Royal Australian Navy personnel at the Nowra Hill base paused on Saturday, April 2 to remember the nine personnel lost and two seriously injured when the 817 Squadron Sea King helicopter with the callsign 'SHARK 02' crashed on April 2, 2005.

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The Australian Defence Force had been providing humanitarian relief to Indonesia in the form of Operations Sumatra Assist I and II, following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and March 2005 earthquake.

Among those who died were Lieutenants Paul Kimlin, Jonathan King, and Mathew Goodall, and Leading Seaman Aircrewman Scott Bennet, all aircrew from 817 Squadron at HMAS Albatross.

Since then the RAN Fleet Air Arm has held a commemorative service every year at the 'SHARK 02' Memorial outside the HMAS Albatross chapel.

The memorial, at the home of the Navy's Fleet Air Arm, serves as a tangible reminder of the history of service and sacrifice of aviation crews.

The memorial also has an enduring connection with the SHARK 02 families, who were involved in every stage from design to construction, when the memorial was refurbished and rededicated in 2014.

This year's service was led by Chaplain Jenny Schleusener and attended by Commander of the Fleet Air Arm, Commodore Dave Frost and Commanding Officer of HMAS Albatross, Captain Robyn Phillips who both gave addresses.

Once again, navy personnel gathered to remember the shipmates lost in the accident.

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