HMT Taroona

HMT Taroona

Post war refit - single funnel
History
Name	HMT Taroona
Owner	Tasmanian Steamers Pty. Ltd., Melbourne
Builder	Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow
Yard number	543
Launched	22 Nov 1934
Completed	January 1935
In service	1935
Out of service	1970
Fate	Broken up 23 May 1989
General characteristics
Type	Passenger / Cargo
Tonnage	4,587 tons
Length	338.2 ft (103.07m)
Beam	50.1 ft (15.27m)
Depth	23.8 ft (7.21m)
Propulsion	twin screw
Speed	16 knots (29.63 km/h)

Remarks

Built for Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd. She served the Melbourne – Bell Bay - Beauty Point – Melbourne – Devonport – Burnie then back to Melbourne route.

Taroona was requisitioned for service as a troop ship in World War II by New Zealand. She carried troops from Auckland, New Zealand to Suva in January 1942, and in March 1942. On her return to the Bass Strait run she was almost immediately again requisitioned this time by Australia and taken over as a fast troop carrier. During her first trip to Port Moresby she carried 480 troops and supplies; on leaving Moresby she ran aground on a reef at the entrance where she remained for three days, helpless, hard and fast aground. All attempts to refloat her using both engines and the assistance of navy vessels proved useless. The situation became serious when on several occasions Japanese bombers swept in to attack the Seven Mile Aerodrome outside Port Moresby. Why they failed to attack Taroona remains a mystery. Finally aided by three naval vessels, she shook herself free.

In her war time career she travelled 204,535 miles and carried 93,432 troops. Although frequently under fire during her ninety-four trips she remained unscathed.

Taroona arrived in Sydney 4 Feb 1946, ending her career as an Australian troop carrier. She was handed back to Tasmanian Steamers . Sold to Typaldos Bros, Steamship Co. Ltd of Piraeus in 1959 , she was renamed Hellas. Laid up in 1970, she was eventually broken up commencing 23 May 1989.

Soldiers carried

Townsville to Port Moresby 18 - 22 September 1942

• Wilfred John Alldridge

Port Moresby to Townsville 19 -21 October 1942

• David Edward Kitchener Granberg

Townsville to Fall River, New Guinea 30 November - 4 December 1942

• Donald Roberts Scott

Townsville to Port Moresby 8 - 12 December 1942

• Edward Maurice Trew

Milne Bay to Townsville 24 - 27 December 1942

• David Gibson

Port Moresby to Brisbane 4 - 11 February 1943

• Alexander William Turner MID

Townsville to Milne Bay, PNG 28 - 31 March 1943

• Jack Bell

Townsville to Port Moresby 6 - 8 Aug 1943

• John Patrick Whitaker

Milne Bay, PNG to Townsville 29 February - 4 March 1944

• Forrest John Spencer Robertson

Port Moresby to Townsville 15 - 17 April 1944

• Andrew Wilkinson

Townsville to Port Moresby 18 - 20 April 1944

• Eric William Taylor

Townsville to Port Moresby 6 - 9 June 1944

• Harold Herman Hilbert
• Forrest John Spencer Robertson Milne Bay

Lae, PNG to Townsville 3 - 8 September 1944

• Frederick Arnold Griffiths

Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 6 - 10 October 1944

• Steven Ralph Cox

Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 27 Nov - 1 Dec 1944

• Joseph George Lewis Jalli

Lae, PNG to Townsville 1 - 4 December 1944

• Derrick Leonard Saw

Townsville to Jacquinot Bay, New Britain 9 - 12 April 1945

• Frederick Arnold Griffiths

Jacquinot Bay, New Britain to Brisbane 15 - 21 April 1945

• Charles Kenneth Neilson

Brisbane to Torokina, Bougainville 22 - 28 April 1945

• Frank Lindsay Cornish

Brisbane to Lae, PNG 29 May - 5 Jul 1945

• John William Alexander

Jacquinot Bay, New Britain to Brisbane 12 - 21 April 1945

Sailed 15 April

• 16th Australian Infantry Battalion (Cameron Highlanders Regiment)
• James Butler Boyd
• Alfred James Gregory
• Herber Archibald Walton

Brisbane to Lae, PNG 29 June - 5 July 1945

• John William Alexander

Brisbane to Port Moresby 18 - 23 July 1945

• James Bryden

New Guinea to Sydney 30 July - 8 August 1945

• Cornielius Harold (Con) Kerrison

Jacquinot Bay, New Britain to Brisbane 10 - 15 September 1945

• John Coffey
• Albert George Lawrence
• Ernest Stanley Lawrence

Wewak to Brisbane 24 - 31 December 1945

• Alan Henry Brockwell