HMT Nieuw Zeeland
From Our Contribution
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Nieuw Zeeland |
| Builder/Built | 1927 Rotterdamsche DD Mij. |
| Type | Passenger Liner |
| Displacement | 10,906 tons |
| Speed | 15.5 knots |
Remarks
Built for KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart Mij), she was used on the Malaya-Singapore-Dutch East Indies- Australia route prior to WW2. In 1940 she was converted into a troopship in Singapore, designed to take 1,000 troops, with a crew of 243.
In 1942 she was used to land troops in North Africa during 'Operation Torch'. Having landed her troops successfully, she turned for home , sailing on the Mediterranean when on 11Nov 1942 she was torpedoed by U Boat U407. She sank quickly with the loss of 15 lives.
Soldiers carried
Colombo to El Kantara 16 January - 2 February 1941
2/28th Battalion including