Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On the 24th November 1926 the RAN unveiled their WW1 memorial at Flinders Naval Base aka HMAS Cerberus. The officers and men of the Royal Australian Navy resolved some time ago to place their memorial to those of the service who were killed or died on service during the war of 1914-18 at the Flinders Naval Depot. It is the only memorial in Australia dedicated to the officers and men of the fleet, and the depot was chosen because it is the one place which all ranks visit at some period of their service careers.” - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3822993 

 Unveiled by His Excellency the Governor General, Lord Stonehaven, P.C., G.C.M.G., D.S.O.
Dedicated by His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, The Most Reverend Harrington C. Lees, D.D.

The chapel/memorial was originally part of the old drill hall (no longer in existence). It appears this was only ever a temporary solution as “the whole memorial has been so erected that when the navy has a chapel it will be easy to move the windows and tablets into the new building.” – ibid. Little did they realise at the time a chapel would only come to fruition after another world war. The windows and tablets were eventually re-homed in the HMAS Cerberus, St Mark Anglican Chapel https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/5446 in 1954.

RN sailors who were generally speaking on three+ year agreements/loan to the RAN prior or during WW1, were issued RAN service numbers and service cards. Those who served and died on Australian ships, were recorded by the CWGC as RAN and those with headstones lie under the RAN crest. More often than not the RAN paid both their prize money and war gratuity and most importantly without them there would have been no RAN as at the time the RAN was both experience and manpower poor. The nuances associated with RAN recruiting of the day, deem these men do not meet the current VWMA listing criteria however they are acknowledged here on this memorial.