Captain Duncan Herbert Stevens (23 March 1921 – 10 February 1964) was a Royal Australian Navy officer, best remembered for being in command of HMAS Voyager when she collided with HMAS Melbourne in 1964, leading to his death. After former Voyager executive officer Peter Cabban alleged that Stevens had been unfit for command, a royal commission was convened in 1967: it found that Stevens was unfit to command for medical reasons, though it only sustained some of Cabban's allegations.
Duncan Stevens | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 March 1921 |
| Died | 10 February 1964 (aged 42) Off the coast of Jervis Bay |
| Allegiance | Australia |
Branch | Royal Australian Navy |
Service years | 1935–1964 |
Rank | Captain |
| Commands | HMAS Voyager (1963–64) HMAS Quickmatch (1955–56) HMAS Cowra (1951–52) HMAS Reserve (1950–51) HMAS Koala (1949–50) HMAS Kangaroo (1948–49) |
Conflicts | Second World War |
| Relations | Major General Sir Jack Stevens (father) |
References
edit- Bennet, Darryl (2002). "Stevens, Duncan Herbert (1921–1964)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- Frame, Tom (1992). Where Fate Calls: the HMAS Voyager tragedy. Rydalmere, NSW: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-54968-8. OCLC 26806228.
- Frame, Tom (2005). The Cruel Legacy: the HMAS Voyager tragedy. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74115-254-2. OCLC 61213421.
- Ferry, D. (2004). "What caused the Voyager collision? Where did the investigation fail?" (PDF). Journal of the Australian Naval Institute (111): 5–16.