HMHS Devanha
From Our Contribution
 | |
 Lifeboat presented to the Australian War Memorial | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMHS Devanha |
| Owner | Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company |
| Builder | Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland |
| Yard number | 308 |
| Launched | 16 December 1905 |
| Completed | 31 Jan 1906 |
| In service | 1906 |
| Out of service | 1925 |
| Fate | Broken up by Sakaguchi Sadakichi Shoten K.K., Osaka, 2 June 1928 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger / cargo |
| Tonnage | 8,092 tons |
| Length | 470 ft (140 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 3 in (17.15 m) |
| Depth | 27 ft 8 in (8.43 m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) |
Contents
Remarks
SS Devanha was built for the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) to be used on the India/China route.
On 22 Aug 1914 the Devanha was requisitioned as a Troopship, and on 30 Apr 1915 alterations were made to allow her to serve as a hospital ship. Later she was paid off as a Hospital Ship, and converted back to a Troopship fit out. Requisitioned vessels continued to be manned by their normal P&O staff of officers and their peacetime P&O crews.
On 25 Apr 1915 at 2pm The Devanha sailed from Mudros Harbour and proceeded to the Island of Imbros, anchoring off Kephalos Harbour. Devanha was 'A3' in the convoy, Berth 4 of the Echelon landing force for Gallipoli carrying the 12th Battalion. After the first wave of troops landed the Devanha steamed up the coast as a feint to draw enemy fire. That evening the vessel evacuated her first load of casualties and began service as a hospital ship. As a hospital ship HMHS Devanha transported sick and wounded troops from the battle field to hospital bases.
Originally hospital ships were ordered to take serious cases while transports were to take the lightly wounded, but the confusion which resulted after the initial landing - and the large numbers of casualties - meant this system soon fell into disarray. HMHS Devanha and other hospital ships provided emergency treatment while evacuating the troops directly to Egypt, from where some would be sent to Malta and/or England. Devanha continued with these duties until the end of the campaign, and the P & O history notes that the vessel was the last hospital ship to leave the Dardanelles.
A timber lifeboat from the P&O's SS Devanha known as Troopship A3 at the time of the Gallipoli landing in 1915 is held in the AWM collection.