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Sympathy message from Buckingham Palace
Sympathy message from Buckingham Palace

Sympathy message from Buckingham Palace

Datec 1940
Object number00054980
NameCard
MediumPaper, ink
DimensionsOverall: 190 × 120 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Joseph Davis
DescriptionAn official British Second World War condolence card sent to Doreen Evans from King George at Buckingham Palace following the death of her husband, Petty Officer (Gunner) Francis Richard Evans. Petty Officer Evans served aboard the Modified Leander class cruiser HMAS SYDNEY (II) and perished with the vessel following its mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran on 19 November 1941. The message reads 'The Queen and I offer you our heartfelt sympathy in your great sorrow. We pray that your country's gratitude for a life so nobly given in its service may bring you some measure of consolation.'HistoryThe Modified Leander Class light cruiser HMAS SYDNEY (II) was launched in September 1934 as HMS Phaeton and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (and renamed) the following year. It served with distinction in the Mediterranean during the Second World War before being reassigned to Australian waters in early 1941 to serve as a convoy escort. On 19 November 1941,SYDNEY entered into a mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser HSK KORMORAN and sank with the loss of all hands. SYDNEY's loss is one of the most significant in the history of the Royal Australian Navy, and until its discovery in 2008 was one of Australia's most enduring naval mysteries. As a consequence, items associated with the vessel have considerable historical importance and sentimental value.SignificanceFrancis Richard Evans was assigned to SYDNEY in April 1938 and was serving aboard the vessel at the outbreak of the Second World War. During the period covered in the diary, Evans was a Petty Officer (Gunner) and served with distinction. He remained with SYDNEY following its return to Australia in early 1941 and was aboard the ship when it was lost with all hands following its engagement with KORMORAN. Few personal diaries exist that detail SYDNEY's operations in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, and fewer still are accompanied by photographs that visually document the ship's travels and military engagements during this time.