Pilot’s funeral date would ‘dishonour’ family: inquiry

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Pilot’s ******** date would ‘dishonour’ family: inquiry

The wife of a pilot ******* in an army helicopter ****** was advised a Father’s Day ******** date would “dishonour” her family, an inquiry has been told.

Captain Danniel Lyon was one of four men ******* when an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed into the sea off Queensland’s Lindeman Island on July 28, 2023.

Capt Lyon’s wife Caitland had wanted to hold his ******** on Father’s Day but was advised against it by army Chaplain Bruce Hammonds.

“I recall the Padre (Chaplain Hammonds) saying, ‘well, you’re going to dishonour the most important person in your life’ and he pointed to me,” Ms Lyon’s father Ron Curnow told the independent inquiry in Sydney on Monday.

“He said ‘yeah, because you have to also consider for future partner, husband and children, and how it will affect them’.

“I was very upset by that comment.”

Chaplain Hammonds denied making the comments and said he was simply referencing the future.

“I said we don’t know what happens in the future but the decisions that we make today will have implications for the future,” he said during cross-examination.

He advised Ms Lyon against the Father’s Day ******** date not to dishonour Mr Curnow but to celebrate him for his support during the tragedy, Chaplain Hammonds said.

“Father’s Day is a day of celebrating fatherhood, and it would forever be associated with Dan’s ******,” he said.

“I just wanted to honour her father.”

Counsel assisting Colonel Jens Streit proposed the date of Father’s Day changed every year and there would always be days with connotations such as birthdays.

He also said Ms Lyon’s father might have been “perfectly happy” for the ******** to fall on Father’s Day and accused Chaplain Hammonds of failing to consult Mr Curnow before showing up at the family home unannounced.

“I didn’t anticipate that there would be any problem with it,” Chaplain Hammonds said.

“You didn’t anticipate there would be any problem persuading a grieving widow of a different date she had possibly identified for the ******** of her husband?” Colonel Streit asked.

Chaplain Hammonds said he went to make a suggestion.

Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs were also ******* when the helicopter plunged into the sea during the army training exercise known as Talisman Sabre.

The inquiry was told earlier Chaplain Hammonds commented to the partner of Lieutenant Nugent, Chadine Whyte, that she was “young” and would “find somebody new”.

He denied making these comments during the second tranche of hearings in May.

Chaplain Hammonds said on Monday he did “everything” to help the four families during an emotional time.

“All I wanted to do was help them, to guide them, because I wanted what they wanted, the very best ******** … everything I did was in that vein,” he said.

The inquiry continues.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Open Arms 1800 011 046

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Pilots #******** #date #dishonour #family #inquiry

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up