Research

The AEF Commemorative Foundation Ltd (AE2CF) welcomes research into HMAS AE2’s history and the AE2 today. To alert the AE2CF to existing or intended research, please contact the AE2CF via email. Contact details are available in the AE2CF section of this website or through Contact us.

In addition to the AE2CF, major sources of research information are available through the Australian War Memorial, the National Archives of Australia, and the Submarine Institute of Australia. Other organisations with a relevant research interests are listed in the Links section of the website.

Primary sources

Researchers have used a number of primary sources for information about AE2. These include Australian, English and Turkish books, diaries and newspaper reports. These include:

Stoker H 1925, Straws in the Wind, Herbert Jenkins Limited, London.

Riza Captain & Dulger B 1947, Denizalti Gemisini Marmara’da Nasil Batirdum? (How I Sank the AE2 Submarine in the Sea of Marmara), publisher unknown, Istanbul.

The authors of Stoker’s Submarine, Fred and Elizabeth Brenchley, draw particular attention to the diary of Able Seaman Albert Knaggs who left an important diary of events up until his death in October 1916. They note that this is a contemporary eyewitness account whereas most of the other diaries of AE2 men were written years after the war.

Secondary sources

Print

The AE2CF recognises that the most significant research contributions to date include three books (secondary sources) about the AE2 and its crew. Each of these books contains a detailed bibliography (books, articles and reports, websites). Useful websites are also provided on the Links page of this website.

Brenchley F & E 2003, Stoker’s Submarine, HarperCollins, Sydney.

Basarin V & H 2008, Beneath the Dardanelles: The Australian Submarine at Gallipoli, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest.

Smyth J 2007, The Long Silence: The story of GAG Haggard of Submarine AE2 (self-published).

White WD 1992, Australian Submarines: A History, AGPS.

Stoker's submarine: Cover image

Front cover of Stoker’s Submarine, 2003
© HarperCollins

Beneath the Dardanelles: Cover image

Front cover of Beneath the Dardanelles, 2008
© Allen & Unwin

Additional research is frequently published in journal articles. The following journal articles deal with aspects of the AE2.

Smith T undated, ‘Australia’s naval Gallipoli hero’ in Maritime Heritage, New South Wales.

Holland D A (undated) ‘LCDR Stoker – An Example of Leadership’ in Issue 124 Headmark, [Journal of the] Australian Naval Institute, Canberra.

The following publication is available in PDF format:

Fielding, Colonel Marcus, (undated) 'From the Sea of Marmara to the North Gate of Baghdad - The Story of Four HMAS AE2 Crew Members'.

Multimedia

In addition to print texts, a number of films have been produced about AE2 taking account of new and existing research. These include the following.

HMAS AE2: Then, Now, and in the Future, AE2 Commemorative Foundation 2007

Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2007, News Report

Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2008, Gallipoli submarine

Then, Now, and in the Future and the ABC News Report can be viewed in the Gallery of the Resources section of this website.

Reports

Mission Rehearsal and Training Exercise, Queenscliff 04-07 Feb 2007: Report of Activities (PDF,50KB)

Operation Silent ANZAC: Report to the Australian Government on the Assessment Phase (PDF,227KB)