As the sun sank beneath the horizon on November 19 1941, the German survivors of the raider Kormoran watched their enemy fade from view.

HMAS Sydney II was being torn apart by explosions.  The witnesses that evening spoke later of seeing a distant glare and an occasional flickering of light – Sydney II was sinking beneath the swell, vanishing for 67 years. 

The discovery of a body and a life raft a few days later only added to the mystery and the tragedy.

Were there survivors? Where was the ship? How could this occur?

The dramatic discovery of the Sydney earlier this year raised even more questions.

The Australian Government has begun a Commission of Inquiry in the hope of providing answers to some of these questions. 

But in the end, such inquiries provide little comfort to those left behind to grieve.  As the years have passed by their number has dwindled - but the memories live on.

Many have made the pilgrimage to Geraldton today to honour and pay respects to a father, an uncle or a brother.

Others are here to represent a family member they’ve met but feel they know so well because they’ve heard so much about him. 
I sincerely hope the reburial of the unknown sailor today has provided at least some of you with some form of closure.

Those ghostly images beamed to us deep beneath the ocean’s surface earlier this year, re-captured the attention and imaginations of all Australians.

A pair of dress shoes, a set of Binoculars, a gas mask.

But most striking of all were the images of the lifeboats. Those who found Sydney II could not help but notice a pattern – the boats seemed to surround the field of debris.

It was almost as if they were the markers of sacred ground.  And on almost each of the lifeboats, the Sydney II badge was still clearly visible – remarkably well preserved.
   
Almost 7 decades on, we live in a different age. But seeing those images caused us all to reflect on some great Australian traits – mateship, patriotism, courage and duty.

The sinking of the Sydney II has come to symbolise the futility and tragedy of war.  But as we grieve, we unite.

And of course we find some comfort in the fact that that the 645 men who died that day, died in the name of their country.

They gave their lives all those years ago, in order that we may enjoy freedom, liberty and democracy today.

Lest We Forget!