Australia’s first victory at sea during World War I is commemorated in a new stamp release by Australia Post.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said this wartime event is historically significant as it was the first engagement fought by a warship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy. “The ‘Battle of Cocos Islands’, as it’s sometimes described, took place on 9 November 1914 when the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney responded to an attack by the German light cruiser SMS Emden on a communications station at Direction Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands,” Mr Zsolt said.
Mr Zolt explained that during the battle even though the Emden was the first to fire, Sydney’s more powerful guns resulted in Emden’s eventual surrender after she was deliberately beached on the North Keeling Island reef. There were fatalities on both sides, including 134 crew from Emden and four from Sydney. Australia had a vital interest in bringing Emden to her end as the vessel’s raiding activities in the Indian Ocean put at risk Australia’s exports of wool, wheat and gold to the United Kingdom as well as the despatch of tens of thousands of young men joining the war effort.