Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Final farewell for veteran
CMDR Andrew Willis
A PAST legend and his wife were farewelled in a moving ceremony on board HMAS Parramatta off the NSW coast on August 6. The ship's company gathered to honour and farewell Harold Moss and his  wife Pearl as their ashes were scattered in the sea. Mr Moss' story is nothing short of remarkable. He was a young ordinary seaman who survived the sinking of HMAS Parramatta (II) when she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat 559, off the coast of Libya on November 27, 1941 , while supporting Allied forces in Tobruk. He and 23 other survived; sadly, 138 young Australians did not.
Mr Moss was a personal link to history. He and his fellow Parramatta (II) survivors, Frank Davidson, Bill Wood and Ted Fryer, were the special guests of honour at the commissioning of today's  Parramatta (IV) in Sydney on October 4, 2003. 
Mr Moss, Mr Davidson, Mr Wood and Mr Fryer passed the first four caps bearing the tally band of HMAS Parramatta to four of Parramatta 's junior sailors to wear on board the warship. In the 11 years  since Parramatta 's commissioning, the men and women of the ship have achieved extraordinary things in Australia and during four operational deployments to the Middle East. The courage and  humble achievements of Mr Moss and his shipmates have inspired them.
The modern-day Parramatta has also patrolled the same waters Parramatta (II) did. LS Jennifer Langley said as the last of Parramatta (II) 's survivors, Mr Moss held a special place in the memories and hearts of our Navy and the Parramatta family.
"It was a privilege to be part of the ceremony," LS Langley said.
Parramatta's ship's company also saluted Pearl Moss, who stood by her husband over the decades. LS Geoffrey Herman said, as with Mr Moss, we would not be able to do the things we do as a Navy without the love and support of those we leave at home.
"Ours is a unique way of life and we all know the demands that places on our loved ones," he said. Mr and Mrs Moss thought of the Navy as their 'other family' and will live on in Parramatta's heritage.
Mr Moss died on July 2, 2011, after a brief battle with leukaemia, aged 88. Mrs Moss. died on June 19 this year at the age of 87.