Hector Waller

Hector Macdonald Laws Waller, (4 April 1900 – 1 March 1942) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

His career spanned almost thirty years, including service in both world wars.

Born on 4 April 1900 in Benalla, Victoria, Hector Macdonald Laws Waller was the son of William Frederick Waller, a grocer, and his wife Helen Waller (née Duncan).

Hec Waller was named in honour of General Hector MacDonald, hero of the Boer War, and a forebear called Laws who was an admiral and a contemporary of Viscount Nelson.

The youngest of ten children, of whom eight survived infancy, he attended Benalla Higher Elementary School.

Waller entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) as a cadet midshipman on 31 December 1913, aged thirteen.

He gained recognition as a rugby player and became cadet captain.

In 1917, his final year at the college, he was raised to chief cadet captain and won the King's Medal, awarded for "gentlemanly bearing, character, good influence among his fellows and officer-like qualities".

Promoted to midshipman on 1 January 1918, he was posted to Britain where, in April, he was appointed to serve in the Royal Navy's (RN) Grand Fleet with the dreadnought HMS Agincourt (1913).

The ship did not see combat while he was on board.

In February 1919, Waller was assigned to the light cruiser HMAS Melbourne, and two months later returned to Australia.

He transferred to the light cruiser HMAS Sydney as an acting sub-lieutenant in September; his rank was made substantive the following month.

In April 1920 he was again posted aboard Melbourne.

Promoted to lieutenant in March 1921, he underwent further training in Britain before returning to join the staff of the RANC.

Waller married Nancy Bowes, a minister's daughter, on 7 April 1923 in the Sydney suburb of Lewisham; the couple had two sons, Michael and John.

In April 1924, he was posted to the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide.

Later that year, he began training as a signals officer in England; his classmates included Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Waller finished at the top of the advanced course and, in May 1926, took charge of the Signals and Wireless-Telegraphy School at Flinders Naval Depot in Westernport, Victoria.

From 1928 to 1930, he served with the RN as a signals officer aboard the destroyer HMS Broke.

He was promoted to lieutenant commander in March 1929.

By this stage of his career, Waller had acquired a strong reputation for his communications work.

In July 1930, he was posted aboard the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) flagship, the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, as squadron signals officer.

He continued in this role upon transferring to Australia's sister ship, HMAS Canberra, in May 1931.

In early 1932, he was assigned to the Navy Office in Melbourne, returning to Canberra as squadron signals officer in August 1933.

He was promoted to commander in June 1934 and the following month became executive officer of the RANC.

Departing the college in July 1936, he returned to England and spent six months in the British Naval Intelligence Division.

A stint as executive officer of the repair ship HMS Resource followed.

He gained his first seagoing command in 1937, as captain of the destroyer HMS Brazen (H80).

In November 1937, Waller was given his first command at sea, the RN destroyer HMS Brazen.

His ship handling was criticised early on, but was soon reported by his superiors as having "improved greatly".

At the helm of the flotilla leader HMAS Stuart (D00) in the Mediterranean from 1939 to 1941, he won recognition as a skilful ship's captain and flotilla commander.

In September 1939, he took command of HMAS Stuart and four other obsolete destroyers that together became known as the "Scrap Iron Flotilla".

In 1940, these were augmented by other ships to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, supporting Allied troops in North Africa.

Waller was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, and twice mentioned in despatches, for his achievements in the Mediterranean.

He assumed command of HMAS Perth in October 1941, taking part in the Battle of the Java Sea shortly before his final action in Sunda Strait.

He then transferred to the South West Pacific as captain of the light cruiser HMAS Perth (D29), and went down with his ship during the Battle of Sunda Strait in early 1942.

Born in Benalla, Victoria, Waller entered the Royal Australian Naval College aged thirteen.

After graduating, he served with the Royal Navy in the closing stages of World War I. Between the wars, he specialised in communications and was posted as signals officer to several British and Australian warships.

He received a third mention in despatches posthumously, and in 2011 came under formal consideration for the award of the Victoria Cross for his performance as Perth's captain.

The submarine HMAS Waller (SSG 75) is named in his honour.