The first of her class to be commissioned and the first of her class to be decommissioned, HMAS Anzac entered service in 1996 and operated as part of the East Timor ‘INTERFET’ peacekeeping taskforce in 1999. In 2003 she was the first RAN ship to fire in anger since the Vietnam War when she was involved in the Battle of Al Faw, as part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The history of the ANZACs is legendary for good reason. In May 1996, HMAS Anzac III was granted the Freedom of Entry to the City of Albany, Western Australia. This port is historically significant as it was the departure point for the first convoy of ANZAC troops heading to the Middle East in 1914. It was from this moment that the name 'ANZAC' became deeply associated with the Australian Defence Force and its legacy in World War I. All who served on her, including my husband, exemplified her name and legacy. A special lady indeed.
