Alfred Edgar Buchanan DSO, RAN

Born  10 Aug 1903Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ranks

1 Jan 1921 Mid,
1 May 1923 A/S.Lt.
15 Dec 1923 S.Lt.
6 Jul 1925 Lt.
15 May 1933 Lt.Cdr.
31 Dec 1939 Cdr.
22 Aug 1945 A/Capt.

Retired: 10 Aug 1963


Decorations

27 Mar 1945 DSO
1 May 1945 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)

Warship Commands listed for Alfred Edgar Buchanan, RAN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMAS Arunta (I 30)Cdr.Destroyer27 Aug 194318 Aug 1945

Career information

Transferred to the Emergency List on 28 June 1948.

Events related to this officer

Destroyer HMAS Arunta (I 30)


15 Jul 1944
In the forenoon, HMAS Arunta (Cdr. A.E. Buchanan, RAN) departed Aitape to proceed to the vicinity of Abau to bombard an enemy radio hut on top of a hill. 102 Rounds of 4.7" were fired and the target was reported to have been destroyed the spotter plane.

During the night of 15/16 July, HMAS Arunta, HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. N.A. Mackinnon, RAN) and USS Bache (T/Cdr. R.C. Morton, USN) operated off the coast between Sowam and Matapau but no enemy barges were encountered but enemy trucks on the coastal road were taken under fire.

Meanwhile USS Ammen (T/Cdr. J.H. Brown, USN) and USS PT-129 and USS PT-134 operated near Marubian but this patrol ceased before midnight when these three ships proceeded to the Wewak area to go to the assistance of USS PT-128 and USS PT-133 which had been taken under fire by Japanese coast batteries resulting in the loss of USS PT-133, all hands except one could be saved by USS PT-142 and USS PT-143. USS PT-128 was damaged and two of her crew were wounded. The survivors from USS PT-133 and the wounded from USS PT-128 were then transferred to USS Ammen.

Later on the moring of the 16th, USS Ammen and USS Bache bombarded enemy shore batteries near Cape Karawop on completion of which they returned to Aitape arriving in the forenoon. HMAS Arunta and HMAS Warramunga also returned to Aitape in the forenoon of the 16th. (1)

Sources

  1. Report of proceedings of Task Force 74 for July 1944


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