A game of bingo to relax after a hard day's work was cut short by Australia's worst peacetime naval disaster 60 years ago.
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Getting together with crew mates and playing games to pass the time on HMAS Voyager was something Merv Hampson knew all too well.
The Mortlake man had been working on the navy ship six months prior to the collision between aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager near Jervis Bay in NSW on February 10, 1964.
Mr Hampson, now 83, had been reassigned to HMAS Vendetta - a sister ship to the HMAS Voyager.
HMAS Vendetta was on its way back to Darwin when news of the disaster, which killed 82 people, broke.
An announcement came over a loud speaker that the ship had sunk and 82 crew members - some who Mr Hampson had served with - had drowned.
"It was a hell of a shock when they announced it," Mr Hampson said.
"Most of the crew onboard were playing the Navy version of bingo.
"They had a bingo night onboard and they couldn't get out."
Mr Hampson lost a number of mates, but his best friend who was still working on the ship survived.
"She went down in a few minutes," he said.
"She was hit by the carrier and pushed sideways for about half a minute and broke clean in half."
Mr Hampson said he had many fond memories, along with some not so fond memories, of his time on the HMAS Voyager.
He was part of a crew which travelled to countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the Philippines and Japan.
Mr Hampson made a lot of great mates but also endured sweltering conditions as a stoker in the boiler room.
"It was among the worst jobs on the ship - it probably got up to 40 or 50 degrees," he said.
Mr Hampson said the HMAS Voyager was a very impressive vessel.
"It was my first decent war ship," he said.
"I had been on a couple of minor ships but she was a very significant war ship."
On Saturday, the Naval Association of Australia's south-west sub-branch hosted a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate 60 years since the tragedy in Mortlake.
Mr Hampson said the ceremony was held at the town's war monument on Saturday morning.
He said he would reflect on the "poor devils who were trapped in the front of the ship when it went down".
Mr Hampson said he had often thought about how close he had been to being there on that fateful day.
"I was a lucky boy," he said.
Monique Patterson
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
