Donald McKenzie & HMAS Australia: Australians in World War I

Donald McKenzie was one among many whose interest in military service was aroused long before the war. He admired the Royal Navy's Australian Squadron and, in 1907, wrote to the Minister for Defence seeking to enter naval college. As Australia did not yet have a naval college, he taught himself Morse code, and, in 1911, joined the Royal Australian Navy. His skills were immediately put to use as a telegraphist. In 1913, Donald was in the commissioning crew of the new battlecruiser HMAS Australia, flagship of the Royal Australian Navy. He was with the ship when she made her maiden voyage from Portsmouth in England to Sydney. Australia's arrival in Sydney Harbour at the head of the other ships of the Australian fleet was a momentous occasion. The excitement in Sydney was reported in the press. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that the harbour was crowded with vessels full of people hoping to gain a glimpse of the warships. Crowds gathered on ferry boats were so eager to see the ships that people rushed to one side of the deck, and as a result, ‘some of the ferries had a very decided “list”.’ The Defence minister, Sir Edward Millen, referred to Australia having her own fleet as the nation's coming of age. ‘The fleet was welcomed,’ he said, ‘not as an instrument of war, but as a harbinger of peace.’ But war was on the horizon. In August 1914, when it was declared, Donald was still serving on HMAS Australia, having received his rating as a leading telegraphist at the age of only 19. Initially, the ship patrolled the Pacific, ranging from Samoa to New Britain in search of Admiral Graf von Spee's German East Asia cruiser squadron. Australia took part in operations to destroy the enemy's radio network and capture Germany's Pacific colonies. In the early months of the war, she captured the German ship Sumatra off Rabaul. And while en route to England, sank the German supply ship Eleonora Woermann off the Falkland Islands, taking the crew as prisoners of war. In February 1915, HMAS Australia took on a new role in the North Sea. Based at Rosyth in Scotland, she became the flagship of the Royal Navy's 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron. The squadron undertook patrols and convoy escort duties, aiming to dominate the sea lanes, restrict movement of the German fleet, keep supply lines open and guard the British east coast. Allied dominance of the sea ensured the safe movement of ships and supplies to theatres of war, including the Western Front. For the majority of 1915 and 1916, German ships avoided direct conflict. This meant a certain amount of monotonous routine for sailors like Donald. Frequent patrols, but little action. While encounters with enemy ships were rare, danger was not. Mines and submarines remained a threat, as did the bitterly cold conditions of the North Sea. Visibility was extremely low on the afternoon of 22 April 1916 when HMAS Australia and HMS New Zealand collided. The damage to Australia forced her to sail to the United Kingdom for repairs. Rear Admiral William Pakenham shifted his command to the New Zealand. He took his signal staff, including Donald, with him. This decision meant Donald became one of only a few Australians involved in the Battle of Jutland. Fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916, it was the largest naval battle of the war, involving some 250 ships and 100,000 sailors. Jutland was an attempt by the German High Seas Fleet to ambush the British Grand Fleet, but their plans were foiled by Allied codebreakers. The battle resulted in significant damage and loss of life to both sides. Numerous ships were sunk. Donald described his experience in a letter to his father. ‘As you will have heard, my ship, HMS New Zealand, got into the hottest corner of it, and our squadron suffered dreadful punishment. Three of them vanishing before our eyes. By some astounding miracle, not a single man on the New Zealand was hurt and we are all home again, safe and sound. I have reason to be very thankful that I have left the Indefatigable just before she went out on the trip on which she met her doom. Our escape from destruction is nothing short of miraculous, for the shells simply fell round us in showers. The Indefatigable and Queen Mary were blown up alongside of us, and the fact that the New Zealand did not suffer the same fate is due only to the most miraculous luck and the skilful maneuvering of Rear Admiral Pakenham.’ Reflecting on the loss of life, Donald wrote, ‘It is a bit sad to think of all the dear lads in the Indefatigable with whom I was mess mates such a short time ago. Now, at the bottom of the North Sea. But after all, no one could wish for a better fate.’ The battle did not end in a definitive victory for either side. The British sustained greater losses, but not enough to destroy the fleet or lose the balance of power. The Allied blockade continued, playing an important part in Germany's defeat. When she was repaired, Donald returned to HMAS Australia. Encounters with enemy ships proved elusive, and only once was Australia's armament fired at a suspected enemy submarine. In March 1918, Australia took part in important experiments that involved launching aircraft from a platform mounted on one of her gun turrets. Donald may well have witnessed this remarkable early glimpse into the development of naval vessels as aircraft carriers. Donald survived the war, as did his ship, but HMAS Australia did not survive the peace. The disarmament provisions of the Washington Naval Treaty capped the number of capital ships held by each of the signatory nations to the treaty. HMAS Australia was decommissioned under the terms of the treaty. The former flagship was scuttled off Sydney Heads in April 1924 with full military honours. By then, Donald was serving on HMS Ramillies. He did not see his old ship sinking beneath the waves, but HMAS Australia always held a special place in his heart. The young man who had admired the Australian squadron in his youth ultimately devoted much of his life to the Navy. Donald McKenzie survived 2 world wars and returned to sea, serving with the Merchant Navy after the Second World War. His story – and those of his naval comrades – may not be as well known as the stories of those who served in the trenches, but the role of the Navy was crucial to the Allied victory.