Of the 645 men and boys on board the HMAS Sydney when it sank in 1941 not one survived and only one body was ever recovered. However, three quarters of the German crew, on board the Kormoran, made it to safety. Over the years, new evidence has come to light but, mystery and an alleged official cover up still shroud the key events. Even the location of the battle and the whereabouts of the wrecks is unknown. Conspiracy theories abound. There has been intense speculation surrounding the high survival rate of the German crew, and why no one from the Sydney survived. There is even some suggestion that a Japanese submarine may have been involved and that Australian sailors were put to death. In the midst of this tragedy there are those still grieving. The Captain of the Sydney - Captain Joseph Burnett - was blamed for the disaster. Ironically, both of Burnett's sons followed him into the Navy, yet, they are still struggling to understand why their father, a distinguished officer with an unblemished record, was held accountable. There is the heartbreaking tale of a young widow who lost her husband, of just one month, when the Sydney went down. She and other relatives - wives, sisters and brothers, and children, are tormented by the lack of information about the fate of their loved ones. Meanwhile, the woman tracking the Sydney's history, amateur historian, Glenys McDonald, moved to the harsh North West Coast, near, where she believes, the Sydney went down. Obsessed with the sinking, she has undertaken extensive research to help solve the mystery for the sake of all the men who went "down to the sea in ships".
—Australian Story