| Navy | The Royal Australian Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Bathurst |
| Pennant | J 353 |
| Built by | Evans Deakin Ltd. (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) |
| Ordered | 7 Aug 1941 |
| Laid down | 2 Nov 1942 |
| Launched | 9 Jul 1943 |
| Commissioned | 26 Jan 1944 |
| End service | 3 Apr 1946 |
| History | Decommissiond into Reserve on 3 April 1946. |
Commands listed for HMAS Kiama (J 353)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | T/Lt. Samuel James Benson, RANR(S) | 4 Oct 1943 | Oct 1945 ? |
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Notable events involving Kiama include:
26 Jun 1944
Around 1710K/26, a convoy departed Langemak Bay (Megum Island anchorage) for Humboldt Bay (Hollandia).
This convoy was made up of the (troop) transports; Abigail S. Duniway (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Ada Rehan (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Ambrose Bierce (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Don Marquis (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Franklin K. Lane (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), George Eastman (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), George A. Pope (American, 7212 GRT, built 1944), Henry White (American, 7216 GRT, built 1944), Julien Dubuque (American, 7194 GRT, built 1943), Mormachawk (American, 6711 GRT, built 1942), Otis Skinner (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Robert S. Bean (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Simon Bamberger (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Stephen M. White (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Van der Lijn (Dutch, 2464 GRT, built 1929), Walter Williams (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Watson C. Squire (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) and Wilfred Grenfell (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943).
On departure from Langemak Bay the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN, Senior Officer of the escort), minesweepers HMAS Broome (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Denovan, RANVR), HMAS Bunbury (T/Lt. J.S. Bell, RANR(S)), HMAS Gladstone (T/Lt. J.W. Penney, RANR(S)), HMAS Kiama (T/Lt. S.J. Benson, RANR(S)), HMAS Stawell (T/A/Lt.Cdr. S.J. Griffith, RANR(S)) and the patrol vessels PC-1131 (?) and SC-749 (Lt.(jg) H.W. Sadler, USNR).
At 0040K/27, the transports; Joseph P. Bradley (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943) and Francis A. Wardwell (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) joined the convoy. They were escorted by the patrol vessel PC-1121 (Lt. R.D. Blocksom, USNR) which also joined the convoy.
Around 1000K/28, the Francis A. Wardwell, Joseph P. Bradley and Julien Dubuque were detached to Aitape escorted by all three American patrol vessels.
The convoy arrived at Humboldt Bay around 0800K/29. (1)
20 Feb 1945
During 20 and 21 February 1945, HMS Spirit (Lt. A.W. Langridge, RN), conducted exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Kiama (T/Lt. S.J. Benson, RANR(S)). These included night exercises. (2)
Sources
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta for June 1944
- ADM 173/19698
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.