About This Unit
HMAS Gladstone (I)
HMAS Gladstone was one of sixty Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during World War II in Australian shipyards as part of the Commonwealth Government's wartime shipbuilding programme. Twenty were built on Admiralty order but manned and commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy. Thirty six (including Gladstone) were built for the Royal Australian Navy and four for the Royal Indian Navy.
HMAS Gladstone was laid down at Walkers Ltd, Maryborough, Queensland on 4 August 1942. She was launched on 26 November 1942 by Mrs Watson, wife of a long time employee of Walkers Ltd, and was the first RAN warship to carry the name of the city located in the Gladstone region of Queensland, approximately 550km by road north of Brisbane. Gladstone is home to Queensland's largest multi-commodity shipping port.
Gladstone commissioned at Maryborough, Queensland, on 22 March 1943 under the command of Lieutenant John W Penney RANR(S).
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