Comments on: HMAS Sydney

By: Jennie Norberry

Jennie Norberry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:46:17 +0000

For Gillian: The Memorial does hold a photograph of your uncle, Bernard Albert Diews, which can be viewed on our website at http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P02008.001. The items you kindly donated are not currently on display. However, The diary and Christmas Day menu can be viewed by visitors to the Research Centre of the Memorial. It typically takes about 30 minutes for Research Centre collection items to be retrieved. The group portrait of the ships company of HMAS Sydney after the successful action against the Italian Cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni was taken circa July 1940. The photograph can be viewed at http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P00795.001.

By: Gillian Lewis nee Diews

Gillian Lewis nee Diews — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:10:26 +0000

My Uncle Bernard Albert Diews was lost on HMAS Sydney. Does the memorial have a photograph of him? I also donated some HMAS Sydney items to the AWM in December 1994.The receipt no. was FR1803 file 93/0295. Items of particular interest were the HMAS Sydney 1940 Christmas Day menu and an original diary recording HMAS Sydney’s daily activities from April 1940 to January 1941. Do you know if those items are on display at the museum?
Also can you tell me what date the famous crew photo was taken?

By: James Oglethorpe

James Oglethorpe — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:19:04 +0000

To Don Hill and others who have asked about the possibility of a Japanese submarine being involved. – If you examine the Sydney wreck photos you will see that they show every sign of the warship being sunk by naval gunfire and the torpedo strike from the Kormoran, consistent with the secret German battle report.

The excellent book “Bitter Victory” (Olson) is the one to read to sort out the many red-herring theories that have been circulated over the years.

- I can put one red herring to rest myself. In the 1998 Senate Inquiry (www.aph.gov.au/hansard/joint/commttee/j1837.pdf), evidence was presented that “When Kormoran left Truk, a Japanese submarine accompanied it”. Very sadly, this evidence was presented (in good faith) by a reputable researcher who had received faked information created by the NZ author James MacKay. (I have published a paper in The Journal of Military History on some of MacKay’s other forgeries, so I was able to recognise his fingerprints, despite the fact that he was not mentioned in Hansard as the source.) The researcher, Dr McArthur, later confirmed for me that MacKay was the culprit.

By: Michael McDonough

Michael McDonough — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:35:23 +0000

Stephen,
I am the youngest son of Allen Vernon McDonough. He and Ray were very close during their training. Being both South Australians, and being in the Number 1 Course of the EATS both qualified for seaplane training. Dad spoke very highly of Ray. I believe Dad was the only RAAF Walrus pilot to survive the war, although being captured by the Japanese after the sinking of HMAS Perth, and working on the Burma-Siam Railway. He past away in 2004, 4 months after his 90th birthday, in Adelaide. I have other details if you wish, so feel free to contact me.
Kindest regards,
Michael.

By: Brad Henry

Brad Henry — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:49:20 +0000

I am sure Ray and my father would have known each other and chatted during his visits to the Sydney II. My dad, Ron Henry, was a fitter/armorer on the HMAS Australia’s Walrus, number 9 Squadron. Unfortunately my dad died just a few years back of Asbestos cancer, aquired from the HMAS Australia.