Voyager Scandal

[Baz]

Hi Guys & Gals, has anyone read the book Breaking Ranks by Peter Cabban and David Salter? This a fasinating read, never thought that I would find a book so hard to put down, particularly as I had no interest of the Voyager disaster. Shows how well the "old boys club" function, even the ex Govenor of NSW David Martin confessed on his death bed that he lied at the Royal Commission. Well worth the money for a good read.
cheers
Barry

[dazzler]

Hi Baz

My father was on the voyager when it went down and left the wheelhouse about an hour before the collision. He once told me that it happened because the night before a lookout from the Royal Navy (on exchange or ex RN) called collision avoidance and was dressed down on the bridge in front of all the officers as the captain said he was wrong. Very upset cause he was adament he was right.

He relieved dad in the wheelhouse or on lookout just before it happened and dad reckons that he probably just shut his mouth and hoped.

Dad reckons he was the best destroyer captain he had ever seen and drove it like a speed boat.....all fun till someone gets hurt. When there is no-one left on the bridge of the offending ship it would always be difficult to get to the bottom of it all.

And I think the compensation has probably done more harm than good.

cheers

dazzler

[gazaly]

Baz,

You have picked the most contentious of issues in the Pus to this day. The disaster is full of the most incredible stories, such as Dazzler's.

Another great one is of the lad that couldn't fit through the escape hatch from the compartment he was in (ate a few too many pies) but helped over 20 sailors get out of the hatch to safety before she went down!

[dazzler]

hey gazaly


Dad said that one was kind of twisted over the years. He says it was one small guy who had just joined and was pushed out a port hole (or whatever its called) in the mess area which was next to his section. Took a bit of flesh off his arms and legs as he was pushed.

Says he can remember hearing the bosun singing a navy prayer song as it was going down.

Also I can remember Mr Caban being bagged constantly by the sailors that were on board most unpleasantly about the letter he wrote to the first inquiry damming Capt Stevens. I always thought that took a lot of guts!.

Gotta add I was only a kid when I heard a lot of it and he didnt really talk about it until 25 years later.

cheers

dazzler

[Ivan in Oz]

Hey Guys,
A bit of Reality.

There are/were Politicians and "Forces" involved.
Do you REALLY expect anyTRUTH?

As a Cop, I worked under
Terry LEWIS :eek:
and ex Senator Mal Coulston :mad:
Truth, Honesty....Huh!!!
Some might [Not want to] know of them

I got out, and now happy WORKING for a living

Ivan

[ernknot]

I don't know why these issues keep getting stirred up after such a long time. It was known there was some cover up going on as it always does. History is not an accurate record of history.
I rememver the incident well, I was on the H.M.A.S. Quiberon and we had come back from far east duty ( 9 to 11 months away or there abouts) After such an extended journey the ship usually goes into refit for a number of months and the crew gets drafted to other ships and some stay on. I was sent to Melbourne to help commission the H.M.A.S Derwent and a lot of crew were sent to the H.M.A.S. Voyager. I lost a lot of mates and for the grace god there go I. We all know that justice will never be done if it involves politicians and public servants hence the phrase - justice must be seen to be done. I do belive that this accident was not a deliberate act on anyones part and as such we should respect the poor souls that were lost and let this pass into history. People who come up with books about incidents such as this are usually single minded in the first place and need to vent their spleens because at the time of the inquest no one took notice of them. Another way to make a buck and at the same time give false hope to those who survived and their families. I feel that all those who died would be appreciative of the fact that most of us remember them on ANZAC Day.

[gazaly]

ernknot, You are so right. Remember them for the fact that they were all prepared to pay the alltimate price for their country.

On another note.......you salty old dog you! I'll don anti-flash whilst you spin a warrie or two

[doug the slug]

[QUOTE=ernknot] History is not an accurate record of history.
QUOTE]

true, history of a conflict is always dictated by the winner and other historical events tend to be recorded as suits the government of the day. please dont anyone confuse these chronicles with the true course of events

[kiwigeo]

Another great one is of the lad that couldn't fit through the escape hatch from the compartment he was in (ate a few too many pies) but helped over 20 sailors get out of the hatch to safety before she went down!

If you visit the Vampire (sister ship to Voyager) at the maritime museum in Sydney you usually get a tour of the forward mess and a run down on the above story. From memory the exit is an emergency exit in the ceiling of the mess and it is bldi small.

The whole story is a sad one and even sadder when you hear of the guys still fighting for compensation and closure on the disaster.

[ClintO]

Just noticed this thread and thought I'd put in my 2cents worth as I am a volunteer guide on the HMAS Vampire at the ANMM in Sydney.
I never served in the miltary and being a guide has heightened my respect of those that were/are in the military.
Gazaly refers to a guy who helped the sailers out the escape hatch. This was in fact CPO Jon "Buck" Rogers a welshman in the RAN who was awarded a posthumous George Cross for his actions that night.
The escape hatch in the seamens mess is in the hull and is surprisingly small, no way in hell I would fit through. The hatch in HMAS Voyager required a spanner to get it open, which was a problem if it was ever dropped/misplaced. As a result of the incident the escape hatches on the sister ships were redesigned so they could be opened by a rotating handle.

Clint

[gazaly]

Thanks Clint. I'm tipping you know plenty of good warries. What's ya favourite?

[ClintO]

I'm afraid I don't really have any.
Most of the ex-servicmen that I meet are just ordinary guys who went about their jobs without any fuss and dont go into any depth generally (like a lot of veterans). In a way its their ordinariness (sorry about the word) that makes you appreciate what they did.