Touring exhibition War at Sea – the Navy in WWI opens at the Western Australian Museum – Albany this weekend.

Among the stories told is that of Australia’s first submarine AE1 which disappeared while patrolling the seas near present day New Guinea on 14 September 1914. No trace of the vessel or its 35 crew has been found to this day.

WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said it is important to remember and recognise the contribution and commitment of Australian sailors and submariners in World War One.

“This exhibition from the Australian National Maritime Museum draws on the personal accounts of Navy servicemen – through their diaries, mementoes, ship’s logs and their letters home – to tell their stories of bravery and sacrifice amidst the relative drudgery of life at sea, patrolling, blockading and escorting troopships,” Mr Coles said.

War at Sea – the Navy in WWI explores four major themes: the development of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) into a small but formidable force; Australia's first great naval battle between HMAS Sydney and the German cruiser SMS Emden; the Navy's involvement in the Gallipoli campaign; and the RAN in global war.

WA Museum – Albany Regional Manager Rachael Wilsher-Saa said the exhibition features rare objects from the National Maritime Collection, the Australian War Memorial, and the National Film and Sound Archive including medals posthumously awarded to Lieutenant Leopold Florence Scarlett.

“As well as acknowledging the bravery of Australian sailors, the exhibition also highlights the tragedy of the war and the loss of life, and features letters of condolence following the disappearance of AE1, including a letter from Winston Churchill to a grieving widow,” Ms Wilsher-Saa said.

Visitors will see rare archival footage of the Navy during World War One which provides a window into life at sea during those difficult times.

The activities and subsequent loss of AE2 off Gallipoli is highlighted by footage from inside the shipwreck filmed during the first dive to the site by Australian and Turkish maritime archaeologists last year.

Australian National Maritime Museum director Kevin Sumption said Australia’s involvement in World War One was a defining moment in our Nation’s history.

“The contribution of the Royal Australian Navy to the First World War, by a naval fleet formed less than a year before the outbreak of war, was significant, serving in all theatres of the war from the Pacific and Indian Oceans to the Mediterranean and North Seas,” Mr Sumption said.

“It is our hope that this exhibition will give due recognition to the brave naval servicemen who sacrificed so much.”

War at Sea – the Navy in WWI begins on 11 June and ends 28 August 2016.

The tour is made possible with the assistance of the Australia Council and Visions Australia: Regional Exhibition and Touring Fund and is proudly supported by presenting partner, the Returned and Services League of Australia.

http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/albany/war-sea

Media contact
Sharna Craig
Media and Publicity Officer
Western Australian Museum
sharna.craig@museum.wa.gov.au