off Singapore on 18 November . 9 RAR was delivered to Vũng Tàu on 20 November , while 3 RAR and a damaged de Havilland Caribou were loaded for the return trip , which concluded in Fremantle on 28 November . At the start of 1969 , the RAN ' s ship designation and numbering system was altered from the British pennant system to a new system based on the United States ' hull classifications : " Sydney " was assigned the pennant number P214 . The troopship began her thirteenth voyage on 8 February 1969 , when she sailed from Fremantle with 5 RAR aboard . " Sydney " and the destroyer escort " Derwent " arrived in Vũng Tàu on 15 February and departed the same day with 1 RAR embarked , with the troopship reaching Townsville on 25 February . A training cruise in March saw the ship visit New Zealand and Fiji . " Sydney " ' s fourteenth voyage , to deliver 6 RAR to Vietnam and return with 4 RAR , commenced on 8 May when " Sydney " sailed from Townsville . She met the destroyer " Vampire " off Singapore on 14 May , reached Vũng Tàu five days later , and arrived back in Brisbane on 30 May . On 17 November , " Sydney " and the destroyer " Duchess " departed Brisbane on the troopship ' s fifteenth voyage to Vietnam , with 8 RAR aboard . The ships reached Vũng Tàu on 28 November ; 8 RAR was replaced by 9 RAR , which was delivered to Fremantle on 5 December . " Sydney " , with 7 RAR on board , and the destroyer escort " Yarra " departed from Sydney for the sixteenth voyage on 16 February 1970 . They arrived in Vietnam on 27 February , with " Sydney " embarking 5 RAR for the voyage to Fremantle , where they arrived on 5 March . On 16 April , " Sydney " was one of 45 vessels from 13 nations assembled in Sydney Harbour to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary , marking James Cook ' s discovery of the east coast of Australia . Later that month , a visit to Portland , Victoria coincided with the Bicentenary Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh . " Sydney " sailed from Fremantle on 21 October on the seventeenth voyage to Vietnam . The troopship met the destroyer " Vendetta " off Manila , and reached Vietnam on 31 October , where 2 RAR was offloaded and 8 RAR embarked . The two ships departed a day later , with " Sydney " reaching Brisbane on 12 November . At the start of February 1971 , the troopship visited Hobart to serve as the flagship of the Royal Hobart Regatta , before she sailed to Adelaide , embarked 3 RAR , then departed on her eighteenth Vietnam voyage on 15 February . " Sydney " met the destroyer escort " Yarra " en route , with both ships reaching Vũng Tàu on 25 February , where 7 RAR boarded for the return voyage . On 2 March , two days before reaching Fremantle , the ashes of Rear Admiral Harold Farncomb were scattered from " Sydney " . " Sydney " sailed again from Adelaide on 26 March for her nineteenth voyage , carrying general cargo and foreign aid supplies for Cambodia . She met the destroyer " Duchess " off Singapore on 3 April , and the two ships arrived in Vũng Tàu on 5 April . The voyage officially ended when " Sydney " and " Duchess " arrived in Hong Kong on 8 April , and after a short period of recreational leave , the troopship returned to Australia . The twentieth voyage saw " Sydney " sail from Townsville on 13 May , with 4 RAR embarked . She met " Duchess " and " Parramatta " en route , and reached Vũng Tàu on 22 May . The ships left a day later , with 2 RAR aboard for the voyage home . " Sydney " arrived in Townsville on 1 June . In July 1971 , " Sydney " sailed to Esquimalt , British Columbia for Canada ' s centennial naval assembly . She then visited San Diego to collect ten new A - 4G Skyhawk aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm , and delivered these to Australia in mid - August . On 20 September , " Sydney " departed on the twenty - first voyage to Vietnam . The troopship first sailed to Singapore , where she offloaded equipment for the ANZUK force and met the destroyer escort " Swan " . The two ships were in Vũng Tàu for 6 – 7 October , during which 3 RAR was heli - lifted to " Sydney " for return to Australia , with the troopship arriving in Adelaide on 16 October . Ten days later , " Sydney " sailed from her namesake city for her twenty - second visit to Vietnam , with a cargo of Defence Aid stores . Meeting the destroyer escort " Derwent " en route , " Sydney " arrived in Vũng Tàu on 6 November , where the stores were offloaded and replaced by Australian personnel and equipment from assorted units over a two - day period . Arriving back in Sydney , the troopship left again on 24 November for her twenty - third voyage to Vietnam . " Sydney " met " Swan " off Subic Bay , then arrived in Vũng Tàu on 8 December , where 4 RAR , the 104th Battalion of the Royal Australian Artillery , and No . 9 Squadron were embarked for the return to Australia . The ship was visited by South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu before departing , who thanked the efforts of the Australian military during the Vietnam War . " Sydney " arrived in Townsville on 17 December . " Sydney " left for her twenty - fourth voyage to Vietnam on 14 February 1972 ; the troopship and the destroyer escort reached Vũng Tàu on 28 February , where 457 Australian soldiers from various units boarded . They left the next day , and " Sydney " reached Townsville on 9 March before arriving in her namesake city three days later , concluding the military involvement of the RAN in the Vietnam War . " Sydney " underwent a refit between 22 May and 20 October , then departed on 1 November for her twenty - fifth journey to Vietnam , carrying defence equipment and foreign aid supplies for South Vietnam and the Khmer Republic . " Sydney " and the destroyer " Vampire " reached Vũng Tàu on 23 November , and sailed a day later with miscellaneous Australian equipment aboard . During the return voyage , " Sydney " encountered the disabled merchant ship " Kaiwing " , and towed her to Hong Kong for repairs , arriving on 30 November . During her voyages to Vietnam , " Sydney " transported 16 , 902 soldiers , 5 , 753 deadweight tons of cargo , 2 , 375 vehicles , and 14 aircraft . Initially , personnel from " Sydney " , the other transport ships , and their escorts , could not claim time served on logistics or escort deployments towards the active service requirements of the Vietnam Medal , the Australian Active Service Medal , or the Returned From Active Service Badge : the Department of Defence had attempted to limit the cost of repatriation benefits by taking the stance that these ships were not eligible as they were not in combat . Following numerous campaigns to change this , the Australian government issued the Returned from Active Service Badge to all these personnel in 1986 , and allowed them to receive military service pensions . Further campaigning and legal challenges resulted in the creation of the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal in 1992 , which was presented as a campaign medal to personnel who did not meet the requirements for the Vietnam Medal , but were still involved in the conflict . Similar efforts were made to have " Sydney " s service recognised with a battle honour : according to Nott and Payne , such a battle honour is yet to be awarded as of 2008 , although a 2006 Department of Defence press release lists the honour " Vietnam 1965 – 72 " among those awarded to the ship . The battle honour was confirmed in an updated list released in March 2010 . Final years , decommissioning and fate . The ship was assigned the pennant number L134 during 1973 . At the start of the year , " Sydney " was marked for a potential deployment to Mururoa in support of a Royal New Zealand Navy frigate sent to protest French nuclear testing at the atoll . The former carrier was chosen as she was capable of replenishing smaller vessels , and the RAN ' s dedicated replenishment oiler , , was undergoing refits . The Australian government did not want to send a warship until all other avenues of protest had been exhausted ; the length of this delay meant " Supply " s refit was finished before " Sydney " was deployed , and the oiler was sent instead . " Sydney " visited Singapore in March , returned to Australia , and sailed to New Zealand in April : she participated in training exercises during both visits . The troopship was then involved in a joint warfare exercise in Jervis Bay during May . On 20 July 1973 , the Australian government decided that " Sydney " was to be decommissioned . A refit planned to start late in the year was cancelled , and on 12 November 1973 , " Sydney " was paid off and marked for disposal . The ship had sailed since she was first commissioned : as an aircraft carrier , and as a fast troop transport . Several suggestions for disposal were made by various companies and agencies . The Geelong Regional Tourist Authority wanted the ship moored in Corio Bay for use as a maritime museum , convention centre , and floating casino . The Naval History Society of Australia suggested that the island superstructure be removed and located in The Rocks as a maritime museum , while the owners of the Sydney Opera House planned to use the ship as a floating car park . Tenders closed on 7 October 1975 , and the ship was sold on 30 October for breaking up as scrap metal to the Dongkuk Steel Mill in Seoul , South Korea for A $ 673 , 516 . " Sydney " was towed from her namesake city by a Japanese tugboat on 23 December 1975 , leaving at 1300 hours . " Sydney " had been originally slated for replacement in the 1960s , with rumours circulating that the new ship would either be an amphibious assault ship of the United States " Iwo Jima " class , or the British carrier . The assault ship rumour was proven false by the early 1970s , while the acquisition of " Hermes " was still under discussion in the 1980s as a possible replacement for sister ship HMAS " Melbourne " . Following the decommissioning of " Sydney " , the Australian Defence Force did not possess a long - range troop transportation capability until the modified Round Table - class landing ship was commissioned in 1981 . The ship ' s service , along with the previous two ships of the name , is commemorated by a stained - glass window at the Garden Island Naval Chapel . The carrier ' s chapel and bell were removed and installed at the naval base in 1974 , then were relocated to the Australian National Maritime Museum ' s collection in the 1980s . One of " Sydney " s anchors is displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at .