General News
10 May, 2025
VETERANS' VOICES: Gordon Keith Verney
Gordon Keith Verney was born in Horsham on June 1 1925.
He enlisted on May 25 1943 at Port Melbourne in the Royal Australian Navy with the service number PM6421.
On joining up, he named his next of kin as Mary Verney.
As an ordinary seaman he served on HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point on Western Port Bay, the primary training establishment for RAN personnel, from May 25 until December 19 1943.
in Sydney (a depot, radar and anti-submarine training school) from December 10 1943 till January 28 1944.
There Gordon completed his dual radar qualification and seamanship and gunnery qualifications.
He served on HMAS Kyara (a tender to the RAN’s naval establishment in Darwin), HMAS Melville (a survey operations and boom defence vessel undertaking search-and-rescue duties) from January 29 until June 11 1944 and the naval training base HMAS Lonsdale Base, Beach Street, Port Melbourne, on June 12 and 13 1944.
Gordon saw service on the destroyer HMAS Quiberon from June 14 1944 to February 5 1945 as an able seaman.
He next served at HMAS Penguin (part of the navy’s Fleet Command and providing trained personnel to the fleet) from February 6 1945 to April 13 1945, followed by HMAS Moreton Base in Queensland from April 14 to 17 1945 and HMAS Magnetic, Townsville, Qld, from April 19 to 24 1945.
Gordon served on HMAS Madang in New Guinea on April 25 and 26 1945, HMAS Falie (an examination vessel primarily patrolling the Port of Sydney and later an armed store ship) from April 27 to 30 1945 and returned to HMAS Madang Base from May 1 1945 to October 18 1945.
He was at HMAS Gililo Base, Maluku Islands, Dutch East Indies, on October 19 and 20 1945 and HMAS Kanimbla (carrying out transport duties around New Guinea, the Philippines and Borneo) from October 21 to 31 1945.
Gordon was again posted to HMAS Lonsdale Base until December 9 1945, HMAS Cerberus from December 10 1945 to April 26 1946 and HMAS Lonsdale from April 26 to May 6 1946.
Gordon was demobilized on May 6 1946.
His last rank was able seaman.
Gordon died on April 27 2012.
He was survived by his wife Norma and four children.
[CROSSHEAD]HMAS Quiberon
HMAS Quiberon was one of eight Q Class destroyers built for the Royal Navy.
Following commissioning on July 6 1942 it was manned by an Australian crew.
The following was published in Army News (Darwin, NT: 1941–46), Thursday June 1 1944, page 4:
HMAS Quiberon Home CANBERRA, Wednesday.
The Australian destroyer, HMAS Quiberon, has returned to Australia after serving in most parts of the world.
She is one of the seven modern destroyers made over to the Australian Government by Great Britain (operated in convoy and fleet escort duties December1942 and January1943).
Quiberon started her service in the Atlantic, escorting troops for the North African landing (Operation Torch).
She helped to sink three enemy destroyers, two merchantmen and two troopships in a two-hour night action against an enemy convoy trying to reinforce Tunis in November 1942.
She rescued the crew of a British destroyer, HMAS Quentin, sunk by a U-boat.
She has served in the Indian Ocean since last March.
Quiberon’s captain is Commander GS Stewart.
On December 21 1942 the ship HMAS Quiberon took off survivors from the burning liner Strathallan, torpedoed off the Algerian coast by a U-boat.
In January 1943 Quiberon left the Mediterranean as part an escort of a convoy bound from England to Cape Town, arriving at Durban on February 27.
She then proceeded to Australia, to Fremantle on March 29, having steamed 51,000 miles on war service.
After refitting at Melbourne, Quiberon joined the British Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean and Kilindini, Kenya, in June 1943.
They took part in air strikes against Sabang in April 1944 and Surabaya in May 1944.
Gordon was posted to Quiberon from June 14 1944 till February 5 1945.
He served in the Pacific and Dutch Indies Campaign.
Quiberon rejoined the Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), on August 1 1944, resuming escort duty in the Indian Ocean protecting convoys between India and Aden.
In October 1944 the ship took part in a series of fleet bombardments of the Japanese-held Nicobar Islands.
In mid December Quiberon detached from the Eastern Fleet and returned to Australia, operating as an escort and anti-submarine vessel on the Australia Station.
In March 1945 Quiberon proceeded to Manus, the United States base in the Admiralty Islands, as a unit of the British Pacific Fleet.
From Manus the ship proceeded north to the operational area and was actively engaged in the closing phases of the war.
Quiberon supported the American seizure of Okinawa and subsequent attacks on the Japanese homeland.
Quiberon’s service career ended when the ship was paid off to reserve on June 26 1964.
With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.
