Australian Naval uniforms: RAN and earlier

Williamstown, Vic, c. 1868. Studio portrait of Lieutenant Frederick Oliver Handfield in the full dress uniform of the Victorian Volunteer Navy, holding an officer's full dress cocked hat.

This uniform is in the Australian war memorial collection.

He wears the Arctic Medal, awarded in 1855 while serving with the Royal Navy on HMS Rattlesnake.

He served in the Victorian Navy 1861-1870. (donor R. Handfield)

Arctic Medal

Officers No 6 navy blue superfine woolen mess dress jacket : Warrant Engineer C S Reid, RANR

Black polished cotton lining fabric; Blue woolen fabric; Gilt brass buttons; Gold bullion braid

Worn by Warrant Engineer Charles Sidney Reid, RANR (Sea-Going), who served from 1 February 1916 until about August 1924.

	Black patent leather peak; Blue woolen fabric; Brown leather headband; Bullion wire embroidery; White cotton cap cover; Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Midshipman's blue woolen peaked cap with white cotton cover. This cap, along with the jacket and trousers were purchased for twelve pounds sterling and worn by Thomas Milner who was appointed midshipman in the Royal Australian Navy on 1 May 1934.
He was commissioned with the rank of acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 September 1936 and promoted Sub Lieutenant on 1 March 1937.

Wool serge; Cotton; Royal Australian Navy (RAN) leading seaman gunners No.2 or 3 navy blue wool serge jumper.

Sewn onto the middle of the right sleeve is a seaman gunner non-substantive embroidered red badge.

The badge is a backwards facing cannon with a six pointed star above it.

On the upper left sleeve is a leading seaman's red embroidered rank badge, which is a fouled anchor. Below it is a good conduct chevron with three woven red stripes.

Commander, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY, 1939-45

The R.A.N. was formed in the year 1911 with two destroyers, the H.M.A.S. "Parramatta" and "Yarra", and five similar ships. By 1918 it had 21 naval vessels in service and a brilliant record, including the sinking of the German cruiser "Emden". At the end of World War 2, the R.A.N. had 317 ships

Naval officer's blue superfine wool mess jacket lined with self fabric, black silk and white cotton. Double breasted jacket has a turn down collar, six button holes in each row (four in the turn of the collar and two below) and three pairs of gilded brass Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) officer's buttons. Only the two lower buttons are designed to be fastened. The waist length jacket is slightly roached over the hips and has a rounded peak behind. There are two small welt pockets set on each side of the front of the jacket, parallel with the second row of buttons. Each sleeve has gold lace rank stripes for a lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. This contrasts with the RNR buttons on the jacket. Gerald Ashby Hill was born on Birmingham, England in 1880. He had already qualified as a master mariner in the Merchant Navy when he was taken on strength in the Royal Naval Reserve as a sub-lieutenant in 1909. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1913 and in May of that year was lent for duty under the Australian Government and appointed to HMAS Australia. He was a member of the Military (sea-going) Branch and had completed short courses in signaling, gunnery and torpedoes. This was typical of experienced merchant seaman who were recruited and trained by the Royal Navy and then sent to Australia to assist with development and training in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), which had been established in 1911. Hill was posted to HMAS Yarra in July 1914 and took part in the seizure, from Germany, of New Britain by the Australian Navy and Military Expeditionary Force. He commanded one of the columns sent to capture the Bitapaka Road on 11 September 1914. He transferred to the RAN in 1915 and retired in 1920. He settled in Sydney and died there in 1931.

Black; Merchant Navy Junior Engineer Officer's double-breasted black winter uniform jacket; Merchant Navy Junior Engineer Officer's double-breasted black winter uniform jacket.

Junior Engineer Officer's purple cloth and gold braid rank insignia on the cuffs. Gold coloured metal buttons.

Associated with George Boniface, Merchant Navy, who served aboard M.V. `Neptuna' and M.V. `Merkur', on Australian and South East Asian runs between 1940-46.

He was a member of the Neptuna's crew when it was bombed and sunk in Darwin harbour on 19/2/1942. He lost his possessions when the boat was sunk but this jacket had been left behind in Melbourne to be cleaned.

Female officer's black fur felt tricorne hat with the brim turned up at the sides and back. The hat has a black mohair hat band with a padded RAN officer's badge embroidered with bullion thread on the front.

The crown is covered with a white vinyl cap cover secured by four press studs. The inside of the crown has been marked in white pen with 'L163216/HILLEN'. The inside of the cap is lined with a dark synthetic fabric which is faded and torn at the front.

Worn by L163216 Sub Lieutenant Naomi Hillen of HMAS Success during Operation Spitfire and Operation Warden in East Timor, 1999. Sub Lt Hillen also served in HMAS Tobruk in the Solomon Islands during Operation Trek in 2000-2001.

Lieutenant G A Hill, Royal Naval Reserve

Full dress coat (front)
Gerald Ashby Hill was born in Birmingham, England in 1880. He had already qualified as a master
mariner in the Merchant Navy when he was taken
	Full dress coat (back)
on strength in the Royal Naval Reserve as a sub-lieutenant in 1909. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1913 and in May of that year was lent for duty under the Australian Government and appointed to HMAS Australia. He was a member of the Military (sea-going) Branch and had completed short courses in signalling, gunnery and torpedoes. This was typical of experienced merchant seaman who were recruited and trained by the Royal Navy and then sent to Australia to assist with development and training in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), which had been established in 1911. Hill was posted to HMAS Yarra in July 1914 and took part in the seizure, from Germany, of New Britain by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. He commanded one of the columns sent to capture the Bitapaka Road on 11 September 1914 and was the first member of the Australian forces to capture an armed enemy force in the First World War. He transferred to the RAN in 1915 and served in HMAS Torrens in European waters for the rest of the war. Hill retired in 1920 and settled in Sydney. He died there in 1931. AWM text & images

Cocked hat (part of the Hill uniform)

Naval officer's black 'beaver' cocked hat lined with loosely pleated white silk and a leather sweatband. The upper edged of the hat is edged with black silk lace woven in an oak leaf and acorn pattern. The right side bears a black silk ribbon cockade and a single twist of bright gold bullion looped around a gilded brass Royal Navy officer's button. Each end of the hat bears an inset tassel consisting of five small gold bullions mounted above five gold and five blue bullion eyes.