HMAS Inverell (J233/M233), named for the town of Inverell, New South Wales

Inverell, New South Wales

Inverell is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate...

, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes

Bathurst class corvette

The Bathurst class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the Bathurst class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role.Sixty Bathurst...

 constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by 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...

 (RAN).

After World War II, the corvette was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 (RNZN), where she served from 1952 to 1976.

Construction

Inverell was laid down by Mort's Dock & Engineering Co at Balmain, New South Wales

Balmain, New South Wales

Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....

 on 7 December 1941. She was launched on 2 May 1942 by Mrs. T. S. Punch, Mayoress of Inverell, and commissioned into the RAN on 17 September 1942.

World War II

Inverell began service in November 1942 as a convoy escort along the eastern Australian coast. At the end of December, she was relocated to Darwin, and primarily performed escort runs between Darwin and Thursday Island. On 11 November 1943, Inverell arrived at Williamstown Naval Dockyard for a month-long refit. On conclusion, she returned to Darwin and resumed escort duties.

In early February 1943, Inverall was required to rescue the crew of a United States Army Air Force Liberator

B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

 bomber, which had crashed on Croker Island

Croker Island

Croker Island is an island in the Arafura Sea off the coast of the Northern Territory, Australia, 200 km northeast of Darwin. It is separated from Cobourg Peninsula in the west by Bowen Strait, which is 2.5 km wide in the south and up to 7 km in the north, and 8.5 km long. In...

. Of the eight survivors, one died onboard while the corvette was returning to Darwin. On 22 September 1944, Inverell sailed to Fremantle.

While based in Fremantle, the corvette's main duties was to perform training exercises with United States Navy and Royal Navy submarines, with secondary duties including convoy escort and patrol. Inverell departed Fremantle for Darwin on 4 May 1945. Between 22 May and 11 July, the corvette was involve in minesweeping, before she, sister ship HMAS Stawell

HMAS Stawell

HMAS Stawell was a Bathurst class corvette named for the town of Stawell, Victoria. Sixty Bathurst class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .The corvette later served in the Royal New...

, and Services Reconnaissance Department vessel HMAS River Snake were assigned to Morotai

Morotai

Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...

. Inverell was required to tow River Snake for the first part of the voyage.

Based in Morotai, Inverell was primarily used as a patrol vessel until the end of World War II, when she became involved in the transfer of Dutch East Indies

Dutch East Indies

The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....

 territories from Japanese to Allied control. From 21 September to 18 November, she was designated as the command ship for Port Directorate Macassar. On 29 November, she left Morotai, and spent the next month operating off the coast of Queensland before arriving in Brisbane on 25 December 1945 and preparing for decommissioning. Several delays meant that Inverell was not paid off into reserve until 14 June 1946. On 4 November 1946, Inverell was towed to Sydney by sister ship HMAS Echuca

HMAS Echuca

HMAS Echuca , named for the town of Echuca, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .-Construction:...

, arriving on 17 November.

The corvette received two battle honours for her wartime service: "Darwin 1942" and Pacific 1942-45".

RNZN service

On 5 March 1952, Inverell and three other Bathurst class corvettes (HMA Ships Echuca

HMAS Echuca

HMAS Echuca , named for the town of Echuca, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .-Construction:...

, Kiama

HMAS Kiama

HMAS Kiama , named for the coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ....

, and Stawell

HMAS Stawell

HMAS Stawell was a Bathurst class corvette named for the town of Stawell, Victoria. Sixty Bathurst class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .The corvette later served in the Royal New...

) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 (RNZN). Inverell was commissioned into the RNZN on 10 April 1952, but was decommissioned into reserve after a refit.

In 1965, the corvette was refitted as a training and fisheries patrol ship to replace the frigate HMNZS Rotoiti

HMNZS Rotoiti (F425)

HMNZS Rotoiti was a of the Royal New Zealand Navy, which had formerly served in the British Royal Navy as ' at the end of World War II.-World War II:...

. She was recommissioned on 15 August 1965, and served until 19 August 1976, when she was decommissioned.

On 1 November 1977, Inverell was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland for scrapping.