Sub Lieutenant Arthur Arundel and trainee navigator Midshipman Noel Fogarty were farewelled, 60 years to the day after the accident that claimed their lives.

With the aid of modern technology, the moving ceremony was witnessed by one of the survivors of the accident, 81-year-old David Eagles, albeit through a live Facebook feed by the South Coast Register in the UK.

In November 1956, Eagles and Arundel were on loan from the Royal Navy.

They were flying Fairey 'Firefly' anti-submarine aircraft from 851 Squadron at HMAS Albatross which collided at about 2000 feet altitude, two miles east of Huskisson.

Arundel and Fogarty, both aged 20, were killed, their aircraft WD887, breaking apart upon striking the water near the crash site. Eagles (20) with his navigator, 18-year-old Midshipmen Don Debus, struggled to maintain control of the aircraft, VX381, after seven feet of the starboard wing, including the aileron, sheared off by the collision.

They ditched in Hare Bay off Callala, about three miles from the crash site, launching their life-rafts before the aircraft sank.

They were winched to safety by a Sycamore helicopter of 724 Squadron.

Despite extensive searches of the area, including by divers, the plane and Arundel and Fogarty’s bodies were never recovered.

The exact location of the aircraft’s crash site remained a mystery, until local Greg Stubbs, found it earlier this year.

Stubbs had dived on the wreck of VX381 in Hare Bay for a number of years and after 10 years of searching he found the other crash site, recovering debris which identified it as the right plane.

After researching the crash Stubbs learnt of the wreck’s story and even managed to track down the surviving pilot, David Eagles, in the UK and Don Debus in Canberra.

He was the driving force behind having a permanent memorial placed on the Firefly in Hare Bay to tell its story and that of Arthur Arundel and Noel Fogarty.

Sunday’s service was held over the site of the wreckage, followed by a wreath laying by Greg and Kruz Stubbs, Commander Fleet Air Arm, Commodore Chris Smallhorn and retired Commodore Geoff Ledger representing the Fleet Air Arm Association and Nowra RSL Sub-Branch secretary Rick Meehan midway across the bay to the other crash site.

Mr Eagles said the service closed a chapter in his life.

“You must be feeling extremely pleased with the way the service went. I was thrilled and very moved by it,” he said in an email to Mr Stubbs.

“Watching the laying of the wreaths was quite stirring.  I’m so grateful of your enthusiasm and drive towards such a memorial. It has closed a chapter more appropriately for me than just putting a picture in the museum.

“It is heartening to know Arthur and Noel are properly remembered.”

HMAS Albatross Fleet Air Arm Museum manager and senior curator Terry Hetherington hosted the service saying it was a day to remember the sacrifice made by the two aircrew.

“But it is also a chance to celebrate that during this tragedy, two survived and went on to very fruitful lives as aviators,” he said.

“I knew about the Firefly was a popular dive site in Jervis Bay. Fireflies have been my passion for many years. As a navy apprentice one of the first aircraft I worked on was a Firefly. Then 30 years ago I worked on the restoration of the Firefly at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. You could say they are in my DNA.

“But I didn’t know the history of the incident and it has been a wonderful journey with Greg to discover it and we have met some wonderful people.”

He said he was relieved when Mr Stubbs located the crash site.

“We needed to know where the two bodies of the aviators lay so we could do something to recognise their loss and sacrifice,” he said.

“We have tried to contact the families of both gents unsuccessfully but the navy family and the FAA family remembers those two families and recognise the memory of the two men.

“They have no graves to mark their loss -  this is what we commemorate.

“Full credit must go to Greg and his team and their tenacity in continuing the search and finally finding the location.”

Mr Stubbs thanked everyone who was part of the service.

“It was as perfect as we could make it,” he said.

“I had an idea about the 60th and here we are.

“I’m very happy with how it all went. I have heard from David (Eagles) in the UK a couple of times since the service and he was delighted and very grateful for what I have done.

“I must thank those who help me on this journey - Terry Hetherington who was a great help and a wealth of knowledge. Commodore Chris Smallhorn who saw my passion for diving and heritage and took the time to listen to me and open doors I could never have opened myself. Craig Murphy of Murphy Family Funerals for the superb piece of granite for the memorial which will last forever. Brendan Aulsebrook  and Jervis Bay Wild for the use of the boat for the service and the Nowra RSL Sub-Branch for his support.

“I must also thank my dive team, Rip Orchard and Matt Pridham, who never questioned my madness, the endless searches, the early morning dives and finally my family, who allowed me the time to chase this dream, all the hours away and not home and the stress of me being under the water.”

Commodore Chris Smallhorn said what Mrs Stubbs and Hetherington had been able to achieve in staging the commemorative service shouldn’t be underestimated.

“This is what the Shoalhaven and navy community spirit is about,” he said.

“Greg, this is an event you brought to bare. I’m proud of the people in the FAA and equally proud of the community in which we live and the people of our community and with people like you Australia is pretty bloody good..

“This is something that has a great deal of meaning to all of us in uniform.”

Other special guests on Sunday were Joan and Michael Maby, whose husband and father John Maby was the winch operator on the helicopter which saved David Eagles.