Bob & Charley.
What does John Gray think ? Well - frankly it makes me very angry. I'd never come across the Dengate song and it just goes to show what an uninformed idiot can put out. Disgraceful.
Two Royal Commissions proved that the Melbourne's captain and bridge officers were not in the wrong and had no case to answer. Voyager's captain Duncan Stevens should not have been at sea. He had an ulcer and used alcohol to dull the pain.
On the night of the collision we were engaged in night-flying operations. During such time alcohol was forbidden to be issued on any ship involved. A Voyager officer's steward who survived testified that he had given Stevens a couple of double brandies in the hour before the collision.( 9.00 PM )
Notwithstanding that, one of the maritime laws gives an aircraft carrier right of way at sea and she only signals changes of course and/or speed by courtesy. In effect - any ship operating with a carrier must keep out of the carrier's way. This has something to do with a carriers command at times concentrating on landing planes in a storm or short of fuel.
Voyager was carrying out the function of "plane guard" whereby she was stationed approx 500 metres astern of Melbourne and in a position to nip in and pick up any crew from an aircraft that missed the arrestor wires, stalled, and ended up in the sea.
When the carrier turns the plane guard escort does a double "fishtail manoeuvre" to eat up distance without having to reduce speed. This positions her in the correct spot when the turn is completed. Unfortunately, in this instance, her command lost the plot and thought they were on the carrier's port side when they were on starboard.
The day before the collision Voyager did the same manoeuvre during daylight and nearly impaled herself on our bows. I was watching at the time and it scared the living daylights out of me. We missed her by about 50 metres.
The media and politicians forced two multi-million dollar royal commissions when all that was required was a Naval Board of Enquiry that would have taken about 2 days to hand down a finding. Although Melbourne's captain Robertson was cleared of any negligence the Navy Board gave him a junior captain's shore posting leaving the impression that he was the scapegoat. Naturally the poor man had to retire and thus our navy lost its most capable, respected and admired captain.
Our Navy Board was then gutless and it still is gutless. A recent example was the "children overboard affair". An incident whereby it was reported that our frigate HMAS Adelaide was standing by a refugee boat from which the children were being thrown overboard. It was a political lie of course but it suited the policy of our incumbent gov't. The Adelaide's captain was not permitted to speak to the media, and reveal the truth, and the Navy Board did not support him by speaking the truth, but instead supported the gov'ts political sham. They hung their captain out to dry and, in doing so, showed themselves as political harlots.


With regard to the Melbourne / USS Frank E Evans collision in the South China Sea. I was on a destroyer in Subic Bay ( Philippines ) at the time, just back from VietNam when they towed in the stern of Evans. It was like deja vu for me. We actually went and got some spare parts from her.
Anyway, once again the Melbourne wasn't at fault although the American admiral chairing the enquiry brought down a finding that meant Melbourne's captain had to face a court martial in Australia and another good captain bit the dust. Our gov't and Navy Board gave in to the threat from the US Navy that, if we wanted to continue to be involved in joint exercises with them, then we had to cop it sweet that they weren't to blame. It didn't matter what the right decision was once the political decision was made.
Evans was Melb's plane guard. The regulations are that the escort's captain has to be on the bridge during flying operations. Evan's captain was asleep in his cabin at the time of the collision. he should have been court-martialed and cashered. All he got was to be put back a few places on the promotions list. Evan's bridge officer of the watch was a Lieut Junior Grade. He had only been in the navy 18 months and shouldn't have been in command, standing a watch at sea, as he didn't have a watch-keeping certificate. He had sat the exam but failed ! So, against that total lack of professionalism we lost a totally professional captain.
Several American admirals were brave enough to be quoted as saying they were horrified at the injustice of it all.

So, with regards to songs, poems, anecdotes etc I suggest reading the excellent books published on these matters. The New Zealand Vice Admiral Harold Hickling's book "Ome Minute of Time" details the Melb / Voyager incident.

Sometimes I wonder why we are allies of the Americans. When anything happens we always seem to be the one that comes away with the bloody nose. David Hick's incarceration in Guantanamo Bay - but that's another story.

JG/FME