Royal Australian Navy Pennant
Date1940s
Object number00055867
NamePennant
MediumLinen, wood, hemp, ink
DimensionsOverall: 1945 × 145 mm
ClassificationsCeremonial artefact
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Cliff Winnett
DescriptionCold War-era Royal Australian Navy commissioning pennant, possibly associated with HMAS VOYAGER (II).
It comprises a long, narrow triangular piece of cream-coloured linen cloth featuring the red cross of St George.HistoryHMAS VOYAGER (II) was the first of the three Daring-class destroyers ordered by the RAN. It embarked upon several deployments to the Far East, and participated in a number of joint naval exercises hosted by the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO).
On 10 February 1964, VOYAGER was performing trials off Jervis Bay, under the command of Captain Duncan Stevens, following a refit at the naval dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria. HMAS MELBOURNE (II), under the command of Captain John Robertson, was also undergoing post-refit trials off Jervis Bay. The trials involved interactions between both ships, and when MELBOURNE performed night flying exercises that evening, Voyager acted as the carrier's plane guard escort. This required VOYAGER to maintain a position off MELBOURNE's port quarter at a distance from the carrier of 1,400 to 1,800 metres.
During the early part of the evening, VOYAGER had no difficulties maintaining its position during the manoeuvres both ships performed. Following a series of turns intended to reverse the courses of both ships beginning at 8:40 pm, VOYAGER ended up to starboard of MELBOURNE. At 8:52 pm, VOYAGER was ordered to resume the plane guard station. The procedure to accomplish this required VOYAGER to turn away from MELBOURNE in a large circle, cross the carrier's stern, then take position off MELBOURNE's port side. Instead, VOYAGER first turned to starboard, away from MELBOURNE, then turned to port without warning. MELBOURNE's bridge crew initially assumed that VOYAGER was conducting a series of tight turns to lose speed before swinging behind MELBOURNE, but VOYAGER did not alter course again.
Despite measures taken by the crews of both ships to avoid a collision, MELBOURNE struck just aft of VOYAGER's bridge structure at 8:56 pm. The impact rolled the destroyer to starboard before cutting it in half. VOYAGER's forward boiler exploded and briefly set fire to MELBOURNE's bow before the flames were extinguished by seawater. The destroyer's forward section sank quickly, due to the weight of its two 4.5-inch gun turrets. The after section did not begin sinking until half an hour after the collision, and did not completely submerge until just after midnight. MELBOURNE launched its boats almost immediately after the collision to recover survivors, and the carrier's wardroom and C Hangar were prepared for casualties. At 9:58 pm, MELBOURNE was informed that search-and-rescue boats from HMAS CRESWELL, helicopters from HMAS ALBATROSS (Naval Air Station Nowra), and five Ton-class minesweepers had been despatched to assist in the search.
Of the 314 personnel aboard VOYAGER at the time of the collision, 14 officers and 67 sailors were killed, including Stevens and all but two of the bridge crew. A civilian dockyard worker also lost his life. The destroyer's loss constituted the RAN's worst peacetime disaster, as well as the largest loss of Australian military personnel in peacetime. Subsequent investigations resulted in two Royal Commissions—the only time in Australian history this has occurred.
SignificanceThe commissioning pennant belonged to Able Seaman Brian George Winnett (Service Number R55674), who served in the Royal Australian Navy between 26 June 1959 and 25 June 1968. During that time, Winnett was assigned to the Daring-class destroyer HMAS VOYAGER (II) on eight separate occasions, the last of which occurred in November 1963. VOYAGER was sunk only three months later following a collision with the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE (II) while both vessels were conducting military exercises off Jervis Bay.
