Comrades recall four of the finest: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 09 Apr 2005: 2.
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Abstract
Four of the nine personnel who died, lieutenants Matthew Goodall, Paul Kimlin and Jonathan King and Leading Seaman Scott Bennet were also based there as part of Squadron 817.
During the service four friends and colleagues of the men, voices cracking with emotion, told of those they had lost. Lieutenant Commander Matt Bradley recalled his friend Lieutenant Goodall, or “Guber”, as a talented officer who loved life and couldn’t wait to see “real” operations.
Although saddened by the tragedy and despair he had witnessed in Indonesia, he had revelled “in the fact of helping others”. Lieutenant King was remembered as an officer who stood out from the crowd and whose social life in his student years earned him affectionate notoriety.
Full Text
THE Last Post concluded and for one long minute all that could be heard was the sound of birds in the distance and the murmur of babies as 2000 naval personnel and their families saluted as one.
They had gathered yesterday at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, on the NSW south coast, where the Sea King helicopter that went down on the Indonesian island of Nias on Saturday was based.
Four of the nine personnel who died, lieutenants Matthew Goodall, Paul Kimlin and Jonathan King and Leading Seaman Scott Bennet were also based there as part of Squadron 817.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie told the memorial service yesterday that he stood before the congregation “with great sadness”.
“They are irreplaceable and they will always be remembered by their shipmates, by the navy, by the air force and by the nation,” he said. “Nothing I say can bring comfort or ease the pain of those who the knew them best.
“While no words will suffice … remember your friends and shipmates died doing what they loved. The nation is mourning with you.”
During the service four friends and colleagues of the men, voices cracking with emotion, told of those they had lost. Lieutenant Commander Matt Bradley recalled his friend Lieutenant Goodall, or “Guber”, as a talented officer who loved life and couldn’t wait to see “real” operations.
Although saddened by the tragedy and despair he had witnessed in Indonesia, he had revelled “in the fact of helping others”. Lieutenant King was remembered as an officer who stood out from the crowd and whose social life in his student years earned him affectionate notoriety.
“When the girlfriends were around he was a nice guy, when it was just the guys the evil twin came out and we all knew we were in for a wild night,” his friend Lieutenant Leith Sherwin said.
But when the chips were down, he said, it was “Kingie” he turned to for support.
The service was told that Lieutenant Kimlin, who served his country in several theatres, was defined by his love of flying.
And Leading Seaman Bennet was remembered as a popular figure on base, known for his warmth, humour and compassion, and his unconditional love for his wife, Terren, and their two young sons, Jarrad and Courtney.
A national memorial service will be held at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday.