MV Melbourne Star

MV Melbourne Star

Bofors 44 mm gun installed Jul 1942 for 'Operation Pedestal'
History
Name	SS Melbourne Star
Owner	Union Cold Storage Co (Blue Star Line) 1936–42
Builder	Cammell Laird and Company
Yard number	1014
Launched	7 Jul 1936
Completed	November 1936
In service	1936
Out of service	1943
Fate	sunk
General characteristics
Type	Refrigerated cargo
Tonnage	12,806 tons
Length	548.8 ft (167.3 m)
Beam	70.4 ft (21.5 m)
Depth	32.2 ft (9.8 m)
Propulsion	twin screw
Capacity	76 crew + 11 gunners

Remarks

Built for Union Cold Storage, a Blue Star Line company, to transport frozen meat from Australia and New Zealand to the UK. On 5 Oct 1940 the Melbourne Star was more than 400 miles west of Ireland when bombed by a Luftwaffe aircraft. One bomb hit the ship but failed to explode. The ship was subsequently raked by cannon fire from the plane, wounding a seaman who later died.

In Jul 1941 the Melbourne Star was one of the six merchant ships who took part in Operation Substance to relieve the siege of Malta. During the voyage to Malta the Melbourne Star was attacked in the Mediterranean by a German E Boat, but survived to unload her food and provisions. During 1942 ownership changed to Frederick Leyland & Co. Melbourne Star also participated a second relief of Malta - Operation Pedestal, Convoy WS 21S to Gibraltar and then Convoy MW 12. When a fuel tanker ahead of her in the convoy was destroyed by a bomb on 13 Aug 1942, many of Melbourne Star's crew abandoned ship and debris and burning oil in the water accounted for nine of her crew and five gunners.

Arrival in Malta's Valetta Grand Harbour on 13 Aug 1942

Soldiers carried

Egypt to Port Adelaide 28 Mar - 20 Apr 1942

• Ernest Arnold Fallon