HMAS Sydney II Anniversary

The anniversary on 19 November this year will be the first anniversary of the loss of HMAS Sydney and all her 645 crew since the discovery on 17 March 2008 of her resting place.

Events

Commemorative services will be held across Australia on 19 November to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Sydney II and her crew.  An ‘at-sea’ service is to be held over the site of the Sydney, organised through the Department of Defence.  Other services are to be held at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne; the Cenotaph, Sydney; the Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane; and the HMAS Sydney II Memorial, Geraldton.  Services will also be held at Naval Headquarters South Australia, Adelaide, HMAS Cerberus, Cribb Point, Victoria and Fremantle Surf Life Saving Club, North Fremantle, Western Australia, on 16 November; and the Basilica of St Patrick, Fremantle, Western Australia, on 11 November.

Further information on events being held to commemorate the loss of the HMAS Sydney and her crew can also be found at: http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Sydney_II_November_2008_Memorial_Services

A small image of the HMAS Sydney poster Poster

The image on the poster is a group portrait of the ship’s company after the successful action against the Italian Cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni on 19 July 1940. Men are crowded on the deck and stand in the rigging, c. July 1940.


The text on the poster is:
LEST WE FORGET - HMAS Sydney 19 November 1941

On the afternoon of 19 November 1941, HMAS Sydney and the German raider Kormoran fought a brief but violent action off the Western Australian coast. Forced to abandon ship, the Kormoran’s survivors watched as the Sydney limped onwards into the gathering dusk. They were the last to see the famous Australian warship afloat. The Sydney’s fate was a mystery for 66 years until her wreck was discovered in March 2008 more than 2 km beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean. The loss of her crew of 645 men remains Australia’s greatest naval tragedy. (Australian War Memorial P00795.001)

Download the high resolution size image of the poster (JPG 1.02Mb)

This poster was distributed widely across Australia.