HMAS Anaconda and HMAS Mother Snake began their lives as AV 1369 (Lagunta) and AV 1354 (Murchison) respectively.

During the final stages of World War 11 Anaconda was employed as a workshop and headquarters vessel; Mother Snake served as Mother Ship to SRD craft in Borneo and The Moluccas. Both were handed over to British Civil Administration Borneo in 1945.

A third vessel AV 1358, Greenogh was launched on 15 July 1945 at Fremantle but she never entered service with the SRD.

Displacement Tons: Gross 316
Dimensions Feet: Length 125, Beam 24, Draught 12.6
Machinery: 2x Diesels 300-320Hp
Speed: 9 Knots
Crew: 14
Armament: 1x20mm Oerlikon and Machine Guns.

Crew Numbers varied from vessel to vessel and each was commanded by an RAN Lieutenant with an army captain as Chief Officer. An RAN Petty Officer as Coxswain and an Army Sergeant as Radio Operator. Seven RAN personnel served aboard as seamen with one Sergeant as cook and another three in the workshop.

Down the engineroom power was provided by two Lister Blackstone EPVM4 Diesels plus a Crossley Auxillary.

The hold measured 54 Feet in Length with the tanks capable of carrying 3,200 Gallons of fuel (range 2400 nm) and another 1000 gal of water.

Equipment consisted of 2x 17 Foot lifeboats carried aft on Davits and 1x 18 Foot Motor boat with a 4 Cylinder petrol engine.

Anaconda was commisioned into the RAN 23rd May 1945 and was active around the waters of the Philippines, Moluccas and Borneo. The ship was towed back to Sydney in 1946 reverting back to the army, she was sold in November 1946 for conversion to a fishing boat.

Mother Snake stayed in Borneo - Fate unknown.

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