on 13 december 2011, the former royal fleet auxiliary landing ship was commissioned into the royal australian navy as . the decision to name the ship after claude choules came about because of his status as the last surviving veteran of world war i; the naming recognises the service of enlisted sailors as part of celebrations of the navy's centenary (the ship is only the second vessel named after a sailor), and also acknowledges the ship's previous service under british control (choules served in both the royal navy and the royal australian navy during his career).