A Farewell to those with whom we served...

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:03 am

HMAS VOYAGER

Quo Fata Vocant (We Go Where Destiny Calls)

10 February 2010 is the 46th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS VOYAGER, with the loss of 82 crew. This was and still is the greatest peacetime disaster the RAN has ever suffered.

On the night of 10 February 1964 HMAS VOYAGER was in company with the Carrier HMAS MELBOURNE preparing to carry out night flying exercises approximately 20 miles off the coast from Jervis Bay NSW. VOYAGER's task was to act as plane guard, in case an aircraft failed to make a landing on or take off from the carrier and had to ditch into the oggon. She had practiced this manoeuvre with the Carrier many times in the past including that day, so what happened and why it happened can never be fully explained.

At 2052 VOYAGER was tasked by MELBOURNE to change to a new course in an attempt to "find the wind" to allow flying operations to commence. As part of the manoeuvre she had to take up a new position on the port aft quarter of the Carrier. During the manoeuvre at 2055 something went terribly wrong and she came into collision with the MELBOURNE. The collision cut the ship in two just aft of the bridge. The bow section began to sink immediately due to the weight of the forward 4.5"gun mounts and went down in minutes. The stern section remained afloat and did not sink until after midnight. Of the 413 crew onboard that night 14 Officers and 67 sailors and a civilian dockyard worker died. Most of those who died were in the forward section and could not manage to escape through the ship's escape hatches.

Many acts of courage were displayed that night, in particular that of CPO Jonathon "Buck" Rogers who, knowing that he could not escape because of his size, assisted other sailors out of the escape hatches and then toward the end, led the others with him who also could not escape in hymns as the bow section went down - (Survivors, swimming away from the ship reported sounds of singing from inside the bow section as it slipped below that waves). CPO Rogers was awarded the George Cross, posthumously for his action and courage. There were many other acts of selfless courage displayed that night by members of the VOYAGER crew.

It took two Royal Commissions to determine the cause of the accident and many years for the survivors and victims of this tragedy to obtain just compensation. The last claim was settled in July 2009, 45 years after the accident. Unfortunately the claimant had by then died in 2003.

Please take time tomorrow to remember the crew of HMAS VOYAGER and their families. Their loss and devotion to duty and the Royal Australian Navy should not go unmarked in history.

The Naval Ode.

They have no grave

but the cruel sea.

No flowers lay at their head.

A rusting hulk is their tombstone.

Afast on the ocean bed.

They shall not grow old

as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning,

we will remember them.

Lest we forget

tafmo · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:58 pm

Very sad event Seejay, and as you indicate by the compensation farce, a sobering reminder of how little value our politicians and bureaucrats place on service to our country.

Certainly not an isolated event....other justifiable claims by accident survivors, or by those seriously injured by Defence negligence or bloody-mindedness.....all seem to suffer the same fate....vigorous and expensive opposition to payment...yet the same ar*eholes bend over backwards to pay out $$$$$$$$$$$ for frivolous and ridiculous claims by illegal immigrants etc.....talk about disgusting.... :angry4:

I'm currently reading "Where Fate Calls" by Tom Frame, about the Voyager disaster. Good book, though it does drag on a bit. Sure highlights the many vested interests and politics in play at the time of the disaster and throughout the Royal Commissions.

He was a young Lieutenant working for Mike Hudson as Research Officer at the time, and got Wingnut's approval to research and write the book. Mike probably regretted that approval after it was published as it didn't spare the Navy or individuals, or as Wingnut put it..."...has been harsh in some of his judgements...." I would have opted for truthful and accurate.....

Well worth a read. :supz:

Peter Weyling · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:11 pm

My brother in HMAS Hawk was sent into the water that night to rescue people/ pull bodies from the water. He was sent in with a rope tied around his waist. He was an excellent swimmer, having won many awards in the Dalby Swimming Pool, but that rope didn't help him at all......plus the fact from where he was in the water, he couldn't see what was happening on the surface due to the spotlights flicking across the water surface.
He still suffers from memories of it.

It was not a nice place to be!!!!!

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:20 pm

That certainly was an eye-opener of a book Tafmo, and I agree about your 'truthful and accurate' description.

I served with a number of Voyager survivors over the years, and whilst they were reticent to disturb old wounds they were unanimous in their condemnation of their treatment after the events of that fateful night.

Treatment by the navy and the government, that is, not their mates on Melbourne.

Having read a bit about the night, and heard a bit from those who survived, I keep thinking of a Yank admiral/general's words (can't remember his name) in talking about one of the Pacific campaign's battles.

Uncommon valour was a common virtue at that time.

As it would have been that night.

piquet · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:15 pm

There is another book that really blows away what acover up there really was is "Breaking Ranks"by Peter Cabban. He was the XO on voyager and left the RAN just prior to the Voyager crash. He was up top with Voyager in the period leading up to the sinking.

Also when I first joined up I was a JR (dont hold it against me) I tx to Nirimba in July 67. There was a kellik SV at Leuwin in charge of the hut that I was living in. He was Roy Dunbar. He was a Voyager survivor and apparently in the victualling office on stbd side near the break when the Voyager was sliced in half. He was still a mess in 1967 a couple of years afterwards. I lost track of him over the years only to hear about ten years ago that he committed suiciude. Just after Monty Hollows, who had been handling the compensation cases, died.
cheers
pete sneddon

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Mon May 03, 2010 4:16 pm

It is with regret that we advise of the passing of WEEO CMDR Ronald Mervyn JEMESEN, RAN (Rtd) age 63, this morning Monday, 3 May 2010.

Funeral Details will be advised when known.

Peter Maher
www.pussersgreenies.org

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Mon May 03, 2010 4:21 pm

Gents,

Regret to report that Commodore P J Hutson RAN Retd crossed the bar on 26th April 2010. He was 11th CO of PERTH II from 9 FEB 1974 until 15 MAY 1976.

Funeral is at RMC Duntroon 1400 Tueday 4th May.

Yours,

Steve

Peter Weyling · **Posted:** Mon May 03, 2010 4:56 pm

One of my Dalby school mates was in Melbourne when she hit the Evans.
Last Anzac Day he gave me a copy of a document written by William Russell who was a Naval Airman phot onboard Melbourne.
His document is called 'Only a pawn in their game" and is an interesting first-hand description of events from his perspective. He also tells of the effect upon his personal life the trauma left. He was asleep in the forward seamen's mess when she hit.

Interesting dit. Only available from some-one who is a member of the Melbourne/Evans Association I guess.

If you were serving in Melbourne at the time, try and get a copy. It's worth it.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed May 05, 2010 10:05 am

Hippy Chippy wrote:

It is with regret that we advise of the passing of WEEO CMDR Ronald Mervyn JEMESEN, RAN (Rtd) age 63, this morning Monday, 3 May 2010.

Funeral Details will be advised when known.

Peter Maher
www.pussersgreenies.org

Shipmates,

I understand that Ronâ€™s funeral will be held at 1030 next Tuesday 11 May at the Anglican church at Manuka.

Anticipate that full details will be in the Canberra Times today (Wednesday).

If there are changes to these details I will advise when known.

Graeme Bee
Secretary
HMAS SYDNEY, Escorts & VLSVA (ACT)

Honest Tad · **Posted:** Wed May 05, 2010 1:27 pm

I am gobsmacked on hearing of Ron Jemeson's passing. I served with Ron on Vendetta and then on Melbourne when we were both PO's. Had the odd run ashore with him. I caught up with him again in 2007 (after about 34 years) at one of the reunions in Coffs.
It is sad to see mates taken so young.
RIP Ron

A Farewell to those with whom we served...

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