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In this article, volunteer researcher Michele Harper canvasses Owen’s remarkable career, including his tenure as the first commanding officer of HMAS Platypus, and traces it back to a childhood passion for the sea.
Early life and influences
William Lloyd Owen was born in December 1927 in the United Kingdom. His father, Howell Owen, was a barrister and a celebrated military hero who served in the First World War. In the early 1930s, Howell was appointed Chief Justice of Sudan, which was occupied by the United Kingdom at the time. Owen developed a deep passion for the sea while undertaking sea voyages between Sudan and England to attend boarding school.
A promising start in the Navy
In September 1941, just three months before his 14th birthday, Owen became a cadet at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional student, earning the First Lieutenant’s Prize Telescope for being the best all-round cadet.
Owen graduated from Dartmouth in March 1945 and began his submarine career with HMS Tantalus. His time in the Royal Navy provided him with a diverse education, including studies in philosophy, obtaining a pilot’s license and qualifying as a First-Class Interpreter in German. He completed his Commanding Officer Qualification Course in 1955.
After holding various submarine commands, Owen joined the Directing Staff at the Royal Navy Tactical School in Woolwich, south-east London, as a submarine specialist. A highlight of his Royal Navy career was commanding the Oberon-class submarine HMS Opossum during an operation beneath the Arctic Ocean ice pack in 1965.
Forging a new path
In 1967, Owen transferred to the Royal Australian Navy to become the first commanding officer of the newly established Australian Submarine Squadron in Sydney. That August, he took charge of the new submarine base HMAS Platypus at Neutral Bay, where his prior experience with Oberon-class submarines proved invaluable.
He served at HMAS Platypus for three years before being appointed Training Commander at HMAS Cerebus for a year. This was followed by a five-year posting in Canberra as Director of Submarine Policy, where he initiated several acquisition projects to upgrade sensors, combat systems and weapons on the Oberon-class submarines. This upgrade program became known as SWUP (Submarine Weapon-system Update Program), which Owen oversaw during his second command of the Submarine Squad in Sydney from 1976 to 1979, when the HMAS Oxley completed her upgrade.
A state-of-the-art force
Owen retired from the Royal Australian Navy in 1983, after moving to Brisbane for his final appointment as the Naval Officer Commanding in Queensland. Captain William Owen spent 41 years with two discrete naval forces. In recognition of his work with the Australian Navy, Owen received a Special Commendation from the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral David Leach.
Owen is remembered by past and present members of the Royal Australian Navy for his leadership and efforts in transforming Australia’s nascent submarine fleet into a state-of-the-art force. Today, HMAS Platypus, now known as Sub Base Platypus, is a site managed by the Harbour Trust, honouring the rich history of the location, including its role as the base for Oberon-class submarines from 1967 to 1999.
References
- Holbrook Submarine Museum, The Submarine and Events. THE SUBMARINERS and EVENTS – FRIENDS OF HOLBROOK SUBMARINE MUSEUM Inc.
- HMAS Platypus. The Sea Power Centre. HMAS Platypus | The Sea Power Centre (navy.gov.au)
- Royal Australian Navy News, Friday 25 March 1983, page 2
- Smith, Peter R, HMAS Platypus - a Submarine Naval Base. Naval Historical Society of Australia. HMAS Platypus - a Submarine Naval Base - Naval Historical Society of Australia (navyhistory.au)
Article was originally published on 16 December 2024.
