AN estimated 200 personnel from HMAS Albatross were onboard the Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne when it collided with the US destroyer, USS Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea in June 1969.
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The collison cut the US destroyer in half and resulted in 74 US sailors losing their lives.
Among the many locals onboard eary that fateful morning on June 3 was then 31-year-old "Spike" Jones and 23-year-old "Mak" Makila.
Both were Petty Officers and aircraft maintainers working on the Skyhawks' 805 Squadron that were based out of the Nowra Air Station.
They say the incident is "etched into their memories".
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The pair, who are members of Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group, have welcomed news a special private commemorative service to mark the disaster will be held in Nowra on Friday, June 3.
"It's certainly something you never forget," Mak said.
"There's barely a day goes by it doesn't come into my memory."
Along with the 805 Squadron Skyhawks on Melbourne, Albatross also had Tracker aircraft from 816 Squadron, and Wessex Helicopters from the Albatross' 817 Squadron, which was providing search and rescue capabilities, onboard.
It's estimated with the squadron force, around 200 personnel from Albatross were onboard Melbourne at the time of the incident.
With their Skyhawk aircraft not flying that evening Spike and Mak were asleep when the collision occurred.
"It was to me rather strange - I was sound asleep and woke up to 'Hands to Collision Stations'," Spike said.
"A million things go through your head - emergency stations, leaving ships stations, action stations, never heard of collision stations.
"These are the things that happened instantaneously.
"I moved out to the port side of the ship and saw the bow of the Frank E. Evans sink. I actually ran into Mak out there at this stage - we were in different messes."
"I was in the port mess," Mak said.
"We were very close to where the ship was sinking.
"I came out and what do you do?
"The bow was upside down and the ship was sinking. I can still see the seven on it - it's burnt into my brain I think.
"The poor souls - the noise - bedlam it was really.
"We had to get down to the hangar so we could get mustered so we couldn't do much.
"Not sure who did all the rescuing - ship's company probably, mostly."
The rescue mission started with survivors brought aboard Melbourne onto the flight deck and quarter deck.
"We had Evans crew members come into our mess. I think we had about four or five survivors," Spike said.
"We only had one American in our mess - I actually think he was a reporter or something," Mak said.
"Because we were Petty Officers' mess we could store up beer and so forth," Spike said.
"The Junior Sailors drinks were always opened and they had to drink them on the spot.
"So, when these guys came in we had a supply of beer - so we offered them to the survivors - another crew member went to the Ward Room and got a bottle of brandy for medicinal reasons.
"One character [US survivor] came on in his underpants, he'd just got out of bed himself.
"After a couple of sips of beer he said 'If I'd known I was coming to a party, I would have got appropriately dressed' - just a classic response."
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He said at the time American ships were dry - they had no alcohol on board.
"We weren't popular for giving them alcohol," Spike said "the hierarchy didn't look favourably on that."
The forward section of Evans sank quickly while her stern section was secured to Melbourne's starboard side enabling that part of the ship to be searched for survivors.
A total of 199 men were saved, many of them embarking and receiving treatment in the Australian carrier, which had sustained extensive damage to her bow section, before transferring to the American carrier, USS Kearsarge.
"We weren't flying at the time but I think we had a Tracker from the other squadron in the air and the Kearsarge had to accept it for landing," Spike said.
"It's one of those things you forever remember," Mak said.
"Something I'll never forget - those poor men."
Part of the Evans was strapped to the Melbourne and was towed to the Philippines before the carrier continued onto Singapore for emergency repairs.
"We spent a lot of time together in Singapore," Mak said.
"We were put ashore for three weeks - I went to a place called HMS Simbang."
Spike was based at RAF Tengah, where the aircraft were flying.
"I remember going ashore with a Skyhawk on a lighter, a barge, and they used a tractor to tow it to Changi and to launch to Tengah," Mak said.
"We'd go ashore every afternoon at 4.30, go to our respective depots and return to the ship by bus the next day - undertaking our maintenance procedures while they patched up the bow."
"Part of that came adrift on the trip home - up off Queensland we could hear it clanging," Spike said.
The collision bought back raw memories of the Voyager and Melbourne disaster off Jervis Bay, just five years before, where 82 of the Voyager crew died.
"Melbourne was referred to as supposedly a jinxed ship," Mak said.
"But it was proven in both cases it wasn't Melbourne's fault."
Both undertook multiple postings to the aircraft carrier - Spike in 1961, '62, '65, '69, '70 and '77 and Mak in '69, '74-75.
Despite an image of trouble Mak has fond memories of being on the carrier.
"I loved it," he said.
"The first time I saw a Skyhawk land and launch on the aircraft carrier I was beside myself.
"It was unbelievable - it's not a big ship - a lot of the Yank pilots would look at it and say 'I'm not touching that'.
"It was really exciting."
Spike was also on board in 1965 when the first US Skyhawk landed on Melbourne, when Australia was looking at purchasing the aircraft.
"It was a hard ship to live on but I had some great times," Spike said.
"The conditions were tough."
"There was not much room, no air conditioning," Mak said.
"There were no modern facilities - it was designed in 1942 for the North Atlantic - so it had heaters on it - we always operated in the tropics so it had no air conditioning or anything and when you were down low in the decks it was hot," Spike said
"There were Punkah louvers for outside air, which was hot anyway."
"The junior sailors had it the worst," Mak said.
"Especially down Four Charlie - I didn't do any trips as a junior sailor - but there were stories of them wandering around with a foot of water down there - shower water etc.
"We would have had 15-18 in our mess and it would have been the size of a modern loungeroom, with triple decker bunks."
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Spike spent three years as a junior sailor and in Four Charlie which held two squadrons the full width of the ship - 120 to 130 men.
"It was crowded."
Spike was among a number of Australians who traveled to the US to mark the 50th anniversary of the accident, at the Evans' home port in Long Beach.
"It was very good," Spike said.
"We went to various functions while we were there.
"A few of them have been going back year after year.
"I know there has been a battle going on for more than 50 years to get those sailors who died recognised.
"The ship was over there basically for the Vietnam War but was holding exercises and their loss is not recognised as war time."
Seven officers and sailors on HMAS Melbourne received medals for acts of bravery following the collision - Lieutenant Commander Robert Burns, 30, the George Medal for exceptionally brave conduct and gallantry in saving life at sea; LCDR Des Rogers, 37, (Commanding Officer of 817 Squadron Wessex Helicopter aircraft) the Air Force Cross for distinguished conduct in rescue operations at sea; LCDR Colin Patterson, 37, Member of the British Empire, for distinguished conduct and gallantry in rescue operations at sea; Petty Officer Engineering Mechanic Nelson Heard, 31, British Empire Medal, for gallantry in rescue operations at sea; Able Seaman Quartermaster Gunner Patrick Richardson, 20, British Empire Medal for gallantry in saving life at sea; Naval Airman Aircraft Handler Robert Winston, 21, Queen's Commendation for brave conduct in rescue operations at sea; and Engineering Mechanic Wayne Baldwin, 23, Queen's Commendation for bravery in rescue operations at sea
Another 15 received naval board commendations, including Lieutenant James Buchanan, LEUT Geoff Vickridge and ME Kerry James, who were all based at Albatross.
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