australian royal navy ship voyager

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Hmas voyager (i).

In 1933 the Admiralty agreed to loan the Flotilla Leader Stuart (I) and four V and W Class destroyers ( Vampire (I), Vendetta (I), Voyager and Waterhen (I)) to the Royal Australian Navy as replacements for the S Class destroyers ( Stalwart , Success , Swordsman , Tasmania and Tattoo ) and the Flotilla Leader Anzac , then due for scrapping. Voyager and the other four ships commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy at Portsmouth on 11 October 1933 to form the Australian Destroyer Flotilla, later to become famous as the 'Scrap Iron Flotilla'. Voyager was commissioned under the command of Lieutenant Commander George Stewart RAN .

The Flotilla departed Chatham, under the command of Captain AC RN (in Stuart (I)), on 17 October 1933 and, proceeding via Suez, reached Singapore on 28 November, Darwin on 7 December and Sydney on 21 December 1933.

The next two years of Voyager 's service followed the normal pattern of a Squadron destroyer in Australian waters. Training exercises, spring cruises, a run to New Zealand in March 1935 and long periods in Sydney Harbour sums up the routine for Voyager in the early 1930s.

On 14 April 1936 Voyager paid off into Reserve to be replaced by Waterhen (I) in the Flotilla. Two years in Reserve at Sydney ended on 26 April 1938 when Voyager recommissioned under the command of Lieutenant Commander James Morrow RAN . Following her recommissioning, Voyager spent most of the remainder of 1938 in Queensland and New South Wales waters.

In October 1938 she arrived in southern waters, reaching Melbourne at the close of the month and returning to Sydney on 10 November. February and March 1939 were spent in Tasmanian waters, followed by exercises in Victorian waters, finally returning to Sydney on 28 April. The months remaining before the outbreak of World War II were spent in Queensland and New South Wales waters.

On 14 October 1939 Stuart (I), Vendetta (I) and Waterhen (I) departed Sydney for Singapore, proceeding via Darwin and Lombok Strait. The same day ( Vampire (I) and Voyager departed Fremantle to join company at Singapore. The Flotilla was under the command of Commander HML Waller RAN (Commander (D)), in Stuart (I).

It had been intended to base the destroyers at Singapore for a period of training but, while the Flotilla was still at sea, it was decided that after a brief stop at Singapore it should proceed to the Mediterranean. The two ships ex Fremantle arrived at Singapore on 21 October 1939 where they were joined on the 29th by Stuart (I), Waterhen ;(I) and Vendetta (I).

The Flotilla sailed from Singapore on 13 November 1939 but split up en route and consequently the ships did not all reach Malta at the same time. Voyager arrived on 24 December 1939. From 2 January 1940 the Flotilla formed the 19th Destroyer Division for service with the Mediterranean Fleet.

At this period of the war, British and French naval supremacy in the Mediterranean called for only routine escort and patrol duties, interspersed with fleet exercises. Nevertheless, the Australian destroyers were kept busy with their routine of escort and patrol work, singly and in pairs, which took them from end to end of the Mediterranean.

Voyager commenced operational service in the Mediterranean escorting convoys from Malta to Marseilles convoys. She sailed from Malta on New Year's Day, 1940, bound for Marseilles. On 11 January 1940 she entered Alexandria Harbour for the first time in World War II, departing the following day escorting a Malta convoy.

In February and March the pattern was much the same and on 24 March Voyager 's crew had their first glimpse of the 'Rock' when they entered Gibraltar to provide screen for the carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious en route to Alexandria.

Voyager commenced a refit at Malta on 5 April, spending the remainder of the month in dry dock. Escort duties recommenced on 3 May when she sailed for Alexandria in company with Vendetta (I) and Waterhen (I), escorting HMS Resource to Alexandria. The period of 5 to 20 May saw Voyager almost constantly at sea, on escort patrols and fleet manoeuvres with brief spells in Alexandria. On 20 May she joined the escort of the French warships Tourville and Boulogne en route for Bizerts. May closed with the destroyer back in Alexandria.

On 27 May the 19th Destroyer Division ( Stuart (I), Vampire (I), Voyager , Vendetta (I) and Waterhen (I)) and the 20th Destroyer Division (HM Ships Dainty , Diamond , Decoy and Defender ) combined to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla under the command of Commander Waller.

The entry of Italy into the war on 10 June 1940 and the collapse of French resistance on the 22 June completely changed the naval situation in the Mediterranean. Formerly, all coastlines were either Allied or neutral, and the Anglo-French fleets were in undisputed command of the seas. Now all coasts except those of Egypt, Palestine and Cyprus in the east, Malta in the centre, and Gibraltar in the west were closed to the Royal Navy. Moreover, the Allies had lost the support of the French fleet, which had provided seven capital ships and nineteen cruisers, and had acquired a new enemy in Italy with her menacing naval potential. Her fleet boasted five battleships, 25 cruisers, 90 destroyers and nearly 100 submarines. It spelt the beginning of a long and bitter struggle for control of the Mediterranean, first against the Italian fleet and Air Force (neither of which proved the menace expected) and later against the much more formidable German Luftwaffe whose dive bombers took grievous toll of British warships before they were finally driven from the skies.

For more than a year the 'Scrap Iron Flotilla' took part in the struggle for possession of the ancient sea route linking east and west.

The Italian submarine fleet represented a formidable threat and it was as a counter weapon that Voyager 's initial role against the Italians took shape. On 13 June 1940, off Alexandria, Voyager contacted and attacked a submarine with two patterns of depth charges. The submarine immediately surfaced and Voyager opened fire forcing it to submerge. More depth charges were dropped, but the submarine, in spite of prolonged attack, escaped. On 17 June in company with Vampire (I) off Alexandria, a second contact was made but a series of attacks again failed to destroy the enemy.

Anti-submarine patrols continued through the hot Mediterranean June days. At sea off Crete on the evening of 27 June and in company with several destroyers of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, the submarine Liuzzi was sighted on the surface. She promptly dived but HM Ships Ilex , Dainty and Decoy soon gained contact and forced her to surface. After a brief exchange of fire between Dainty and Liuzzi the Italian surrendered. Voyager thereupon lowered her whaler and rescued thirteen survivors before the submarine was finally destroyed by gunfire.

Early in the morning of 29 June, at 0505, the anti-submarine group were maintaining patrol west of Crete when a submarine was sighted on the surface. She promptly dived and in spite of depth charge attacks by Voyager , Ilex and Defender , apparently escaped. An hour and a half later, the submarine Uebi Scebeli was sighted on the horizon. Dainty and Ilex closed, attacked and sank her after rescuing survivors. In the evening of the same day the destroyers returned to Alexandria where Voyager landed her prisoners.

On 30 June, the day that Voyager returned to Alexandria from her first brush with the enemy, Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville hoisted his flag in HMS Hood at Gibraltar in command of Force H, hastily constituted to bolster Mediterranean sea power to meet the new threat. It comprised HM Ships Hood , Resolution and Valiant , the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal , the cruiser HMS Arethusa and seven destroyers. After operating against the French fleet at Oran in the first days of July, Admiral Somerville was ordered to attack the west coast of Italy, either Sicily or Sardinia, to create a diversion during the movement of Mediterranean convoys covered by the fleet.

The Mediterranean Fleet sailed from Alexandria on 7 July to cover the Malta to Alexandria convoys and with it sailed three of the Australian destroyers; Stuart (I) screening the 7th Cruiser Squadron and Voyager and ( Vampire (I) on the screen of the battle fleet and HMS Eagle . The following day, 8 July, the fleet was heavily attacked from the air and Voyager began to learn the value of violent evasion tactics. In spite of the enemy effort (some fifty bombs fell near HMS Warspite ), only the cruiser Gloucester sustained a direct hit.

Early on 9 July reconnaissance reports indicated the presence of strong enemy forces including two battleships. At 1510, off the Calabrian coast, Admiral Cunningham's Flagship, Warspite , sighted six enemy 8-inch cruisers and a number of destroyers. Four minutes later Neptune sighted the main Italian battle fleet. At 1520 the Battle of Calabria began.

Voyager 's role throughout the brief inconclusive engagement and the subsequent pursuit of the Italian fleet to within 25 miles of the Calabrian coast, was that of screening destroyer to the carrier Eagle . In the subsequent land based heavy air attacks Voyager continued to screen the carrier. She suffered no damage proving once more how ineffective high level bombing was against the small fast moving target. As Admiral Cunningham commented "high level bombing even on the scale experienced during these operations, yields few hits and is more alarming than dangerous".

The morning of 10 July saw Voyager detach from the fleet for Malta to escort an Alexandria bound convoy. However, there was no respite from the bombers, six heavy attacks developing before the ship entered Alexandria five days later. A brief spell at Alexandria ended on 25 July when she sailed escorting convoy bound for Port Said, then to Malta and back to Alexandria on the last day of July.

The first week of August 1940 was spent in Alexandria followed by the escort of a series of Port Said and Haifa convoys. On 30 August Voyager sailed on the screen of the battle fleet during the passage of Mediterranean reinforcements, HM Ships Valiant , Illustrious , Calcutta and Coventry . After an uneventful cruise, Voyager reached Malta on 2 September where she was under refit until the last day of the month when she proceeded on the screen of the fleet for Alexandria.

The first weeks of October followed the established pattern of convoy escort, screening the fleet, days in Alexandria Harbour and anti-submarine patrols. On 25 October Voyager joined the 1st Battle Squadron (Rear Admiral HB Rawlings) during operations covering the passage of AN5, a Port Said to Dardanelles convoy, including the screening of Eagle for the attack on Maltezana aerodrome, Stampalia. At sea on 28 October her crew were told of the invasion of Greece by Italian forces.

On 29 October Voyager sailed from Alexandria escorting a convoy for Suda Bay in Crete to establish an advanced fuelling base for the reinforcement of Greece. Arriving on 31 October Voyager , Vampire (I) and Waterhen (I) began anti-submarine patrols during net laying operations by HMS Protector . The following day Voyager joined the battle fleet for passage to Alexandria, adding her quota of fire in driving off a series of torpedo bomber attacks en route.

On 5 November she was at sea again escorting a Malta convoy, returning to Alexandria on 13 November to begin nine days of boiler cleaning. The escort of another Malta convoy began on 23 November, the passage being marked by the usual air attack. Three successive torpedo bomber attacks were driven off without damage to the convoy. At 08:00 on 26 November Voyager and convoy entered Malta Harbour. Eight hours later the Australian destroyer was once more at sea, escorting a convoy for Alexandria, where she arrived on 10 November.

December began with convoy to Piraeus in Greece, with Voyager returning to Alexandria 9 December. On this day the British Army under General Wavell began its offensive in the Western Desert. The immediate object of the operations ashore was the destruction of enemy forces contained in the Nibeiwa/Tummae area followed by a northward drive to Sidi Barrani on the coast, thus isolating Maktila Camp which represented the Italian Army's most advanced camp in Egypt. The naval role during the first stage of the operations was to provide harassing fire at Maktila and Sidi Barrani, and this was begun by the monitor Terror and the gunboats HMS Aphis and HMS Ladybird , supported by the destroyers HM Ships Jervis , Janus and Nubian during the night of 8/9 December.

On 10 December Voyager sailed from Alexandria screening the battle fleet ( Barham , Valiant , York and Illustrious ) for the bombardment of Bardia, but were prevented from shelling the Italian positions by low visibility. Bad weather also stopped a projected attack on El Adem airfield by aircraft from Illustrious . On 13 December the fleet returned to Alexandria.

On 14 December Voyager joined the Inshore Squadron screening Terror in the bombardment of Bardia for the following three days. One minor casualty occurred when Voyager was straddled by the Italian shore batteries. Ordered to return to Alexandria late on 17 December, Voyager there embarked half a company of British Commando troops, picked up more troops at Mersa Matruh and landed the entire group at Sollum, which fell to the British forces on 16 December.

During the remainder of December the work of the D10 destroyers ( Vendetta (I), Voyager , Waterhen (I), ( Vampire (I) (Captain D10), Diamond and Wryneck ) supporting the campaign in the Western Desert was confined to patrol and escort duty. On 26 December Waterhen (I) captured the enemy schooner Tireremo Diritto trying to enter Bardia and on 29 December Voyager intercepted the schooner Zingarella engaged in transporting British prisoners of war from Bardia to Tobruk. Dainty also captured two schooners on the night of 21 December.

In January 1941 the Mediterranean Fleet continued operations in support of the Libyan offensive, Operation MC5. On 2 January naval support for the assault on Bardia began when Force W ( Terror , Aphis and Ladybird ) opened harassing fire in preparation for the Australian attack from the south. This was followed by sustained bombardment the following day from the 15-inch armament of Warspite , Valiant and Barham . Two days later Bardia fell, and with it some 25,000 prisoners fell into Allied hands.

Voyager and Dainty represented the 10th Destroyer Flotilla's participation. Voyager (Captain D10) sailed from Alexandria on New Year's Day 1941. On 2 January she supported Force W in the bombardment of Bardia. Afternoon attempts (45 bombs were aimed at Voyager and Terror ) by the Italian Air Force to terminate the bombardment proved as unsuccessful as previous attempts to drive the Navy from the Libyan coast.

Early in the morning of 3 January Voyager joined the battle fleet screen off Sidi Barrani for the full scale bombardment of Bardia. In the ensuing shelling of the Italian positions the battleships engaged the northern sector while Voyager and Dainty engaged shore batteries on both sides of the harbour. On completion of the bombardment Voyager returned to Alexandria to escort a convoy for Sollum before beginning five days boiler cleaning at Alexandria. On 11 January Voyager joined the battle fleet for screening duties during large scale convoy operations.

A new note had sounded in the Mediterranean campaign with the advent of the Luftwaffe. On 10 January German aircraft made their first attacks against the Mediterranean Fleet and showing far greater skill and determination than their Italian allies succeeded in seriously damaging the carrier Illustrious with six direct hits. The following day, 11 January, dive bombers again attacked the fleet, sinking the cruiser Southampton and damaging Gloucester . Thus in two days the Germans caused more damage to the fleet than the Italians in six months of warfare.

Voyager returned to the Libyan coast on 15 January to take up intercept patrols and support to advancing British Forces while Force W ( Terror , Gnat and Ladybird ) continued to harass the enemy. With the fall of Tobruk on 22 January Voyager withdrew to Alexandria, returning five days later on 27 January to resume operations.

In February Voyager continued her Libyan patrols, operating mainly off Tobruk and Benghazi after the capture of the latter port on 6 February. For the forces at sea there was little respite. Air attack, the constant menace to the Inshore Squadron, accounted for the loss of Terror off Derna on 22 February and Dainty , of the 10th Flotilla, off Tobruk two days later. In March German intervention in Greece became an ominous probability and it was decided to reinforce the Greek Army to the limit of capacity. The decision imposed a further heavy commitment on the Mediterranean Fleet with the responsibility of the safe conduct of the convoys.

On 6 March Operation LUSTRE, the reinforcement of Greece, began and Voyager at sea on the screen of the battle fleet covering the first convoys played her small part along with her sister ships and HMAS Perth (I). The troop movements were a continuous operation with convoys at three day intervals from Alexandra with personnel in cruisers and material in merchant vessels. Perth (I) in two lifts transferred 1,221 troops. Voyager , besides operating on the screen of the fleet and on anti-submarine patrol, escorted two Piraeus bound and two Piraeus to Alexandria convoys. En route to Greece on 28 March torpedo bomber attacks failed to damage the convoy or escort, though one torpedo passed uncomfortably close along Voyager 's port side.

Concurrently with the Greek operations the flow of supplies was maintained to the army in the Western Desert. In these operations during March Voyager assisted when she escorted a convoy to Tobruk, leaving Alexandria on 17 March.

April 1941 opened on the 6th with the German invasion of Greece in force. The Royal Navy in the Mediterranean was thus faced with the prospect of further heavy responsibilities. At the same time the Battle of Matapan had been fought and won, ending Italian attempts to intervene at sea with the fleet. As Admiral Cunningham commented "I am glad to think that we were able off Matapan to teach them a lesson which kept them out of the ring for the rest of the year".

Operation LUSTRE continued for the first three weeks of April in the face of mounting air attack by the Luftwaffe. There was only meagre fighter protection for the convoys in the vicinity of Crete and the Piraeus approaches. Thus in spite of the Navy's efforts losses increased. To 18 April twenty-five ships were lost, but only seven in convoy at sea. All but two were empty and south bound and 58,364 troops and their equipment had been safely landed on Greek soil without the loss of a single man.

In common with most of the escorting destroyers, Voyager suffered her share of attack from the air during this period. On 1 April she sailed from Piraeus escorting a convoy of nine ships southward. Attacked by German bombers the following day, two ships, Homefield and Coulourasxenos , were damaged beyond salvage. Voyager rescued the crews of both vessels.

In the Western Desert disaster struck the Allied campaign with the launching of the German counter offensive under Rommel at the beginning of April. Benghazi was lost on 3 April, Bardia on 12 April and by the following day the British Army found itself back on the Egyptian frontier. The Navy, heavily committed, gave what help it could. The Inshore Squadron including Vendetta (I), Waterhen (I) and Stuart (I) endeavoured to harass the enemy and the cruiser Gloucester bombarded Bardia twice. Special efforts were made to prevent men and materials crossing the Mediterranean to bolster the enemy potential.

Voyager 's part in these Libyan harassing operations began on 19 April when she sailed from Alexandria as part of the escort of a force sent to raid Bardia. The troops landed from Glengyle succeeded in demolishing shore dumps and except for 67 men who had to be left behind, safely re-embarked for the return to Alexandria.

On 21 April, the Greek cause lost, it was decided to evacuate the British Forces. In anticipation preparations had been made to set in motion Operation DEMON, the evacuation of Greece. The problems were many and the conditions ashore in Greece chaotic. Excluding the cruiser Gloucester and four destroyers based at Malta, all the light forces of the Mediterranean Fleet were called in to assist.

The evacuation began during the night of 24/25 April 1941 and continued for five nights, with the further rescue of small groups for two more nights. Some 1300 troops were taken out before Operation DEMON began, followed by 16,000 from Raphtis and Nauplia and Raphina, 5750 from Megara, 4320 from Monemvasia and some 19,500 from various points on the coast. At Kalamata, where Perth (I), Phoebe and three destroyers were ordered to embark 8,000 troops, only 450 were rescued. A German column ahead of the main force entered the town, captured the Sea Transport Officer and his staff and so disorganised the evacuation arrangements. Perth (I)'s captain and senior officer was then some ten miles off the coast. Reluctantly he decided to order the force to withdraw. Later that night, however, four destroyers rescued 450 troops from the groups awaiting succour on the beaches to the south east of the town.

Voyager 's part in the evacuation began on the morning of 24 April when she cleared Suda Bay in company with Calcutta , Stuart (I), Salvia and Hyacinth and the transports Glengyle , Glenearn and Ulster Prince . Air attack en route by German Junkers scored one hit on Glenearn . At sunset Phoebe joined the escort and Voyager and Hyacinth detached for Nauplia escorting Ulster Prince where they anchored in the evening, followed an hour later by Phoebe , Stuart (I) and the transport Glenearn .

Shortly before midnight 301 personnel embarked in Voyager , including 160 nursing sisters. Embarkation continued in other ships throughout the night. At 03:50 Glenearn , Phoebe , Stuart (I) and Hyacinth sailed for Suda, followed at 08:07 by Voyager (maintaining an anti-submarine patrol), Perth , Calcutta , Salvia and the transport Glengyle . All ships reached Suda undamaged. The Nauplia lift ended Voyager 's part in the embarkation operations. For remainder of the period she was escorted convoys between Suda Bay and Alexandria.

The setback in Libya was not all on the debit side. In his withdrawal General Wavell decided to attempt to maintain a toehold on the coast. A strong garrison was accordingly established in Tobruk. Aided by the Navy, all the German efforts to dislodge the garrison proved unavailing, in spite of Goebbels' epithet of 'RATS'.

The supply of the beleaguered troops maintained under constant air attack resulted in the organisation of the 'Tobruk Ferry'. The cost at sea was heavy with HMAS Waterhen (I) being one of the victims. Nevertheless the Navy maintained a regular supply averaging 400 tons a day besides reinforcements and the evacuation of the wounded. On 5 May 1941 Voyager made her first contribution to the frustration of the investing German Army when she sailed from Alexandria with troops and ammunition and returned the following day carrying 250 troops.

Voyager now returned to the operations proceeding to the north. Greece was gone but Crete remained in British hands. On 9 May she reached Suda Bay to join Flamingo and Auckland as convoy escort to Alexandria, departing again on 18 May, escorting Glengyle which was carrying reinforcements.

On 23 May the fleet, then operating to prevent sea borne landings in Crete, was ordered to withdraw towards Alexandria after losing the cruisers Gloucester and Fiji and four destroyers, Juno , Greyhound , Kelly and Kashmir . On the previous day Voyager joined the screen of the 1st Battle Squadron after searching for survivors from Fiji .

On 27 May, on the eve of the evacuation, Voyager detached and entered Alexandria to begin operations to Tobruk. The 'Tobruk Ferry' occupied Voyager throughout June 1941. Five runs were made from Alexandria to Tobruk and return. Another five voyages were made from Mersa Matruh to Tobruk and return. On 29 June she reached Alexandria for docking, a weary ship trembling in every plate.

Voyager 's Mediterranean service was now drawing to a close. On 12 July she made one last run to Tobruk. She experienced engine trouble and limped into Alexandria the following day. It marked the end of eighteen months service under constant pressure.

On 24 July Voyager cleared Alexandria Harbour for the last time en route for Australia. She arrived in Sydney on 25 September 1941 after an absence of 751 days. She was placed in refit which was completed on 3 March 1942.

Following a period of post refit trials and exercises, Voyager commenced her first operational duty of the Pacific War on 19 April 1942 when she escorted HMT Queen Elizabeth on the east coast. Further coastal escort duties followed before post refit defects required her to dock in Sydney. This occupied most of May.

Voyager arrived in Fremantle on 6 June 1942 and was based there for a short period as an escort destroyer. On 25 August 1942 she arrived in Darwin, where many of her crew had their first acquaintance with hostile aircraft.

Voyager was based at Darwin in September. On 22 September she embarked 250 reinforcements for the Timor guerrilla forces and sailed for Betano Bay with the intention of landing the troops at last light and then withdrawing.

During disembarkation operations the following night, 23 September, Voyager ran aground on the beach in Betano Bay. At 12:45 the next day she was sighted by a Japanese reconnaissance bomber escorted by a fighter. Defiant to the end she shot down the bomber, but since the inevitable following attack was expected it was decided to abandon ship. The first of a series of bombing raids began mid afternoon, such that by the evening there was no alternative but to detonate demolition charges, thereby destroying the ship. On 25 September HMA Ships Kalgoorlie and Warrnambool (I) safely evacuated Voyager 's ship's company.

On 4 November 1999, the RAN 's Hydrographic Office Detached Survey Unit (HODSU) reestablished the location of the wreck of Voyager using a Klein side scan sonar while conducting a survey of Betano beach in support of INTERFET operations in East Timor. Little of the wreck remains and what does is exposed at low tide.

Further reading

'Scrap Iron Destroyers: The Story of HMA Ships Stuart, Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen' by LJ Lind and A Payne - published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia, Garden Island, 1976.

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Navy Commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the Sinking of HMAS Voyager II

10 February 2024

The Royal Australian Navy today honoured the fallen, the survivors, and the families of the sinking of the destroyer HMAS Voyager II , at a public memorial to commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the event.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond attended the memorial service at Voyager Park in Huskisson, New South Wales.

Vice Admiral Hammond said today was an opportunity to come together to remember, to commemorate, and to honour.

“Today is about the courage, the commitment, and the remarkable human spirit shown by the fallen and the survivors of that night on 10 February 1964,” Vice Admiral Hammond said.

“While this incident occurred 60 years ago, time does not dull the weight of this loss.

“Tonight’s service is a powerful reminder that our power at sea is our people, and their shared commitment to making our country safer, stronger and more secure.”

HMAS Voyager II sunk after a collision with aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne II during a night flying exercise in the Eastern Australia Exercise Area.

Eighty-two members of ship’s company were lost in the collision, including 67 sailors, 14 officers, and one civilian dockworker.

The tragedy was the largest loss of life in a peacetime incident in Australian history.

More information about HMAS Voyager II is available on www.navy.gov.au .  

Media will be able to access imagery from the event at:  https://images.defence.gov.au/S20240217 .

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The HMAS Melbourne-HMAS Voyager Collision: Australia’s Worst Peace-Time Naval Disaster

Nicholas egan.

On the 10th of February 1964 a terrible naval accident took place in Australian waters that led to 82 deaths. Off the coast of the Royal Australian Navy base at Jervis Bay, the aircraft carrier, the HMAS Melbourne and the destroyer, the HMAS Voyager were conducting maneuvers when it soon became clear that the 2 ships were heading for collision. Both crews desperately tried to change course, but it was too late.

HMAS Melbourne struck Voyager at 20:56, with the carrier's bow striking just behind the bridge and cutting the destroyer in two. Of the 314 aboard Voyager, 82 were killed, most of whom died immediately or were trapped in the heavy bow section, which sank after 10 minutes. The rest of the ship sank after midnight. Melbourne, although damaged, suffered no fatalities, and was able to sail to Sydney the next morning with most of the Voyager survivors aboard. The loss of the Voyager ranks as the 6th most deadly loss of life in Australian navy history.[i]

The incident shocked the public and memorial services were held around Australia on 21 February. Public distrust in navy led inquiries over the previous few decades resulted in a Royal Commission being called to investigate the cause of the disaster. The commission, led by former Attorney General Sir John Spicer, concluded that the collision was primarily the fault of Voyager's bridge crew, in that they neglected to maintain an effective lookout and lost awareness of the carrier's location, although he did not blame individual officers. When reporting on the contribution of Melbourne and those aboard her to the collision, Spicer specifically indicated failures of its captain John Robertson and two other bridge officers, as they did not alert Voyager to the danger she was in, and appeared to not take measures to prevent Melbourne from colliding. Robertson submitted his resignation from the Navy and was considered to be a scapegoat by the media.[ii]

Over the next few years there was increasing pressure from the public, the media, and politicians of the government and opposition over the handling of the first Royal Commission, as well as claims made by Lieutenant Commander Peter Cabban, a former officer of the Voyager, that Captain Duncan Stevens frequently drank to excess and was unfit for command. Eventually in 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt announced that a second Royal Commission would be held.

The second Royal Commission found that Stevens was medically unfit for command, although not impaired by alcohol at the time of the collision, he was suffering from a duodenal ulcer and had been confidentially prescribed amphetamines. Consequently, some of the findings of the first commission, those based on the assumption that Voyager was under appropriate command, were re-evaluated. Robertson and the other officers of Melbourne were absolved of blame for the incident.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Chief Petty Officer Jonathan 'Buck' Rogers was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his actions during the sinking. Recognizing that he was too large to fit through the escape hatch, he organised the evacuation of those who could escape, then led those stuck in the compartment in prayers and hymns as they died. Posthumous Albert Medals for Lifesaving were awarded to Midshipman Kerry Marien and Electrical Mechanic William Condon for their actions in saving other Voyager personnel at the cost of their own lives.[iii]

5 Years later, the HMAS Melbourne was tragically involved in a second naval disaster, this time with the American Destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea. Evans sailed under Melbourne's bow, where she was cut in two. 74 of Evans's crew were killed.

A joint RAN–USN board of inquiry was held to establish the events of the collision and the responsibility of those involved. This inquiry, which was believed by the Australians to be biased against them, found that both ships were at fault for the collision. Four officers (the captains of Melbourne and Evans, and the two junior officers in control of Evans at the time of the collision) were court-martialed based on the results of the inquiry; while the three USN officers were found guilty, the RAN officer was cleared of wrongdoing.[iv]

There are a number of memorials to those who were killed in both tragedies. In Jervis Bay stands a memorial to the HMAS Voyager and in Gurnee, Illinois stands a memorial to those who were lost in the USS Frank E. Evans disaster.

USS Frank E. Evans memorial located in Warren Cemetery, Gurnee, Illinois. Wikimedia Commons Author: GoodSam111 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USFEE_memorial_large_tablet.jpg

References [i] Frame, Tom (2005). The Cruel Legacy: the HMAS Voyager tragedy. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74115-254-2. OCLC 61213421. [ii] Spicer, Sir John Armstrong (1964). Report of Royal Commissioner on loss of H.M.A.S. "Voyager" (Report). https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/46252538 Melbourne: A.J. Arthur, Commonwealth Govt. Printer. [iii] Burbury; Asprey & Lucas (1 March 1968). "Royal Commissioners' Report on Voyager Inquiry" (PDF). http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documen... Navy News. Vol. 11, no. 5. Parramatta: Cumberland Newspapers Pty Ltd. [iv] Stevenson, Jo (1999). In The Wake: The true story of the Melbourne-Evans Collision, Conspiracy and Cover-up. Alexandria, NSW: Hale & Iremonger. ISBN 0-86806-681-8. (Author Jo Stevenson was the wife of Captain John Phillip Stevenson, the Commanding Officer of Melbourne at the time of the collision)

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HMAS Voyager (II) Dinner

Mr Matthew Anderson PSM, Director of the Australian War Memorial

Distinguished guests, ladies, gentlemen and HMAS Voyager survivors

We have just read the names of the 82 members of HMAS Voyager II (including the dockworker) who lost their lives, about 20 nautical miles from here, on that fateful night of 10 February 1964.

We acknowledge the survivors here tonight from both VOYAGER and MELBOURNE and the event that changed their lives – and those of their loved ones - and continue to reverberate to this day.

And as we say at the Memorial every night, we also honour those here who have served, those still serving, and the families that love and support them.

82 men lost.

232 survived.

50 percent were aged between 17-19, and many were on their first time at sea.

The survivors lost a quarter of their shipmates in a matter of minutes.

It has been said this was Australia’s worst peacetime disaster.

I would like to reflect on the term ‘peacetime’. In my experience of the Royal Australian Navy, you are always in one of two states: at war, or preparing for war.

In 1964 we were in the midst of the cold war, and Australia’s focus was on South East Asia.

Voyager had just come out of refit, and Melbourne was also recently out of the dock.  

It was the first time in 6 months either ship had worked in close company with another.

It was a moonless night but the skies were clear.

Recovering Fleet Air Arm aircraft from Albatross, both ships were only running navigation lights.

Because they were preparing for war.

For the current serving members of the RAN here this evening, I’d like to paint a picture of the operating tempo of the RAN at the time.

The RAN’s contribution to the Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR) (a joint military force of British, Australian, and New Zealand armed forces, conceived as a forward defence point protecting interests in South East Asia from communist threats) included an annual visit from an aircraft carrier: Melbourne. Voyager was usually involved in these deployments.

Established in the 1950s, FESR became particularly important in the early 1960s with the Confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia over the creation of the Federation of Malaysia. As early as 1961, Indonesia had threatened to block the right of free passage through the waters of the Indonesian Archipelago. 

The period of the disaster also coincided with Australia’s early commitments to the Vietnam War: the arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) in July and August 1962 – by February 1964 we had more than 200 soldiers in Vietnam; and in August 1964 the RAAF sent a flight of Caribou transports to the port of Vung Tau.

But with regard to the Melbourne and Voyager they too had been busy throughout this period. 

1959 Exercise FOTEX, a weapon training period designed to provide an opportunity for Commonwealth ships on the Far East Station to work up their weapon efficiency prior to Exercise SEA DEMON, a challenging SEATO exercise, involving 27 surface ships, three submarines, naval and land based aircraft from member nations. 

1960 SEATO Exercise SEA LION involved more than 60 ships and 20,000 sailors, representing all eight SEATO members

1961 Commonwealth Maritime Exercise JET 61 in the Indian Ocean, 24 February-10 March 1961, which saw 25 warships from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, India, Ceylon and Pakistan participating.

Again, this is the backdrop – the operational tempo or battle rhythm – as to why HMAS Melbourne with HMAS Voyager as its Rescue Destroyer or Plane Guard were 20 miles away, off the coast of Huskisson in the East Australia Training Area.

In preparing for tonight, I read the Royal Commission Reports – both of them – to understand what happened that night. Such was the magnitude of the loss, and the shock to both the Navy and to Australia – the loss of HMAS Voyager is the only event in Australia’s history that has been the subject of two Royal Commissions.

I have listened to historical podcasts, watched youtubes, spoken to historians, retired Admirals and young officers.

And yet, it’s fair to say, while we know what happened that night, we can never, conclusively, know why, because Captain Roberts, his Navigator and the Officer of the watch were all killed in the collision.

But if the survivors can take any comfort from the event, it’s that the lessons were learned – the hardest possible way – on that fateful night on 10 February 1964. 

Changes have been made to prevent a similar occurrence. 

RAN procedures were created for challenging another ship that was seen to be manoeuvring dangerously, or which had transmitted an unclear manoeuvring signal.

Rules for escort vessels operating with Melbourne were developed and promulgated.

Among other instructions, these rules banned escorts from approaching within 2,000 yards of the carrier unless specifically instructed to, and stated that any manoeuvre around Melbourne was to commence with a turn away from the carrier.

The new rules were applied to all ships that sailed in concert with the carrier, including those of foreign navies. Of course the Melbourne’s collision with the USS Frank E Evans in 1969 proved once again the life and death nature of effective bridge watch keeping. 

I spoke with LEUT Bryce O’Hara, currently ADC to the Minister of Defence and, without prompting, he could speak to the lessons learned of the Voyager disaster and its echoes to bridges of HM Australian Ships to this very day.

Government has just concluded a Defence Tribunal Inquiry into medallic recognition of those killed or wounded in service (including for families of the deceased) and Committee Member, Rear Admiral James Goldrick told me was in part to address the unfinished business of both the Voyager disaster and the Blackhawk crash of 1996 and the failure to provide due recognition to those killed and injured.

But speaking of recognition, tonight we remember and pay tribute to the remarkable acts of heroism on that dark night.

The Imperial George Cross and the Australian Cross of Valour are our nation’s highest former and current awards for bravery outside combat.

The George Cross was instituted by King George VI in wartime Britain during the Blitz. So moved was the King by the courage and sacrifice shown by civilian and uniformed alike that he created the George Cross to sit beside its military counterpart, the Victoria Cross.

This book, For Gallantry contains the profiles of Australians from all walks of life, who have been recognised for actions of outstanding physical and moral courage.

Among them: a tram conductor who sacrificed his life to warn others as his tram hurtled out of control; a Chief Petty Officer who remained with his trapped young seamen,  giving them comfort even as their ship sank to the sea floor; a farmer who used his body to earth a high voltage current to save the life of a young child; a geologist and a police constable who braved the terrible aftermath of terrorist bombings to help the injured and dying; prisoners of war who died rather than betray their ideals; a dental student who went to the aid of a swimmer during a frenzied shark attack.

These are all stories that demonstrate that Australians do not need to go to war to display astonishing acts of bravery.

I acknowledge Rhonda Jones here tonight, daughter of CPO Jonathan ‘Buck’ Rogers, and present her with this small gift that chronicles the gallant company kept by her father. We are honoured to preserve his medals, and tell his story, in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial. 

Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Rogers joined the Royal Navy in 1938 when he was 18. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for coolness and leadership while serving as coxswain of Motor Torpedo Boat 698 in actions off Dover on the nights of 23 March and 23 May 1944. After the war he came to Australia and joined the RAN.

On the night of the disaster, Rogers was one of more than 50 men trapped in darkness in a compartment of the sinking forward section. He took control and tried to bring calm. Not everyone would be able to get through a small escape hatch; being a large man, he had no chance at all. “He was more intent on getting the younger chaps out first,” said a survivor. The forward section sank about ten minutes after the impact. Rogers was heard leading his remaining doomed comrades in a prayer and a hymn during their final moments.

Rogers was posthumously awarded the George Cross, “for organising the escape of as many as possible and encouraging … those few who could not escape … to meet death alongside himself with dignity and honour”.

Midshipman Kerry Francis Marien was born on 7 May 1944 at Wyong, NSW. He grew up in southern Sydney, and was educated at Marist Brothers College at Kogarah. He joined the RAN College, at Jervis Bay in January 1960, graduated and was promoted to midshipman in 1963. He undertook training in the aircraft carriers HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney before joining Voyager, for further training, in early January 1964.

After the collision, Marien managed to get clear of the aft section and into one of Voyager’s inflatable life rafts. On seeing other survivors in difficulty in the water around him, he chose to re-enter the water to render assistance.

The last person to see Midshipman Marien alive reported that he swam up to him and asked whether he needed any help. On replying that he did not, he saw Marien swim in the direction of the severed forward part of the ship, which it is thought he may have entered. The forward section sank soon after and Midshipman Marien was not seen again. His body was never recovered and he was one of the 82 men from Voyager listed as missing or killed that night.

In recognition of his gallantry in attempting to save life at sea Midshipman Kerry Francis Marien was posthumously awarded the Albert Medal Second Class (Bronze) on 19 March 1965. His medal is on display here in the museum at HMAS Creswell.

Electrical Mechanic (Electronics) First Class William Joseph Condon was awarded the Albert Medal for Gallantry in saving life at sea, remaining at his post to the end in the sinking ship, holding the emergency lantern to show others the path to the escape scuttle and losing his life.

The awards were listed in the 19 March 1965 issue of the  London Gazette , along with one  George Medal , five  British Empire Medals  for Gallantry, and three  Queen's Commendations for Brave Conduct  for Voyager personnel.

On 4 December 2015, it was announced that the support centre for the  Canberra-class amphibious assault ships  would be named after the CO of HMAS Melbourne Captain Robertson.

Every night at the Memorial’s Last Post Ceremony we honour one of the nearly 103,000 Australian women and men who gave their lives for us, for our freedoms and in the hope of a better world.

When Naval personnel are being honoured, we recite this verse of Binyon’s Ode For The Fallen

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.

But on this point, and on this night, I would add one caveat – they do have a grave other than the cruel sea– and to quote the French philosopher Andre Malroux:

‘The most beautiful grave is in the memory of the living.’

Tonight we honour those who lost their lives on HMAS Voyager and the survivors.

We honour them with our memory; that most beautiful of graves.

Lest we forget.

Last updated: 28 February 2022

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OPINION | HMAS Voyager (II): remembering the 82 fallen, and so many who would never be the same again

This last February 10 marks the 60th anniversary of the loss of the Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Voyager (II), which sank 20 nautical miles south-east of Jervis Bay.

Of the 314 crew of Voyager , 82 were lost that night in Australia's worst peacetime military disaster. Many more lives were altered forever. We are a maritime nation and yet our maritime history is often forgotten. We must remember the loss of Voyager on the night of February 10, 1964.

The destroyer was escorting HMAS Melbourne (II), Australia's last aircraft carrier, as it carried out flying operations. Both ships had recently emerged from refits. Voyager was the "plane guard", positioned 1,000 to 2,000 yards off Melbourne 's port quarter to recover the crew of any aircraft that might ditch.

Following a series of manoeuvres, Voyager ended up out of position on Melbourne 's starboard bow and was required to resume her station. How and why Voyager ended up in this position remains unclear 60 years on, although there are many theories. In truth, we will never know as most of the bridge team were lost that night.

"Many stories of heroism emerged from the hellish night."

Presumably attempting to resume her station, Voyager was seen to alter to starboard away from the carrier, and then back to port towards it. The 3,600-tonne Voyager crossed the bow of the 20,000-tonne Melbourne . There was little time to react and despite attempts to avoid the collision in the final seconds, the two ships collided at 20:56. Melbourne 's bow struck Voyager aft of her bridge, severing the ship. Voyager 's bow passed down the port side of Melbourne , sinking within 10 minutes of the collision. A recovery operation was immediately launched by Melbourne , which was joined by several vessels from HMAS Creswell, in Jervis Bay.

Many stories of heroism emerged from the hellish night. Midshipman Kerry Francis Marien survived the collision but left the relative safety of his life raft and was last seen swimming towards the rapidly sinking bow of Voyager to search for survivors struggling in the water.

Chief Petty Officer Jonathan "Buck" Rogers was trapped in the forward section of the bow. Realising he was too big to get through the small escape hatches, Buck took charge of trying to help the 50 sailors trapped with him to escape. And when escape was no longer possible, he was heard leading those trapped there in prayers and hymns. There are many stories of heroism from that night, of the brave men of the Royal Australian Navy rising to the occasion to save the lives of shipmates and friends. Stories that we know, and stories we will never know.

"We must also remember the brave men lost in peacetime as they trained to defend their country."

In the years that followed the loss of Voyager , the national conversation was dominated by the controversy. The incident was followed by two royal commissions and many theories and books on how and why such a horrific peacetime loss of life could occur.

It is of course important to understand why Voyager was lost and where accountability lies. Whilst we should never lose sight of the many hard lessons learnt, on the 60th anniversary we should focus our thoughts on the brave sailors who died and those who survived but whose lives were never the same.

The sea is a perilous place; it does not recognise a distinction between wartime and peacetime. Every time our naval ships set sail, they put themselves at the mercy of this unforgiving environment. For centuries, the oceans have rallied against those who seek to tame it, and operating in this environment will always be dangerous. Preparation in this domain for the possibility of conflict requires the women and men of our navy to practise the operations and procedures that they will rely on in wartime. There is always risk, and they embrace it daily.

When we think of our military heroes we talk of those on the Kokoda track and the trials of Gallipoli and the Western front. They all rightfully deserve a place in the collective memory of our nation and remind us of what war really means, especially in this time of global tensions that permeate all aspects of international and national security.

On the anniversary of Voyager 's loss we must also remember the brave men lost in peacetime as they trained to defend their country. They too are our heroes, and they died in the service of our nation.

Article reprinted with permission from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's analysis and commentary site The Strategist .

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Navy veteran and survivor Brian Hopkins revisits HMAS Voyager collision, considers legacy and value of service

Topic: ANZAC Day

In 1964, Brian Hopkins survived Australia's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster, being one of the last to escape the sinking HMAS Voyager II. Now, more than 60 years later, the navy veteran revisits his past.

As Brian Hopkins walks below the deck of the retired warship HMAS Vampire for perhaps the final time, there are vivid memories at every turn.

"It's like being at home. It doesn't matter what ship you're on," he said.

"A ship is like a living being when it's operational. It's got a pulse."

Mr Hopkins, one of Australia's almost 500,000 former serving veterans, looks back fondly at his 20 years of service in the Australian navy.

That sense of pride extends to his first years, including the time spent as an engineer on the now-infamous HMAS Voyager II, a ship virtually identical to its sister ship Vampire.

The 79-year-old can still remember the intricate details of Voyager, like how the blue pipes that ran overhead were purposed for drinking water, or the sounds that would come out of the gun bay.

"This place used to moan and groan because it was operated by hydraulics," he said.

Above deck, Mr Hopkins explained the difference between a one deck and a front deck, the name of each turret and its function, and   the exact spot where HMAS Melbourne II collided with the destroyer causing catastrophic disaster.

"Back in 1964, just forward of where we are now, is where Melbourne sliced Voyager in half."

In 1964, Voyager was struck by the almost 20,000-tonne aircraft carrier off the coast of Jervis Bay during a training exercise.

Of the 314 people on board, 82 perished, making it the largest loss of military personnel during peacetime in Australian history.

Mr Hopkins was on board Voyager at the time of the collision.

He was one of the last two survivors to make it off the ship.

His first time stepping onboard Vampire was one week after the collision for a burial at sea.

"I've been to sea on the Vampire," Mr Hopkins said. "Only for a day." 

While it's been more than a decade   since he stood on a naval ship, and 42 years since he ended his service, Mr Hopkins, now living with terminal cancer, still has pride in the time he served.

"Once navy, always navy," he said. 

"The saltwater stays with you, no matter where you are."

'Possibly in my DNA'

As the son of both a veteran and someone who worked with water, Mr Hopkins said joining the navy was likely out of his control.

"It was something that I think was possibly in my DNA," he said.

As a boy, Mr Hopkins' father, who served for over five years during World War II, worked on the crew of Sydney Ferries and on the Eucambene Dam project.

"Watching the [Snowy River] waters rise, it sort of lured me I guess, as a youngster growing up."

Mr Hopkins enlisted when he was 17 years old in 1962. Soon he was aboard Voyager, serving as an engineer. He remembers the camaraderie between the crew, particularly among the engineers.

"We'd play sports quite often, especially in harbour," he said.

He can also remember his fondest memory, docking in the Japanese city of Karatsu.

"We were the first warship to go there in four years, and the first Australian warship to go there since World War II."

"There was a high school band that welcomed us. And when we left, we were like a cruise ship."

But after 13 months on board, the destroyer collided with Melbourne on the night of February 10, just before 9pm.

Following the collision, the forward section of the Voyager broke off and sank within 10 minutes.

The aft section initially remained afloat but, slowly, it began sinking into the sea, being submerged after midnight.

At the time, the 19-year-old Mr Hopkins was in the aft section, showering after a shift.

"I had a midshipman, Kerry Marien, double up with me. He was aspiring to be a naval engineer," he said.

"He went to have dinner in the boardroom and gave me a ring down the mess to say that the wardroom dinner was running late and that he'd give me a buzz when they'd finished, and we'd go trace out the feedwater system in a boiler room."

A loud bang led Mr Hopkins, with soap in his hair, to open the shower door, where he saw Voyager was hard up against the aircraft carrier.

Instinctively, he grabbed his clothes — a pair of work overalls — and sped towards an escape hatch.

"Buck Rogers — Jonathan Rogers — he was physically too large to fit through the escape hatch, and he was physically tossing guys through the escape hatch to escape," Mr Hopkins can remember.

"Being a Welshman, great voice, he was leading the guys that were trapped in [the] hymn — Abide With Me — as the forward section went under."

Mr Hopkins was one of the last two men to make it off Voyager, with the then-teenager removing his overalls to avoid sinking in the saltwater, swimming naked to a life raft.

"No-one has a 100 per cent idea of what happened that night because all those that do know perished on that night," he said.

"But it appears that [the cause] may have been a lack of situational awareness by the officers of the watch as to where Voyager was and where the carrier was."

Since the collision, two royal commissions were held in the 1960s to identify the cause.

Neither came to certain conclusions, but both were critical of the man at the helm of the Voyager, Captain Duncan Stevens, and his capacity to lead the ship.

There has also since been criticism of the lack of mental support by the navy for the survivors, including how there was no counselling but  simply a week off .

"The mentality of the time, from the naval hierarchy's viewpoint, was 'You fell off the horse, get back on sort-of thing'," Mr Hopkins said.

Mr Hopkins would continue to serve in the navy, shortly after being posted to an anti-submarine frigate, followed by a stint in the Vietnam War.

He remembers how one of his classmates, a "good bloke", died during the Vietnam War.

"He'd only just recently got married. He didn't want to get married at all."

In 1982, he completed his service, leaving as a chief petty officer in marine technician propulsion.

'Where destiny falls'

Despite the collision being more than 60 years ago, Mr Hopkins remembers plenty about it.

He can remember how some of the crew were playing tombola at the time.

He can recall the crew who relieved him that night, including Diepenbroek, his times on the watch with Macartney, and how he spent a weekend convincing Curgenven not to go AWOL.

"We spent all weekend talking him around to come back to the ship," Mr Hopkins recollected.

"They're guys that perished that night."

In the 30 years that followed, Mr Hopkins struggled. First, he brushed off any idea of any emotional or mental impacts.

"But unbeknownst to me, survivor's guilt started to rear its ugly head. I felt guilty of surviving the collision."

"Like many people, I took solace in the bottle. Probably drank more than I should have."

Mr Hopkins found he struggled to open up about the experience for 30 years, eventually finding support from both a therapist and his wife.

"It was something that I did take quite a while to come to terms with, and it's quite ironic given that the Voyager's motto is 'Quo Fata Vocant'. It means 'Where destiny falls'."

These days, Mr Hopkins tries not to reflect on it.

"It is what it is that happened," he said.

"Life goes on. And so do I."

'It's here for a reason'

Mr Hopkins's eventual peace with the night of the collision is clear by his feelings aboard the Vampire.

He says he doesn't believe he's experiencing any negative feelings being on the Vampire.

"In fact, I'm proud to be here, because I'm here with my family."

On board, he's surrounded by his family, including his daughter, granddaughter and 14-year-old great-granddaughter Juliet.

Equally, Mr Hopkins has accepted his cancer diagnosis.

In June 2023, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer, in his lungs.

From July to October, he underwent immunotherapy, followed by chemotherapy until January this year.

"When we started chemo, the [objective] was to hopefully survive until February to be able to attend the 60th anniversary [of the Voyager Collision]. I've managed to do that."

Mr Hopkins has no plan for further treatments, instead focusing on one day at a time.

The long-term goal is to make it to January 18 next year for his 80th birthday.

"But if I don't make it that far, so be it."

Looking forward, he has ideas of what he wants his legacy to be.

"My legacy, I hope, is that, through my life, they will understand that we can have trials and tribulations. But also, to remember those that went before us."

"I'd just like to convey that, not only do we remember those who served and paid the supreme sacrifice … we remember those that didn't see active service as such, but paid us the supreme sacrifice."

Speaking in between tears, Juliet came to a similar definition.

"Remembering what came before you. Just acknowledging the past. Acknowledging the way people were there," she said.

"It's here for a reason."

Reporting: Nabil Al-Nashar  and Sam Nichols

Digital production:  Sam Nichols

Photography: Brendan Esposito

Videography: Marcus Stimson

Video editing: Sebastian Dixon

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RFNS Savenaca crew conducts training with the Royal Australian Navy

The crew of RFNS Savenaca recently underwent comprehensive collective training with the assistance of the Royal Australian Navy Sea Training Group focusing on a few key factors from damage control response to navigation.

The Fiji Navy says the training also includes engineering, casualty control procedures, and ship medical response.

The Navy says these exercises are crucial for ensuring the crew's readiness and the ship’s safe passage.

They say this vital preparation is for the ship's upcoming transit to Cairns Australia where it will undergo major maintenance.

fijivillage News had earlier sent questions regarding the status of the RFNS Puamau that still awaits maintenance work, stranded in Fulaga.

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The Royal Australian Navy in the Middle East

10 August 1990

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had a significant presence in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) between 1990 and 2021. There had been 68 individual ship deployments across 6 separate Australian operations. This near continuous presence meant that duties changed regularly to reflect changing strategic circumstances.

The first RAN deployment came as a reaction to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The United Nations Security Council established a complete economic embargo. Australia then contributed to the multinational force that assembled in the Gulf region to enforce the sanctions.

For the following decade, the RAN maintained a regular single-ship presence in the Middle East, either in the Red Sea or the Gulf.

After the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the Australian government increased the RAN’s presence, under Operation Slipper. Another 3-ship task group arrived in the Gulf by December 2001:

• frigates HMA Ships Sydney (IV) and Adelaide (II)
• amphibious transport HMAS Kanimbla (II).

Thereafter, the Defence Force maintained at least 2 Australian warships in the MEAO until mid-2003.

Australia’s involvement in multinational efforts to develop a secure and stable environment in Iraq began in July 2003. For the following 5.5 years, the RAN rotated a warship into the Gulf for periods of up to 6 months. The most important task was providing around-the-clock protection for the infrastructure that was vital to Iraq’s economic recovery.

In May 2009 the Australian Government announced that the frigate already deployed in the Middle East under Slipper would also take on counter-piracy operations. This was in addition to carrying out counter-terrorism and maritime security patrols.

Over the following decade, Australia’s major contribution to Middle East maritime security continued in the western Indian Ocean. This is especially true as piracy off the coast of Somalia emerged as an issue.

The frigate’s counter-piracy efforts formed part of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). This is a maritime partnership made up of 44 nations that contribute flexibly to uphold the international rules based order.

Ultimately, in December 2020, then Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, CSC announced that the Defence Force would reduce its naval presence in the Middle East. This would enable more resources to be deployed to the Indo-Pacific. This decision included stopping the annual frigate deployment.