November 27 will mark 80 years since the sinking of the HMAS Parramatta II navy ship, with a memorial service set to be held locally.
The sinking of the Grimsby class sloop is one of the lesser-known tragedies of WWII that cost the lives of 138 men.
The ship was hit by a torpedo fired from the German submarine U559 and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea during the early hours of November 27, 1941.
All survivors of the tragedy have now passed.
The Naval Association of Australia’s Parramatta Memorial Sub Section group wants to ensure the story continues to be told and have organised a memorial in line with the 80th anniversary of the sinking.
Those who made the ultimate sacrifice will be honoured and remembered at the event, which will be attended by many special guests including family of survivors, Commander of the Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Mark Hammond and NSW Governor Margaret Beazley.
Until recent years, there were still remaining survivors who would attend memorial services of the sinking.
Sub-section President Bruce Richens said this year’s memorial will run as close to normal as possible with COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s a significant part of our local history,” he said.
“We took over the hosting of the service when the survivors couldn’t do so anymore and it’s important that we could take that over to continue to hold it for the survivors and their families.
“We will continue this on to ensure we don’t forget and remember the sacrifice of the people before us.”
There are four HMAS Parramatta ships, the fourth of which is a current ANZAC class ship in service.
Parramatta I was used in WWI and the Parramatta name was the first ship built for the Australian navy.
The service will be held at the HMAS Parramatta II Memorial, located by the river in Queens Wharf Reserve off George Street, Parramatta from 11am on November 27.
Due to COVID-19, there are some limitations on the size of the gathering so it will be live streamed online for those who wish to watch on.
The Navel Association of Australia is an ex-Navy group which supports retired servicemen.
For more information, visit naapm.net.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.