HMAS Curlew (M 1121) was a Ton class minesweeper

Ton class minesweeper

The Ton class were coastal minesweepers built in the 1950s for the Royal Navy, but also used by other navies such as the South African Navy and the Royal Australian Navy...

 operated by the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 (as HMS Chediston) from 1953 to 1961, and the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 from 1962 to 1991. During her Australian service, the ship operated off Malaysia during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during the mid 1960s, then was modified for use as a minehunter

Minehunter

Minehunters are mine countermeasure vessels that actively detect and destroy individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines...

. Delays in bringing a replacement class into service kept Curlew operational until 1990, and she was sold into civilian service in 1991.

Construction

The minesweeper was built by the Montrose Shipyard in Scotland, launched on 20 February 1953, and commissioned into the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 as HMS Chediston.

Royal Australian Navy

The ship was one of six sold to the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 for A£

Australian pound

The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...

5.5 million in 1961. Chediston was modified for tropical conditions, and commissioned on 21 August 1962 as HMAS Curlew.

During the mid-1960s, Curlew was one of several ships operating in support of the Malaysian government during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation

Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation

Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...

. This service was later recognised with the battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

 "Malaysia 1964-66".

In the late 1960s, Curlew and sister ship were modified for use as minehunter

Minehunter

Minehunters are mine countermeasure vessels that actively detect and destroy individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines...

s.

Decommissioning and fate

The delay in bringing the Bay class minehunter

Bay class minehunter

The Bay class Minehunter Inshores were a class of catamaran-hull mine warfare vessels operating with the Royal Australian Navy from 1986. Also referred to as the MHCAT , the class was an attempt to produce a locally designed inshore mine warfare vessel. Two prototype ships were ordered in 1981,...

s into service kept Curlew operational until 2001. Curlew paid off on 30 April 1990 and was sold on 17 June 1991. The vessel was to operate as a salvage mothership, but was unable to be used as such because one of the main engines was unserviceable. Curlew was used in the films Paradise Road and The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line (1998 film)

The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. It portrays men in: C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; in particular those soldiers played by Sean Penn, Jim...

. After several groundings on shallow mudbanks and a short salvage trip to a reef just off the coast of central Queensland, Curlew was sold to a new owner. As of mid-2003, the ship was operating out of Port Huon, Tasmania as a fishing vessel.