19 Facts About Roy Dowling

Roy Dowling served as Chief of Naval Staff, the RAN's highest-ranking position, from 1955 until 1959, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, forerunner of the role of Australia's Chief of the Defence Force, from 1959 until 1961.

Roy Dowling became Chief of Naval Personnel in 1950, and Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet in 1953.

Roy Dowling's parents were sugar cane inspector Russell Dowling and his wife Lily.

Roy Dowling was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 April 1921.

In July 1935, Roy Dowling took charge of the gunnery school at Flinders Naval Depot.

Roy Dowling became executive officer on HMS Naiad when the ship was commissioned in 1940.

Roy Dowling defined the functions of maritime power in October 1943 as:.

In June 1950, Roy Dowling was promoted to commodore and appointed Second Naval Member and Chief of Naval Personnel, serving in this capacity until the end of 1952.

Roy Dowling's term coincided with the outbreak of the Korean War, and resultant increased demands on manpower.

Roy Dowling was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1953 New Year Honours, before travelling to London to attend the Imperial Defence College.

Roy Dowling had to preside over cutbacks to operations brought on by government stringency after the Korean War.

Roy Dowling was an early advocate for the establishment of an Australian submarine fleet; in 1963, after several false starts, the first of six Oberon-class submarines was ordered.

Roy Dowling himself considered "separation from families, lack of houses, over employment, high wages and overtime payment in civvie street" as the causes for the Navy's inability to attract and retain personnel; the Allison Report in 1958 led to improvements to service conditions, which helped reduce wastage.

The RANC had moved to Flinders Naval Depot in 1930, and Roy Dowling was pleased to be able to oversee its return to Jervis Bay in 1958, the year before he relocated the office of the CNS to Canberra.

Roy Dowling was succeeded as CNS by Vice Admiral Henry Burrell.

Happily surprised by his appointment as Chairman of COSC, Roy Dowling hoped to transform the position such that it would exercise command authority over the service chiefs, but in this he was to be disappointed.

In September 1959, during the first Laotian crisis, the Australian government had authorised Dowling to commit "an infantry battalion, a squadron of RAAF fighters, air transport, and two RAN destroyers" to support US and SEATO forces, but no intervention took place.

Roy Dowling was the Australian Red Cross Society's Canberra chairman from 1962 to 1967; at the time he took over the chairmanship, Lady Roy Dowling was acting president of the organisation, in the absence of Lady William Oliver.

Roy Dowling was given a naval funeral at St John's Church, and cremated.