HMAS Bungaree
From Our Contribution
 Navy photo | |
 Navy photo | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Bungaree |
| Builder | Caledon Shipbuilding & AEngineering Co Ltd, Dundee, Scotland |
| In service | 9 Jun 1941 |
| Out of service | 7 Aug 1946 |
| Fate | sunk by mine in Vietnam |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Auxiliary Minelayer |
| Tonnage | 3.043 tons |
| Length | 357.18 feet (108.87m) |
| Beam | 48.66 feet (14.83m) |
| Depth | 20.5 feet (6.25m) |
| Propulsion | coal fired turbines |
| Speed | 10.5 knots |
| Capacity | 179 crew |
Remarks
Requisitioned on 10 Oct 1940, she was converted in Sydney and commissioned just prior to completion. Used to lay defensive minefields near Port Moresby, Torres Strait and near two passaged through the Great Barrier Reef. In February 1942 she laid mones in New Caledonian waters, and off Auckland, New Zealand in March 1942. In the later period of 1942 she was used for convoy escort duties along the east coast of Australia, to New Zealand and Noumea. Returned to her mine laying duties in late 1942, she underwent a refit in early 1943.
Returned to mine laying duties she was active around Townsville, Cairns and the Bay of Islands in New Zealand as well as in New Guinea waters. In early 1944 she was transferred to surveying duties, and in late 1944 to cargo carrying duties. At the conclusion of the war she continued transporting stores, and assisted with repatriating servicemen, as well as sea dumping ammunition. She was decommissioned in August 1946 and returned to her owners in November 1947. She was on-sold twice, and renamed in 1960 to Eastern Mariner. On 26 May 1966 she struck a mine in the Saigon River, South Vietnam and sank.
Armament carried: two 4-inch guns aft; one 12-pounder HA/LA gun forward; eight Oerlikons; two Bofors, and six Vickers machine guns. She also carried 467 moored contact sea-mines.
Battle Honours
- Pacific 1941-45
Crew Members
- Arthur Edward Pries 2 Nov - 17 Dec 1944
Soldiers carried
- Mervyn (Merv) James Rose 12 - 24 Aug 1945