Mar 20, 2008
HMAS SYDNEY - what was considered to be one of Australia’s greatest mysteries of World War Two - has been found and is a mystery no longer. But what of her ship’s company and their missing war medals?
It is well documented that 645 men died when H.M.A.S Sydney was sunk off the Western Australian Coast on the 19th of November, 1941. Officially, the World War 2 Nominal role lists the date of death of virtually all of the ships company as being the 20th of November, 1941. Either way, not one crew member survived the encounter with the German Raider Kormoran - to claim his medal entitlement after 1945. So this could lead us to think that any war medals awarded to a crew member - may in this day and age, be virtually devoid of any of the wear and tear associated with 40 odd years of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services.
But in my many years as a collector of Australian Military History, I consider it quite fortunate that I have not come across many “medal sets” which had been posthumously awarded to sailors from the HMAS Sydney. My hope in this - is that they are still in the hands of family and descendants - never to be bought, sold or traded.
However, when you search on the Australian War Memorial Website, the solitary 1939-45 Star awarded to Able Seaman Ronald Matthew VOGT comes to light. This medal, along with a small collection of miscellaneous items is perhaps all that remains of one man’s service to his nation. What of the rest?
Ronald Matthew VOGT was born on the 25th of September, 1919 at Blyth in South Australia. He served at Cerberus before being taken on strength of HMAS Sydney. An inspection of his Service Card on the Australian Archives does not reveal a great deal, however at the very least - his medal entitlement extends for eligibility for the 1939-45 War Medal and the WW2 Australian Service Medal.
The majority of sailors, those at least who had served on HMAS Sydney in the Mediterranean during 1940 - were certainly entitled to receive the Africa Star. However when she returned to Fremantle - Australia on the 5th of February, 1941 and then Sydney Harbour only four days later; some men were re-assigned other duties. Replacements were taken on board and for those new arrivals, a different medal entitlement would result.
One medal group, awarded to Petty Officer F.V.W. PRICE who served on the Sydney prior to 1941(not on HMAS Sydney at the time that she was lost) holds a very interesting set consisting of the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, 1939-45 War Medal and the Australian Service Medal. What is of interest is the “Pacific” Bar that hangs from the Burma Star ribbon. This signifies that the bearer was also entitled to the Pacific Star, but as medal protocols do not allow these two medals to be worn together in the same set - the bar is issued instead.
Certainly, her duties prior to the engagement with the Kormoran - places the ship’s crew in the geographic area that forms the entitlement for the Pacific Star.
So the question is asked, where is the rest of the entitlement belonging to Able Seaman VOGT? I only hope, that if these missing war medals are out there - somewhere - they can be reunited with the 39-45 Star that takes pride of place at the Australian War Memorial. Perhaps the rest of this broken set is amongst your collection??
If a ship, laying in the depths of the Indian ocean can be located at a depth of approximately 2,500 metres, then I can only hope that the missing medals of HMAS Sydney can be found and re-united with their respective families. It is the least that we can do to complete the mystery.
Are you a descendant of one of the 645 souls aboard the HMAS SYDNEY???? Do you have your family’s war medals??? If so - I would love to hear from you. Please tell us about them.
Or - if you are a descendant of a sailor from HMAS Sydney and your family’s war medals are missing - then I am offering FREE lifetime listing of your wanted medals on the website: medalsgonemissing.com
Just contact us for further details.
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