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HMAS Castlemaine
Gem Pier WILLIAMSTOWN, HOBSONS BAY CITY

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    • Veterans Description for Public

      HMAS Castlemaine - Veterans Description for Public

      HMAS Castlemaine is one of sixty Bathurst-class minesweepers or corvettes built during the Second World War. She was built at Williamstown and launched on 7 August 1941 by Mrs R. G. Menzies. The Castlemaine was commissioned on 17 June 1942, and is the last of the fifty-six who served with the Royal Australian Navy remaining afloat.

      After escort duty to New Guinea, the Castlemaine landed Damien Parer and three other war correspondents at Betano on the south coast of East Timor on 4 November 1942. She was involved in the evacuation of the 2/2nd Independent Company in December, with HMAS Armidale. The Castlemaine was bombed and lost four crew, while Armidale was sunk on 1 December.

      The Castlemaine resumed escort duties and returned to Sydney in July 1943 after 327 days at sea. After a refit, she served in New Guinea waters until 1944. In 1945, she was based in Darwin as a survey vessel, before sailing to the Philippines and clearing mines in Hong Kong as the war ended. The Castlemaine had steamed 117 000 miles and had 13 000 hours under way on war service. She was paid off in 1945 and later used for training purposes at HMAS Cerberus until the 1970s.

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