List of Australian Hospital Ships
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The hospital ships of Australia were all staffed primarily by the Army Medical staff. The ships fell into two groups, Australian ships and Dutch ships transferred to the Australian Government. Although the Dutch ships retained their original Dutch Officers and Javanese sailors, with replacements from an international pool as necessary. The Dutch ships also continued to sail under the Dutch flag despite the notation HMAHS.
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[edit] HMAHS Manunda
The Manunda was an Australian registered and crewed ship converted to a hospital ship in 1940. She saw service in the Middle East and Pacific Campaigns, specifically New Guinea.
[edit] HMAHS Wanganella
The Wanganella was an Australian registered and crewed ship converted a to hospital ship in 1941.
[edit] HMAHS Centaur
The Centaur was British registered and crewed by Australian sailors. It was converted to a hospital ship on 12 March 1943. She was sunk by Japanese torpedo from I-177 on 14 May 1943 at 4 am while on her maiden voyage off the Queensland Coast East of Brisbane enroute for New Guinea.
[edit] HMAHS Oranje
The Oranje, a Dutch Registered vessel owned by Stoomvaart Maatschappy Nederland SMN Line was completed in 1939. She was converted to hospital ship at the cost of the Dutch government and transferred to the Australian Government. However, she continued to be crewed by Dutch Officer's and Javanese (Indonesian) sailors. She sailed under the title HMAHS, but she flew the Dutch Flag. The Oranje was the largest of the Dutch hosptial ships and operated in the Middle East, Indian, and Pacific Campaigns.
[edit] HMAHS Maetsuycker
The Maetsuycker, a Dutch Registered vessel owned by KPM Shipping Co Batavia Dutch East Indies was completed in 1937. She was converted to hospital ship at teh cost of the Dutch governmet to treat transport 250 patients. However she was crewed by Dutch Officer's and Javanese (Indonesian) sailors. She sailed under the title HMAHS, but she flew the Dutch Flag. She served in New Guinea and the Southwest Pacific area.
[edit] HMAHS Tasman
The Tasman, a Dutch Registered vessel owned by KPM Shipping Co. Batavia Dutch East Indies. The Tasman escaped capture during the fall of Singapore and was converted to hospital ship at the cost of the United States government and transferred to the control of the Australian Government to transport 250 patients. However she continued crewed by Dutch Officer's and Javanese (Inodnesian) sailors. She sailed under the title HMAHS, but she flew the Dutch Flag. She served in the Southwest Pacific area. The Tasman was at the Vanguard throughout the Pacific campaign and transported repatriated prisoners of war from the Japanese prison camps at Santo Thomas Philippines.
[edit] Other Dutch Ships
Two other ships of the KPM line, the Ophir and Melchoir-Treub were also converted to hopsital ship use and operated in the Indian Ocean and Bombay area.
