HMAS Westralia
From Our Contribution
 Wikipedia | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Westralia (F95) |
| Owner | Huddart Parker Ltd. |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow |
| Yard number | 843 |
| Launched | 25 Apr 1929 |
| Completed | 1929 |
| In service | 1929 |
| Out of service | 1939 |
| In service | 17 Jan 1940 |
| Out of service | 19 Sep 1946 |
| Reclassified | Armed Merchant Cruiser/Landing Ship Infantry |
| Fate | scrapped 1961 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger Liner |
| Tonnage | 8,108 tons |
| Length | 445 ft (136m) |
| Beam | 60 ft (18m) |
| Depth | 22 ft 6in (6.87m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 14 knots (26kph) |
| Capacity | crew 541; 1004 troops |
Contents
- 1 Armament
- 2 Remarks
- 3 Battle Honours
- 4 Crew members
- 5 Soldiers carried
- 5.1 Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 7 - 12 Jul 1944
- 5.2 Morotai to Tarakan 4 - 7 May 1945
- 5.3 Morotai to Labuan 1 - 3 Jun 1945
- 5.4 Brisbane to Torokina, Bougainville 6 - 11 Aug 1945
- 5.5 Morotai to Ambon 21 - 23 September 1945
- 5.6 Morotai to Ambon 3 - 5 October 1945
- 5.7 Torokina, Bougainville to Brisbane 24 - 28 Nov 1945
- 5.8 Rabaul to Brisbane 8 - 13 December 1945
- 5.9 Darwin to Sydney 29 February - 8 March 1946
- 5.10 Kure, Japan to Sydney 2 - 18 February 1949
Armament
as Armed Merchant Cruiser
- 7 × 6-inch guns
- 2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
- 1 × Seagull V amphibian
as Landing Ship Infantry
- 1 × 6-inch gun
- 2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
- 12 × 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns
Remarks
Built for Huddard Parker Lines of Melbourne who operated her until 1939 when she was requisitioned by the Australian Navy. During WW2 she played her role as an Armed merchant cruiser (1940-1943); a Landing Ship Infantry (1943-1946); and a Troop Transport (1946-1951) in support of the Occupying Forces for Japan. In 1951 she returned to her owners for civilian use.
Her service as a Merchant Cruiser was spent as convoy escort in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including escort of Sparrow Force to Timor. In Cairns a mutiny on her was put down with 104 sailors arrested - the records of punishments and legal proceeding have been lost. As an LSI she had a capacity of over 900 soldiers, and most of those carried were US Army or Marines. Later use involved the repatriation of Australian troops. In 1946 she was to be returned to her owners but was instead used to operate between Sydney and Kure in Japan in support of the the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, although this time under civilian management.
In 1959 she was sold to the Asian and Pacific Shipping Co ltd for use as a livestock carrier. Initially she was named Delfino(1959-1960), but this in 1960 changed to Wolambi. In 1961 she was sold for scrap.
Battle Honours
- Pacific 1941–45
- New Guinea 1943–44
- Leyte Gulf 1944
- Lingayen Gulf 1945
- Borneo 1945
Crew members
- Frank William Richardson 22 April - 31 December 1943
Soldiers carried
Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 7 - 12 Jul 1944
Morotai to Tarakan 4 - 7 May 1945
Morotai to Labuan 1 - 3 Jun 1945
2/28th Battalion