On the 68th anniversary of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney during the Second World War, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Alan Griffin encouraged Australians to pay tribute to the 645 men who lost their lives in the tragedy. “The sinking of Sydney and the death of her crew was one of Australia’s greatest naval tragedies. I hope that, now the wreck has been located and the commission of inquiry into the loss of the Sydney has handed down its findings, the families of those lost have some certainty as to the fate of their loved ones,” Mr Griffin said.

HMAS Sydney sailed from Fremantle on 11 November 1941 on a routine escort mission. On her way home, Sydney crossed paths with the German raider Kormoran 130 miles off the West Australian coastline. After failing to identify itself Kormoran, masquerading as an unarmed Dutch merchant ship, opened fire on Sydney. Despite fierce attempts to defend herself, Sydney sank killing the 645 Australian crew onboard. Although Sydney’s return fire forced Kormoran to abandon ship, some 317 of her German crew survived and were later interred in Australia.

“For more than 60 years, the location of the Sydney and Kormoran has remained a mystery until both wrecks were located on 17 March 2008 around 112 nautical miles off Steep Point, Western Australia,” Mr Griffin said. “Today we commemorate the 645 Australians who died onboard and pay tribute to their service, sacrifice and bravery. We also acknowledge the suffering and grief of the families left behind. To ensure the memory of those lost endures, in May this year the Australian Government declared the HMAS Sydney II memorial in Geraldton, Western Australia, a memorial of national significance. My Department also honoured the memory of the Sydney crew last year, producing a poster featuring her crew, which was sent to schools, ex-service organisations, aged care facilities and government agencies across the country.”