Vandals throw oil on memorial

**Kyt** · 05-26-2008, 05:18 AM

Swine

Vandals throw oil on HMAS Sydney memorial | PerthNow

VANDALS have poured oil over a memorial to the HMAS Sydney in Geraldton, covering the names of the 645 crew who died in WWII.

Police say oil or brake fluid was thrown over the plaques bearing the names of the 645 crew members who were lost when the Sydney went down after a battle with German raider HSK Kormoran on November 11, 1941.

The liquid was also poured over the "waiting woman'', a statue depicting a woman eternally looking out to sea from the memorial above Geraldton.

Returned Services League Geraldton secretary Nick Waldon said he could not understand why anyone would want to desecrate such a sacred place.

"You've got to be pretty disgusted that people will do these things,'' Mr Waldon said.

"Fortunately it's no lasting damage, it's just 'Why is there a need to do it?'''

The memorial, built in 2001, features a silver dome with 645 seagulls representing the missing crew members.

Mr Waldon said the site had become somewhat of a national icon since the HMAS Sydney was found 370km off the WA coast in March.

Geraldton police Senior Sergeant Brett Reyne was appealing for anyone with information to contact police.

He said closed-circuit television footage from the site had failed to capture the incident.

morse1001 · 05-26-2008, 08:36 AM

it is sad to see that vandalism is worldwide, but the basic cause is just the same, and that is attention seeking by the vandals.

**Ron Goldstein** · 05-26-2008, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by morse1001

it is sad to see that vandalism is worldwide, but the basic cause is just the same, and that is attention seeking by the vandals.

Cases like this should be treated with all urgency.

When the culprits are eventually caught, it should be an order of the court that a large quantity of a similar type of oil that was used in the descration of the memorial be poured slowly over the culprits and the names and photographs of the vandals be displayed in the local and national press.

I can dream, can't I ?

Ron

**Hugh** · 05-26-2008, 01:03 PM

These acts of mindless vandalism really make me angry.

Ron I am afraid you will have to keep dreaming, sir. Even if the perpetrators are caught they would have the full force of the legal system working for them not against them.

Unfortunately they and many of their generation do not know the meaning of "lest we forget"

Regards
Hugh

**CTNana** · 05-26-2008, 05:10 PM

Angry and disgusted!!!

I used to think that one should try to understand why morons did such things. Now that I am old I no longer care why! I just want them dealt with!

Pathfinder · 05-27-2008, 01:29 AM

This is a horrible thing to do to a memorial commemorating dead servicemen. If they get caught, I think they should be given community service.

morse1001 · 05-27-2008, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

This is a horrible thing to do to a memorial commemorating dead servicemen. If they get caught, I think they should be given community service.

I think, that if they are caught, that they should resore the memorial to its original condition, but they provide the cleaning materials themselves!

**Antipodean Andy** · 06-01-2008, 07:18 PM

Geraldton is not a huge town so there is a big chance these idiots will be known to police already.

The memorial itself is a truly stunning place. I choked up the first time I walked through the entrance.