HMAT A32 Themistocles
From Our Contribution
 | |
 Themistocles in Sydney Harbour with lighters alongside | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAT A32 Themistocles |
| Owner | Aberdeen Line |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Yard number | 412 |
| Launched | 2 Sep 1910 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| In service | 16 Feb 1911 |
| Out of service | 1946 |
| Fate | scrapped 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ocean Liner |
| Tonnage | 11,231 tons |
| Length | 500.6 ft (152.58m) |
| Beam | 63.3 ft (19.29m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 15 knots |
| Capacity | crew plus 102 x 1st class, 400 x 3rd class and 500 emigrant class passengers |
Contents
- 1 Remarks
- 2 Soldiers carried
- 2.1 Sydney to Alexandria 22 December 1914 - 1 February 1915
- 2.2 Sydney to Port Suez 12 May - 30 June 1915
- 2.3 Alexandria to Fremantle 13 August - 10 September 1915
- 2.4 Fremantle to Port Suez 13 October 1915 - ?? November 1915
- 2.5 Alexandria to Lemnos Island 15 - 18 November 1915
- 2.6 Alexandria to Marseilles France 16 March - 21 March 1916
- 2.7 Portsmouth to Fremantle 4 May - 24 Jun 1917
- 2.8 Portsmouth to Fremantle 5 November - 23 December 1917
- 2.9 Other Voyages
Remarks
Original owner was the Aberdeen Line, later sold to the Shaw, Saville & Albion Line for routes to Melbourne, Australia via Cape Town. The trip to Melbourne took 40 days.
Served during WW1 as a troopship under the control of the Commonwealth until 20 Oct 1917 before being transferred to the British Admiralty. While controlled by the Transport Branch of the Australian Navy she undertook 7 journeys with troops from Australia to either Egypt or England.
She carried elements of the First Australian Imperial Force for service overseas in sailings from Melbourne on 22 December 1914, Sydney on 12 May 1915, Fremantle on 23 July 1915, Sydney and Fremantle on 8 and 13 October 1915, Melbourne on 28 January and 28 July 1916, Fremantle on 13 October 1916, Sydney on 29 December 1916 and Melbourne on 4 August 1917.
During WW2 the Themistocles was used on trans Atlantic convoys. Between the wars and after WW2 she returned to servicing the Australian route making a total of 79 voyages to Australia during her lifetime. She was laid up at the end of June 1947, and scraped on 24 Aug 1947 at Dalmuir.
Soldiers carried
Sydney to Alexandria 22 December 1914 - 1 February 1915
Embarked in Fremantle on 2 January or earlier as some troops joined ship much earlier than the day she sailed.
Sydney to Port Suez 12 May - 30 June 1915
Embarked in Fremantle on 9 June
Alexandria to Fremantle 13 August - 10 September 1915
- James (Roy) Braidwood MM MID
- Patrick O'Connell McKenna from Port Suez on 15 Aug 1915
Fremantle to Port Suez 13 October 1915 - ?? November 1915
- Phillip Selwyn Allen
- Harold Clare Brown MSM
- Henry Thomas Cockram
- Osborne Fisher
- Jesse Thomas Manser
- Alfred Arthur Martin
- Francis Leonard Martin
- William Clarence Martin DCM & Bar
- † Hector Louis Polain
- James Thomson MM
Alexandria to Lemnos Island 15 - 18 November 1915
- † Edward (Ted) Harry Darby
- Charles Richard Irvine MM & Bar
- James Anthony Parker
- John Harold Rupert Smith
Alexandria to Marseilles France 16 March - 21 March 1916
- † William Barge
- † Charles Barnett
- Arthur Percy Thomas Boyle
- Edward Briggs
- † Oswald Chorlton
- Charles Glyn Firns
- Lionel William Gibbs
- Walter Hayward
- † John Hobbs
- † Stephen Henry Horrocks
- Henry Richard Keefe
- William Alfred Leaver MC MM
- † Harry Pickard
- † Charles William Price
- Henry George Price
- † Samuel Simpson Thompson
- Arnold Thorp
- Henry Albert Thorp
- † Hubert Harris Thorp
- Stuart Alan Webb
Portsmouth to Fremantle 4 May - 24 Jun 1917
Portsmouth to Fremantle 5 November - 23 December 1917
Other Voyages
- 28 January 1916 from Melbourne
- 28 July 1916 from Melbourne, Victoria
- 29 December 1916 from Sydney, New South Wales
- 4 August 1917 from Melbourne, Victoria