RAN Ship's Badge, HMAS Warramunga (I), Circa 1955

This is a rare hand painted HMAS Warramunga resin cast badge fashioned after the original 1955 design attributed to Commander Ian K. Purvis, RAN. The badge is mounted on a 19 mm thick piece of varnished maranti. The design depicts a wide-eyed aboriginal warrior holding a barbed spear.

This badge differs from the CO's original design which featured a red background and the motto 'We Hunt: We Harass' but this was abreviated to 'Hunt and Harass' in the 'official' version released by the Navy Office on 30th January 1956¹.

HMAS Warramunga was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built during World War II, the destroyer entered service in late 1942. She was initially assigned to convoy escort duties, but was assigned to the joint Australian-American Task Force 74 in 1943, and was involved in supporting numerous amphibious landings through the South-east Asian region until the end of the war. From 1950 and 1952, Warramunga fought in the Korean War, then was converted into an anti-submarine destroyer. Returning to service in 1954, the destroyer was one of the first RAN ships to operate with the Far East Strategic Reserve, and undertook two tours with the organisation before she was decommissioned in 1959 and sold for ship breaking in 1963.

For a complete history of the HMAS Warramunga visit the Royal Australian Navy's Warraminga (I) page here.

¹The Destroyers: Their battles and Their Badges, Vic Cassells, 2001, ISBN:9780731808939