'The crew of the ship - Indigenous and non-Indigenous sailors and officers - suffered together and died together.'
Those are the words on a newly unveiled plaque commemorating one of Australia's lesser-known wartime tragedies in the Top End: the sinking of HMAS Patricia Cam.
About 60 people gathered to honour the ultimate sacrifice made by Royal Australian Navy and Yolŋu members on board.
This included members of the local Darwin community, Larrakia Elders, Uncle Joe Raymond and Aunty Mary Williams, Uncle Gibson Farmer who travelled from Tiwi, and Djambawa Marawili, a descendant of a survivor of Patricia Cam.
"My mother's brother was called Narritjin Maymuru, he lived at Yirrkala," Dr Marawili said.
"He was shot but swam ashore and helped pull men out of the water after the boat went down."
The plaque unveiling took place during NT Defence Week, which highlighted the importance of defence relations in the Top End, through various community and industry events.
'It is a powerful reminder that the defence of Northern Australia has never been undertaken in isolation.'
After a Welcome to Country from Aunty Mary Williams, Rear Admiral Darren Grogan acknowledged the story of Patricia Cam, emphasising the shared service and loss of Navy and Yolŋu people.
"The Yolŋu men were skilled mariners with a deep knowledge of sea country, which was essential knowledge in the days that followed the tragic sinking," Rear Admiral Grogan said.
"It was that knowledge of the land, sea and survival that sustained those who remained.
"It is a powerful reminder that the defence of Northern Australia has never been undertaken in isolation."
Able Seaman Felicity Kennedy attended the memorial ceremony of Patricia Cam in Yirrkala earlier this year. She found herself to be one of a few people at the ceremony who have seen both memorial sites.
"It was an honour to meet with the local community and to hear what they went through in the war," she said.
"It wasn't just Darwin, but it was other areas in the Top End that were affected and Patricia Cam is just one of the many stories we need to remember, and to talk about."
The new plaque stands at the HMAS Coonawarra command building looking out over Darwin Harbour, while its sister memorial overlooks the waters in Yirrkala, south east of Gove.
While more than a thousand kilometres apart, the bond has never been stronger.
Coonawarra's contribution to NT Defence Week included a Spirit of Sea Rights Bark ceremony, yarning circles, industry and school group tours, and an official naval reception highlighting 125 years of Navy in Australia.
