WW2 Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Transport

[Bob McNeill]

Tony strange that you mention it because dads unit 2/9th Field Reg arrived in Egypt and picked up 2/2 Field Reg 25Prs, when the officers arrived the unit moved out headed to Syria as support for the British Forces. The ordinary ranks got their medals and the officers missed out.

[Lang]

Only slightly of interest but related to Mike's notes on the Australian Government "borrowing" ships.

When I was about 7 we travelled between Melbourne and Sydney on the "Manunda". Probably a Burns Philp ship. The highlight of my limited memory of the trip was a tour conducted by a crew member to inspect the huge welding repairs from the bombs she received as a hospital ship in Darwin Harbour 19 Feb 42

Lang

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting, Lang.

Manunda was an Adelaide Steamships Company vessel, launched 16 November 1928. It copped a near miss in Darwin harbor that killed four on board and put over 70 puncture holes in the hull and superstructure. The next bomb didn't miss: dropping in through the Music Room skylight and exploding between B and C decks, doing 'terrific damage and causing many casualties' according to the ship's Master. The rear of the Bridge was severely damaged, and all compasses and comms gear was U/S. One engine was out of action, and the fire service mains had all been cut. Nevertheless, once barely seaworthy, Manunda embarked a large number of wounded (the aft section of the ship was still functioning as a hospital ship) then sailed to Fremantle for repairs, which took until August to complete. No wonder you could still see the damage in later years!

Ironically, Manunda was sold to the Japanese company Okada Gumi KK in late 1956, and became the Hakone Maru, a workforce static accommodation ship in Osaka. It was scrapped in mid-1957 in Osaka.

Mike C