Voyager memorial service

A memorial service for those who died in the HMAS Voyager sinking on February 10, 1964, will be held on Saturday, February 11, at Everglades Country Club from 11:30am.

The restored Jonathon Rogers Memorial at Rogers Park will also be rededicated on the day.

The memorial was restored and upgraded after the Naval Association of Australia Central Coast Sub Section obtained a grant from the State Government.

"Part of the reason for doing so was to make the memorial more visible from Ocean Beach Rd," said honorary secretary Mr Bruce Smith.

"It was also to inform the residents of the Central Coast why Rogers Park was so named."

Rogers Park in Woy Woy was named in 1986 after a local man who died in the collision of the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and the destroyer HMAS Voyager in a training exercise.

Chief Petty Officer Jonathon Rogers was one of 82 men who lost their lives in the collision on the night of February 10, 1964.

He was one of more than 50 men trapped in darkness in a compartment of the sinking forward section.

He took control and tried to calm in the situation.

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

Rogers was heard leading his doomed comrades in a prayer and a hymn during their final moments.

Rogers was born at Llangollen, Denbighshire, United Kingdom, and joined the Royal Navy in 1983 when he was 18.

He served 13 ships, mostly through the war years.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for coolness and leadership while serving as coxswain of Motor Torpedo Boat 698 in actions on the nights of March 23 and May 23, 1944.

After the war he came to Australia and joined the RAN.

He was promoted to chief petty officer in 1956.

Rogers was later 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".

Letter, 20 Jan 2012 Bruce Smith, Naval Association of Australia Central Coast Sub Section Photo: Naomi Bridges