HMAS Sydney
Majestic class aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy

History and current status

Accepted for service 5 February 1949,    
Sailed from Devonport 12 April 1949
Arrived Australian March 1949 with 805 Squadron Hawker Sea Furies, a
nd 816 Squadron Fairey Fireflies embarked.
Returned to England in July 1950 to embark two further RAN air squadrons,
808 Squadron Sea Furies and 817 Squadron Fireflies
Return to Australia in October and arriving at Sydney on 8 December 1950.
In September 1951 Sydney, under the command of CAPT David H. Harries RAN, relieved HMS GLORY as the carrier representative of the British naval forces in the Korean theatre.

Sydney began her first patrol of the Korean War on 4 October in the western theatre, transferring four days later to the east coast for special operations on 10/11 October. On 11 October, operating against troop concentrations and suspected store dumps on the east coast, Sydney created a light fleet carrier record by flying 89 sorties, making a total of 147 sorties in two days of operations.

Sydney’s second patrol occurred from 18 to 26 October, during which her aircraft flew 389 sorties, fired 96,280 rounds of ammunition and 1,472 rockets, and dropped 95,000 pounds (43,000 kg) of bombs.
Two Sea Furies and one Firefly were lost with no casualties,
and 28 aircraft were damaged by flak.

Sydney completed seven patrols during the Korean War, spending 64 days in the area.
More information at:www.britains-smallwars.com/carriers/Sydney.html

From 1952 to 1958
Sydney was present for the first British atomic bomb test, Operation Hurricane.
The test occurred on 3 October 1952, off the coast of the Montebello Islands, Western Australia.Sydney transported the Australian service contingent to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and participated in the Coronation Fleet Review on 15 June.

Sydney continued in service as a carrier until her newer sister ship,
HMAS Melbourne, took over the RAN's aircraft carrier and flagship roles.
A planned upgrade of Sydney to a similar standard was cancelled, and she disembarked her air squadrons 22 April 1955.
She took on a training role within the RAN fleet,until she was paid off to Special Reserve in Sydney on 30 May

Sources http://www.navy.gov.au/817_Squadronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vung_Tau_Ferry

More detail information at: http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Sydney_(III)