To mark the occasion the Royal Australian Navy is looking for descendants of the first three officer entry classes dating back to 1913 to attend this year’s graduation of the new entry officers’ course.

The graduation for course 52 will be held on June 17-18.

The RAN has trained its own officers since 1913.

In 1915 the RAN College moved from its temporary beginnings at Geelong to the new facilities at Captain’s Point on the southern shores of Jervis Bay.

The 1915 entry arrived as new recruits on day one at the college on February 10, 1915. 

The other two classes, who had started the previous two years at Geelong, arrived on February 11. 

At the time the college had 58 buildings, a breakwater, wharf, sewerage farm, water supply and power station and had taken two years to build.

Young boys of only 13 years of age joined as cadet midshipmen and began their naval and academic training in the remote, yet pristine environment.

The training college has continued to operate at Jervis Bay, except for 28 years between 1930 and 1958, when it was based in Victoria.

The classes contained some significant names in Australian naval history.

This 1913 entry is famous for containing many RAN heroes – Collins, who went on to be the first Chief of Navy; Farncomb, a famous World War II character; Burnett, who was killed as commanding officer of HMAS Sydney II in the battle with the Kormoran; Getting, who was sunk by the Japanese as commanding officer HMAS Canberra; Cunningham and Larkins were killed as teenagers in submarine accidents and Feldt, who was famous for his key work as coast watcher in the Pacific War. 

Probably the most notable of the 1914 entry was Waller, the commanding officer of HMAS Perth which was sunk in Sunda Strait.

In an amazing coincidence a relative of the 1915 entry class is in the current new entry officers’ course, which started last week.

If you are able to identify as a descendant of any of the original trainees, or know of someone who might be a descendant of these young men, contact Lieutenant Commander David Jones by email, david.jones10@

defence.gov.au.