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Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Swan Barracks History, Part 3, the Soldiers Topic: Gen - St - WA
Swan Barracks
Swan Barracks, Francis Street, Northbridge, Western Australia
The following history, Swan Barracks, Francis Street, Northbridge is extracted from a booklet produced by the 5th Military District in 1992. It is well researched and put together for anyone to read.
Part 3, the Soldiers
Perth's association with the military dates to the birth of the colony in 1829 when Governor Stirling travelled west to establish a defensive base.
The colony's first corps of volunteers was formed en route to the new colony but was soon disbanded amid the stresses of early settlement.
The volunteer corps did not re-emerge until September 11, 1861, when a meeting of citizens voted to form a militia. Only three days later, after a deputation from the meeting had gained the approval of Governor Kennedy, the first drill parade was held at Barrack Square. Within two weeks the Metropolitan Volunteer Rifle Corps numbered 100 effective members and seven honoraries.
Parade of Volunteers, 1900.
Parading at 5.30am and 6.00pm every day the men earnestly went about training to defend the young colony, not only from potential outside invaders, but from the ever present threat of convict uprising and attack from natives.
The reality of the threat was confirmed only a month after the militia was formed when raiding natives speared a soldier in Barrack Street near the Perth Town Hall.
Such instances ensured the corps the support of concerned private citizens who donated funds and the colonial government which gave encouragement and a small annual grant.
Despite this popular support the corps' fortunes fluctuated over the next 30 years. As volunteers could not be forced to endure all training, attendance became a problem. (While shooting practise was popular, some of the volunteers preferred to attend drill parades in civilian clothes, with guests, as spectators.)
In February 1892 the colonial government withheld the annual grant of 15/- from the Perth Corps, a decision that did not sit well with the volunteers who voiced their displeasure in the strongest terms.
The resulting insubordination charge saw the disbandment of the Metropolitan Corps. A cooling of heels, some apologies and growing international tension, however, soon saw the volunteers reformed under the new title "The Perth Company of WA Rifle Volunteers."
Still the problems of attendance persisted. The most oft quoted solution was to provide a well-located and appointed drill hall that would:
"add ... to the popularity and efficiency of the volunteer force."
In 1897 the Perth Volunteers moved into their new headquarters at the drill hall in Francis Street and the Western Australian volunteer movement made its headquarters in the stone administration building.
The buildings quickly increased the popularity of the force and served as a rallying point for volunteers at the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 with 1,233 Western Australian Volunteers joining the Australian Bushmen's Contingents.
WA soldiers cross Barrack Street Bridge on their way to the Boer War, 1899.
As in all wars to follow, the soldiers of WA fought with distinction in South Africa with one landmark named West Australian Hill after a battle in which 20 Western Australian soldiers held off a force of 300 Boers.
The outbreak of war in 1914 again sent Perth into a patriotic fervour. The rush of volunteers to the Francis Street headquarters initially overwhelmed officials who were forced to set ridiculously high standards to stem the flood of enlistments - even men with dentures were turned down for the first contingent.
John Simpson Kirkpatrick, better known to the world as Gallipoli's "man with the donkey" was among the many notable soldiers to sign up at the barracks.
Queuing to enlist 1914.
Between the wars Swan Barracks remained an important administrative centre for the military in Western Australia. A 1929 defence plan says the headquarters was responsible for:
"the security of vulnerable points of positive military importance against the activities or enemy agents or other ill disposed persons."
On activation of such plans, the guards at Francis Street had it better than many of their peers. The lack of adequate kitchen facilities had the soldiers dining in local restaurants with Government meal tickets.
The call-up for World War Two saw the showgrounds in Claremont double as a recruiting centre, sparing the barracks for the rapidly increasing administrative work load.
On parade at Swan Barracks, 1943.
By the end of World War Two Swan Barracks housed the headquarters of the 3rd Australian Corps, Western Command and the 5th Military District.
With the Army reverting to peacetime proportions after the war the large headquarters shrunk away. By 1960 Headquarters Western Command was the sole occupant.
That headquarters enjoyed sole occupancy until the staff function was divided in 1973 to form the 5th Field Force Group and 5th Military District. The final title of Headquarters 5th Military District was adopted in June 1980.
With the move towards the doctrine of self reliance in the 1980s the Australian Defence Force (ADF) began to realise the benefits of a more cooperative or joint approach to operations.
An ADF headquarters was formed in Canberra and several steps were taken to create a single command and control system for the national defence resource. Significant among these steps were the 1989-90 Force Structure Review, which restructured and directed resources to combat elements, and the 1990-91 Defence Regional Support Review which reduced service and civilian duplication in administrative support.
This later review in particular led to the amalgamation of Headquarters 5th
Military District, District Support Unit Perth, the Defence Regional Office Western Australia and several smaller service and Defence organisations into a new Defence Centre Perth.
The amalgamation, coupled with the need to reduce Defence property and maintenance costs, led to the decision to vacate Swan Barracks. In June 1992 the headquarters moved to its new premises at Leeuwin Barracks, East Fremantle, ending a 95-year association with Northbridge. Swan Barracks, however, remain a lasting memorial to the Army's part in the early history of Perth and to the many brave Western Australians who served this country so valiantly.
Bert Schramm's Diary, 11 February 1919 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, 2823 Private Herbert Leslie Schramm, a farmer from White's River, near Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsular, kept a diary of his life. Bert was not a man of letters so this diary was produced with great effort on his behalf. Bert made a promise to his sweetheart, Lucy Solley, that he would do so after he received the blank pocket notebook wherein these entries are found. As a Brigade Scout since September 1918, he took a lead part in the September 1918 breakout by the Allied forces in Palestine. Bert's diary entries are placed alongside those of the 9th Light Horse Regiment to which he belonged and to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade to which the 9th LHR was attached. On this basis we can follow Bert in the context of his formation.
Bert Schramm's Diary, 11 February 1919
Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 9 - 13 February 1919
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Diaries
Bert Schramm
Tuesday, February 11, 1919
Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.
Bert Schramm's Diary - Nothing worth recording. Fine weather today.
Swan Barracks History, Part 2, the Building Topic: Gen - St - WA
Swan Barracks
Swan Barracks, Francis Street, Northbridge, Western Australia
The following history, Swan Barracks, Francis Street, Northbridge is extracted from a booklet produced by the 5th Military District in 1992. It is well researched and put together for anyone to read.
Part 2, The Building
The first two storeys of Swan Barracks' central stone building, and the drill hall behind it, have the distinction of being among the oldest buildings in Northbridge.
Local builders Holman and Cousten's tender of £52,080/1/11 for construction of the drill hall was accepted on 16 August 1895. The building was supposed to have been finished by December but it was not completed until Christmas Eve 1896.
The lengthy delay must have been difficult to accept given the growing demand for the hall and the contractor's recent experience with an almost identical building.
Drill Hall and Administration Building, 1898.
The distinctive curved trussed roofing used on the hall, quite modern for the time, was the same as that used for another military drill hall built by Holman and Cousten in Holdsworth Street Fremantle in 1895.
The frustrating delays were set to increase when Holman and Cousten's tender of 1400 pounds for the administration building was also successful.
On its scheduled completion date of September 30, 1896, construction of the building had barely started. The tardiness appears, however, to have had little to do with the contractors.
In his historical survey and management plan of the barracks, Perth architect John Stephens says the delays may have been caused by the rejection of the original plans drawn for the administration building in 1895.
"There may have been some problem with the design of the administration buildings," he says. "New plans were drawn up in April 1896 and a tender was accepted in July, but it was not signed by the contractors until February 1897.
"Construction of the Royal Mint Building (now the Perth Mint) may also have slowed work in the less prestigious building at Francis Street.
"Limestone used for both buildings was transported from Rottnest Island, a difficult task in the winter months, and the administration building contract may have been held over until summer because of the lack of stone."
Artillery Drill Hall, 1901.
The Public Works Department finally reported to Parliament in 1897:
"Perth - Central drill hall, completed, comprising stone administration offices and large iron drill shed and branch rooms.”
In 1900 another drill hall was built west of the existing structure. The hall was designed, and the construction supervised, by J.J. Talbot Hobbs (later Sir), a prominent local architect who was also a major with the volunteers.
Administration Building, 1901.
(Talbot's talents as an architect were destined to be overshadowed by his talents as a soldier. He commanded the Australia Corps as Lieutenant General Hobos from 1918-19. The Artillery Drill Hall, as it became known, was demolished in 1955.)
At Federation the new Commonwealth took over the buildings, then valued at 11,315 pounds.
The present facade of the stone administration building has been part of the Northbridge landscape since completion of the third level in 1910.
When the building was finished one soldier said it resembled "Castle Greyskull", a fantasy castle of children's fiction. The parapet and robust design of the new floor certainly complemented the romantic characteristics of the earlier building, enhancing its imposing and distinctive street facade.
The next addition to the expanding complex was the two-stage construction of the red brick and stone buildings on Museum Street. The first portion, the three level building at the North West corner of the site, was built in 1905. Six years later the second stage filled the remaining Museum Street frontage as well as taking up part of the western Francis Street frontage.
These western buildings were modified significantly in 1936 to provide an entrance, staircase and fireplace for the officers’ mess on the corner of Museum and Francis Streets.
The modifications also saw the United Services Institute (USI) moved from its original rooms next to the officers mess to the second floor of the North West corner.
Museum Street frontage of Swan Barracks, 1910.
(The barracks' resident ghost is said to inhabit the old USI library and offices. "George" the ghost has spooked staff and USI members over the years with the occasional touch of a ghostly hand and noisy strolls along the old floor boards.)
The original plans for the east and west wings on Francis Street were also drawn in 1936 but a later sketch dated June 1939 appears to have been the basis for the building.
Wartime secrecy clouds the detail, but the east wing (on Francis Street) and the north east wing (bordering Beaufort Street) were probably built in 1941 to cater for increasing administration pressures of World War Two.
While the date of completion of the western wing (Francis Street) is not recorded, it is likely to have been finished around the time of the demolition of the Artillery Drill Hall in the later half of the 1950s.
With available space being all-but filled, construction work after 1955 was restricted to relatively minor internal alterations. Among the more notable alterations for the soldiers was the extension of the Sergeant's Mess in the late 1970s into the part of the north east wing formally occupied by an other ranks canteen. The ORs canteen was relocated to a partitioned area at the eastern end of the drill hall.
Demolition of Artillery Drill Hall, 1955.
Over the years of development few rooms in the barracks have been left untouched. The building, while of significant historic value, was primarily a workplace and work needs often had to take precedence over aesthetics and nostalgia.
Swan Barracks remains, however, one of Perth's most distinctive buildings and it will remain a focal point in the memories of those tens of thousands of Western Australian soldiers who either enlisted or served there.
Hamel, France, July 4, 1918 Topic: BatzWF - Westn Front
Hamel
France, 4 July 1918
Hamel, the first set-piece operation planned and conducted under Lieut.-General Sir John Monash, the newly appointed commander of the Australian Corps, took place on 4 July 1918. The action was actually a fairly small affair - little more than divisional scale - but has since become famous as a model of the completely successful all-arms battle. In particular, the methodical and thorough way in which preparations were made, the new procedures devised, and the use of conferencing as a means to both inform and consult subordinates, set new standards of generalship which were emulated subsequently by other commanders on the Western Front.
In reality, the scale and nature of the operation left little to chance. Its purpose was limited to straightening the line by carrying it eastwards no further than two kilometres on a frontage of 6.5 kilometres. Covering this movement were 650 guns, and the advancing infantry was supported by the British 5th Tank Brigade containing no less than 60 of the latest Mark V tanks. Overcoming the Australians' unhappy experience of working with tanks at the First Battle of Bullecourt (q.v. ), these armoured vehicles were ordered to accompany the assault troops immediately behind the creeping barrage, operating under infantry control to break down wire obstacles encountered and deal with troublesome enemy strong points.
Monash's main worries were concerned with the manning levels in his divisions, the ranks of which were already reduced by losses and being thinned even more by an influenza epidemic. To avoid totally crippling any one of the divisions, he resorted to assembling an assault force using a brigade from each of the 2nd (contributing the 6th Brigade), 3rd (11th Brigade) and 4th (4th Brigade). Command of this force in the attack was given to Major-General Ewan Maclagan, the General Officer Commanding 4th Australian Division, from whose sector it would primarily be launched. Bolstering the Australian strength were four companies of troops from the American 33rd Division, which were attached by platoons to Australian battalions to gain combat experience.
Arrangements for the operation were developed with remarkable attention to detail. To mask the sound of the tanks moving into position during the night of 3 July, Allied aircraft bombed Hamel and enemy rear areas. Several diversions were also planned, the main one requiring the 15th Brigade of the 5th Australian Division to strike beyond Ville north of the River Somme. To lighten the normal burden of the advancing infantry, innovative use was made of carrier tanks to bring forward supplies and of air-dropping ammunition to the forward troops.
The result of all this effort was that the assault met with outstanding success. The attack was over barely 90 minutes after it started at 3.10 a.m., and all objectives had been seized for a cost of just 1,062 Australian and 176 American casualties; the 15th Brigade's diversion added another 142 to the tally, making a total of less than 1,400. German casualties were assessed at considerably more than 2,000, including 1,600 taken prisoner. In addition, the enemy lost 200 machine-guns and trench mortars, plus some anti-tank weapons.
Extracted from the book produced by Chris Coulthard-Clark, Where Australians Fought - The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1998, pp. 148-149.
Additional References cited by Chris Coulthard-Clark:
C.E.W. Bean (1937) The Australian Imperial Force in France during the Main German Offensive, 1918, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
Rarely happening but Australian naval vessels were employed in transporting small numbers of reinforcements from Australia to a theatre of war.
HMAS Encounter
HMAS Encounter
The HMAS Encounter weighed 5,880 tons with an average cruise speed of 21 knots or 39.9 kmph. It was a Challenger Class light cruiser Commissioned on 10 December 1905. It remained in service until disarmed and renamed Penguin in 1923 and scuttled at Bondi in 1932.
The HMAS Una was a captured (10 October 1914) German yacht called the KGS Komet. It weighed 977 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or 33.33 kmph. After the Great War it was occasionally impressed into service and was finally broken up in 1959.
A fleet of transport ships was leased by the Commonwealth government for the specific purpose of transporting the various AIF formations to their respective overseas destinations. When not committed to military transport, these ships were employed to carry various commodity exports to Britain and France. The fleet was made up from British ships and captured German vessels.
The HMAT A1 Hymettus weighed 4,606 tons with an average cruise speed of 11.5 knots or 21.3 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 15 May 1917.
[From: West Coast Recorder, 19 November 1914, p. 23.]
HMAT A2 Geelong weighed 7,851 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the P&O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until it collided with SS Bonvilston in the Mediterranean and sunk, 1 January 1916.
HMAT A3 Orvieto embarking from Melbourne, 21 July 1914
[From: The Australasian, 21 November 1914, Picture Supplement, p. I.]
HMAT A3 Orvieto weighed 12,130 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Orient SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 29 December 1914. It formed part of the first convoy of the AIF to the Egypt. The Orvieto became well known for its work during this convoy as it transported the prisoners captured from the beached German raider Emden. The German prisoners were take to Egypt by the Orvieto for imprisonment.
HMAT A4 Pera weighed 7,635 tons with an average cruise speed of 11 knots or 20.37 kmph. It was owned by the P&O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 6 January 1917. The Pera was torpedoed and sunk in Mediterranean on 19 October 1917
The HMAT A5 Omrah weighed 8,130 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Orient SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 February 1915. The Omrah was torpedoed and sunk in Mediterranean, 12 May 1918.
The HMAT A6 Clan Maccorquodale weighed 5121 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Cayser, Irvin and Co., Glasgow, and leased by the Commonwealth until 14 April 1915. The Clan Maccorquodale was torpedoed and sunk in Mediterranean, 17 November 1917.
White Star Liner HMAT A7 Medic leaving Fremantle, 2 November 1914.
[From: The Western Mail, 20 November 1914, p. 25.]
The HMAT A7 Medic weighed 12,032 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Oceanic SN Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 26 October 1917. The Medic was well known by the Australian forces as it was a key troopship for Australia during the Boer War, some 14 years before the re-engagement.
The HMAT A8 Argyllshire weighed 10,392 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Scottish Shire Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 24 January 1918.
The HMAT A9 Shropshire weighed 8,130 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Federal SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 5 August 1917.
The HMAT A10 Karroo weighed 6,127 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Ellerman & Bucknall SS Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 3 January 1917.
The HMAT A11 Ascanius weighed 10,048 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Ocean SS Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 30 July 1917.
The HMAT A12 Saldanha weighed 4,594 tons with an average cruise speed of 11 knots or 20.37 kmph. It was owned by the Ellerman & Bucknall SS Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 14 June 1917. The Saldanha was torpedoed and sunk in Mediterranean, 18 March 1918.
The HMAT A13 Katuna weighed 4,641 tons with an average cruise speed of 11 knots or 20.37 kmph. It was owned by the Ellerman & Bucknall SS Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 February 1917.
The HMAT A14 Euripides weighed 15,050 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 2 June 1917.
The HMAT A15 Star of England, later renamed Port Sydney, weighed 9,136 tons with an average cruise speed of 13.5 knots or 25.00 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 22 September 1917.
The HMAT A16 Star of Victoria, later renamed Port Melbourne, weighed 9,152 tons with an average cruise speed of 13.5 knots or 25.00 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd London and leased by the Commonwealth until 2 October 1917.
The HMAT A17 Port Lincoln weighed 7,243 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 26 September 1917.
The HMAT A18 Wiltshire weighed 10,390 tons with an average cruise speed of 13.5 knots or 25.00 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 2 October 1917.
The HMAT A19 Afric weighed 11,999 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Federal SN Co Ltd, London. The Afric was torpedoed and sunk in the English Chanel, 12 February 1917.
HMAT A20 Hororata, Port Melbourn, 23 November 1916
The HMAT A20 Hororata weighed 9,400 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 11 September 1917.
The HMAT A21 Marere weighed 6443 tons with an average cruise speed of 12.5 knots or 23.15 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London. The Marere was sunk by a submarine's gunfire in the Mediterranean, 18 January 1916.
HMAT A22 Rangatira about to leave Pinkenba Wharf Brisbane, Qld, 24 September 1914
The HMAT A22 Rangatira weighed 8948 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 15 February 1915. The Rangatira was stranded off Cape of Good Hope, 31 March 1916.
HMAT A23 Suffolk sailing through the Suez Canal, 1916
The HMAT A23 Suffolk weighed 7573 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Potter, Trinder and Gwyn, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 14 June 1917.
HMAT A24 Benalla at Port Melbourne, 19 October 1914
The HMAT A24 Benalla weighed 11,118 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 6 August 1917.
The HMAT A25 Anglo-Egyptian weighed 7,379 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Nitrate Producers SS Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 16 April 1917.
The HMAT A26 Armadale weighed 6,153 tons with an average cruise speed of 11 knots or 20.37 kmph. It was owned by the Australind SS Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 7 June 1917. The Armadale was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine off coast of Ireland, 27 June 1917.
The HMAT A27 Southern weighed 4,769 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. It was owned by the Central Shipping Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 3 February 1915.
HMAT A28 Miltiades in King George's Sound, Albany, October 1914
The HMAT A28 Miltiades weighed 7,814 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 15 September 1917.
The HMAT A29 Suevic weighed 12,531 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Oceanic SN Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 9 September 1917.
The HMAT A30 Borda weighed 11,136 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 September 1917.
The HMAT A31 Ajana weighed 7,759 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Australind SS Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 May 1917.
The HMAT A32 Themistocles weighed 11,231 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 20 October 1917.
HMAT A33 Ayrshire departing from Port Melbourne on 3 July 1916
The HMAT A33 Ayrshire weighed 7,763 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the The Scottish Shire Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 9 January 1918.
The HMAT A34 Persic weighed 12,042 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Oceanic SN Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 8 November 1917.
The HMAT A35 Berrima weighed 11,137 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 October 1917.
The HMAT A36 Boonah weighed 5,926 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. The Boonah was previously a captured German vessel called Melbourne. It was manned by Australia officers and crew and transferred to Commonwealth Government Line, 28 March 1918.
HMAT A37 Barambah at Port Melbourne on 5 June 1916
The HMAT A37 Barambah weighed 5,923 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. The Barambah was previously a captured German vessel called Hobart. It was manned by Australia officers and crew and transferred to Commonwealth Government Line, 23 May 1918.
The HMAT A38 Ulysses weighed 14,499 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the China Mutual SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 15 August 1917.
The HMAT A39 Port MacQuarie weighed 7,236 tons with an average cruise speed of 12.5 knots or 23.15 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 13 January 1917.
The HMAT A40 Ceramic weighed 18,481 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Oceanic SN Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 9 July 1917.
The HMAT A41 Bakara weighed 5,930 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. The Bakara was previously a captured German vessel called Constaff. It was manned by Australia officers and crew and transferred to Commonwealth Government Line, 1 May 1918.
The HMAT A42 Boorara weighed 5,923 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. The Boorara was previously a captured German vessel called Pfalz. It was manned by Australia officers and crew and transferred to Commonwealth Government Line, 24 June 1919.
The HMAT A43 Barunga weighed 7,484 tons with an average cruise speed of 11 knots or 20.37 kmph. The Barunga was previously a captured German vessel called Sumatra. It was manned by Australia officers and crew. The Barunga was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in the North Atlantic, 15 July 1918.
The HMAT A44 Vestalia weighed 5,528 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Gow, Harrison & Co, Glasgow, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 March 1917.
The HMAT A45 Bulla weighed 5,099 tons with an average cruise speed of 10.5 knots or 19.44 kmph. The Bulla was previously a captured German vessel called Hessen. It was manned by Australian officers and crew and transferred to Commonwealth Government Line, 15 April 1918.
The HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray weighed 5,023 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Cayser, Irvin and Co, Glasgow, and leased by the Commonwealth until 16 August 1917.
The HMAT A47 Mashobra weighed 8,174 tons with an average cruise speed of 12.5 knots or 23.15 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 21 December 1916. The Mashobra was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, 15 April 1917.
The HMAT A48 Seang Bee weighed 5,849 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 May 1917.
The HMAT A49 Seang Choon weighed 5,807 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon. The Seang Choon was torpedoed and sunk off coast of Ireland, 10 July 1917.
The HMAT A50 Itonus weighed 5,340 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London. The Itonus was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, 20 December 1916.
The HMAT A51 Chilka weighed 3,952 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 4 August 1915.
The HMAT A52 Surada weighed 5,324 tons with an average cruise speed of 10 knots or 18.52 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 4 January 1917. The Surada was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in Mediterranean, 2 November 1918.
The HMAT A53 Itria weighed 5,318 tons with an average cruise speed of 10 knots or 18.52 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 17 June 1917.
The HMAT A54 Runic weighed 12,490 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Oceanic SN Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 27 November 1917.
The HMAT A55 Kyarra weighed 6,953 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the AUSN Co Ltd, London, and manned by Australia officers and crew. The Kyarra was leased by the Commonwealth until 4 January 1918. The Kyarra was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in the English Channel, 26 May 1918.
The HMAT A56 Palermo weighed 7,597 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 10 January 1917.
The HMAT A57 Malakuta weighed 7,430 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the T & J Brocklebank Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 24 January 1917.
The HMAT A58 Kabinga weighed 4,657 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Ellerman & Bucknall SS Co Ltd, London. The Kabinga was captured by Emden in the Bay of Bengal on 12 September 1914 and released with the Emden’s beaching at the Cocos Islands. The Kabinga was leased by the Commonwealth until 19 June 1917.
The HMAT A59 Botanist weighed 7,688 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Charente SS Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 6 December 1916.
HMAT A60 Aeneas embarking from Port Melbourne on 30 October 1917
The HMAT A60 Aeneas weighed 10,049 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Ocean SS Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 22 June 1917.
HMAT A61 Kanowna embarking from Townsville Harbour, August 1914
[From: The Queenslander, 22 August 1914, p. 30.]
The HMAT A61 Kanowna weighed 6,942 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the AUSN Co Ltd, London, and manned by Australia officers and crew. The Kanowna was leased by the Commonwealth until 18 March 1919.
The HMAT A62 Wandilla weighed 7,785 tons with an average cruise speed of 16 knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the Adelaide SS Co Ltd, Adelaide, and manned by Australian officers and during her service by mainly Australian crews. The Wandilla was leased by the Commonwealth until 24 January 1917.
The HMAT A63 Karoola weighed 7,391 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the McIlwraith, McEacharn's Line Pty Ltd, Melbourne, and manned by Australian officers and crews. The Karoola was leased by the Commonwealth until June 1919.
The HMAT A64 Demosthenes weighed 11,223 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 16 March 1917.
The HMAT A65 Clan Macewen weighed 5,140 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the Cayser, Irvin and Co, Glasgow, and leased by the Commonwealth until 14 April 1917.
The HMAT A66 Uganda weighed 5,431 tons with an average cruise speed of 10 knots or 18.52 kmph. It was owned by the British India SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 4 December 1916. The Uganda was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in Mediterranean, 27 May 1918.
HMAT A67 Orsova embarking from Port Melbourne on 17 July 1915
The HMAT A67 Orsova weighed 12,036 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the Orient SN Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 28 February 1917.
HMAT A68 Anchises at Port Melbourne on 14 March 1916
The HMAT A68 Anchises weighed 10,046 tons with an average cruise speed of 10 knots or 18.52 kmph. It was owned by the Ocean SS Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 October 1917.
The HMAT A69 Warilda weighed 7,713 tons with an average cruise speed of 16 knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the Adelaide SS Co Ltd, Adelaide, and manned by Australian officers and mainly by Australian crews. The Warilda was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in the English Channel, 3 August 1918.
The HMAT A70 Ballarat weighed 11,120 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London. The Ballarat was torpedoed by a submarine in the English Channel, 25 April 1917 and sank the next day.
The HMAT A71 Nestor weighed 14,501 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the Ocean SS Co Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 26 June 1917.
The HMAT A72 Beltana weighed 11,120 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 14 September 1917.
The HMAT A73 Commonwealth weighed 6,616 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 23 June 1917.
The HMAT A74 Marathon weighed 7,827 tons with an average cruise speed of 16 knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the G Thompson & Co Ltd, London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 28 July 1917.
Royal Mail Steamers
These Royal Mail Steamers were contracted to carry the mail between Australia and Britain. On occasion, parts of the ship were booked by the AIF to carry troops and cargo. The following list is of the Royal Mail Steamers who carried troops:
The RMS Meganticweighed 5,531 tons with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by F.Leyland & Co., Liverpool. It was torpedoed and sunk on 10 June 1917.
The RMS Mongoliaweighed 4,892 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Indian & Peninsular St. Nav Co Ltd Glasgow. Torpedoed and sunk on 21 July 1918.
The RMS Mooltanweighed 9,621 tons with an average cruise speed of 18.5 knots or 34.26 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London. Torpedoed and sunk by UC27 on 26 July 1917.
The RMS Persiaweighed 7,974 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London. Torpedoed and sunk on 30 December 1915.
Steam Ships
Occasionally, single voyage charters occurred between the ship companies and the AIF to be employed as troop transports. The following list is of the Steam Ships who carried troops:
The SS Balmoral Castleweighed 13,361 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company.
The SS Canberraweighed 7,707 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Australian Steamships Ltd (Howard Smith), Melbourne.
The SS Carpentaria weighed 5,766 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., Calcutta.
The SS City of Karachi weighed 5,766 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Co., London.
The SS Dorsetweighed 7,630 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was a purpose built refrigeration ship owned by Potter, Trinder & Gwyn, London.
The SS Ellenga weighed 5,196 tons with an average cruise speed of 16 knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company Glasgow & London.
The SS Indarraweighed 9,735 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Australasian United Steam Nav Co., Fremantle.
The SS Makariniweighed 10,624 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by G.D.Tyser & Co, London. Accommodation for 750-steerage class passengers. Built by Workman, Clark & Co, Belfast, she was launched on 3rd Feb.1912. In 1914 Tyser's was taken over by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line (Port Line) and she was renamed SS Port Nicholson. Mined and sunk 15 miles West of Dunkirk 15 January1917. [Great Passenger Ships of the World by Arnold Kludas, vol.1, ISBN 0-85059-174-0, which contains a photo of the ship] [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.21, Port Line]
The SS Port Lyttelton [sometimes referred to as SS Port Lydelton in Australian sources] was formerly the SS Niwaru but requisitioned in 1916 as a troop ship and renamed to SS Port Lyttelton. The ship weighed 6,444 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line, London.
The SS Ruahine II [sometimes referred to as SS Rushine in Australian sources] weighed 10,832 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the NZ Shipping Coy, Auckland.
The SS Wyreemaweighed 6,926 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the Australasian United Steam Navigation Co, Melbourne.
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