Remembering Jonathan Rogers

Tuesday, February 10, is an important day for the memory of the man after whom Rogers Park was named.

It marked the 47th anniversary of the sinking of the HMAS Voyager where chief petty officer of the ship Mr Jonathon Rogers from Ettalong died along with 81 others.

In memory of officer Rogers, Woy Woy Lions Club donated a plaque which was erected at Rogers Park in Woy Woy in 1977.

Jonathan Rogers was born in north-east Wales and joined the Royal Navy when he was 18 years old.

He served on 13 ships, mostly through the war years, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for coolness and leadership under enemy fire while serving as coxswain in 1944.

After the war, chief petty officer Rogers came to Australia and joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1950, moving with his young family to Ettalong Beach in 1955.

Chief petty officer Rogers, known to friends as Buck Rogers, served on several vessels before joining HMAS Voyager in January 1963 as coxswain.

As the senior sailor on board, he was responsible for the good order and discipline of the ship's company.

On the night of the disaster, the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and the destroyer HMAS Voyager were conducting exercises off the NSW South Coast.

At 8.56 pm, 37 kilometres south-east of Jervis Bay, HMAS Voyager crossed in front of HMAS Melbourne and collided, cutting HMAS Voyager in half.

Just before the collision, chief petty officer Rogers was in the forward cafeteria presiding over a game of tombola, which is similar to bingo, with around 60 other off-duty crew.

On impact, there was instant darkness.

The ship rolled violently on its side and about five minutes later turned upside down. Jonathan Rogers was one of more than 50 sailors trapped in the sinking forward section. Survivors told of the courage of chief petty officer Rogers amidst the turmoil.

Rogers had taken charge, calming terrified shipmates and attempting to control the flooding. He tried to free a jammed escape hatch, and organised men to move into other compartments. Rogers was a big man and probably knew that he was too big to fit through a small escape hatch himself.

The forward section finally sank about 10 minutes after the impact.

It was later reported that Rogers was heard leading his remaining doomed comrades in prayer and a hymn during their final moments.

Rogers was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest bravery award then available in peacetime, "for organising the escape of as many as possible and encouraging those few who could not escape to meet death alongside himself with dignity and honour". All of chief petty officer Rogers' medals are on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The HMAS Voyager disaster resulted in the loss of 82 lives, including 14 officers, the commanding officer DH Stevens, 67 sailors and one civilian dockyard employee.

Email, 11 Feb 2011 Tony Bambury, Bensville