Request Assistence HMAHS WANDILLA

[tocca]

I'm looking for info about ship log of Hospital Ship Wandilla, during is duty as a troop carrier there are a lot of info but about the service as Hospital ship is quia little difficult..I'm particularly interessed in ship log , someone can help me? I'm working on this ship because later the service in WWI become an italian hospital ship, in 1935 with the name of Cesarea and later as Arno.

Thank you for the help can you give me

Regards giacomo

[teejay65]

Is this the ship you are looking for?:-

http://en.wikipedia....i/HMAT_Wandilla

You may find more info on this site:-

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/ItemsListing.aspx

Regards Tom

[Capt_Starlight]

It appears as though the logs of the Wandilla when in Australian hands (Adelaide Steamship Company or when requisitioned) are held by the Australian National Archives. Go here => http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx and you can do an immediate search as a guest or register and do it. You may be able to request to have pages digitised (though it may cost)....

[tocca]

Thank you very much All.

There are a lot of info, I have to search tjhe most usefull..maily the log book I hope.

Thank again

Regards

giacomo

[pat geary]

Got your message regia but sorry can't help. My grandmother served on the Wandilla for a time during WW1 but about the ship itself I know absolutely nothing.

[leighc]

There's quite a bit at the Australian War Memorial, both on their website and hard copy records in Canberra

AWM "Wandilla"

I have an interest in Wandilla as my grandfather Frank Collins and great uncle Herb Collins (see my signature) sailed from Melbourne to Egypt in Nov 1915 on Wandilla with 31st Battalion AIF. My grandparents named their home in Melbourne, "Wandilla". I have strong memories of the wrought iron cursive script name plate on the front of their home.

[tocca]

Thank All,

Technical data are for me not rilevant, I have a lot of info about the ship and the building (i.e.Beardmore built a book about the Dailmuir Shipyard that build Wandilla and sister ship Warilda and Willochra) My main interest is appointed on men and women who served on this ship or was embarked in their going war. Also the route aroud world are in my area of interest, this is the reason of my search of log book.

I worked much about Arno (end name of the ship) and start point was the finding of a number a pics related to Italian Red Cross Nurse that served on this HS. My goal is honorate the memory of ANY military, sailor and nurse that on the long life of the ship served or was embarked on.

My best regards giacomo

[frev]

Hi Giacomo

As Capt Starlight pointed out - the log books are available at the National Archives of Australia, and it will cost you to have them digitized - if they're actually willing to do it - or to have them copied & sent to you.

They probably wont mention much about the actual troops that sailed on her though (if similar to the voyage reports for the Kanowna). You can however find all 5,498 troops who she carried in her 4 trips from Australia to Egypt & England, (providing the link works) here:

http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war_embarkation/?Name=&Search_Mode=advanced&Aliases=yes&ServiceNumber=&Unit=&EmbarkationDateDay=-Day-&EmbarkationDateMonth=-Month-&EmbarkationDateYear=-Year-&EmbarkationPlace=All+places+of+embarkation&EmbarkationShip=HMAT+Wandilla

They sailed to Egypt via Colombo - Aden (through the Red Sea & Suez Canal) - usually stopping at Suez, Port Said & Alexandria.

To save me hunting through my Wandilla file for anything that may be of interest to you - I'll just copy the whole thing here & you may find some of it useful.

Cheers, Frev

WANDILLA

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), Mon 3 Jun 1912:

THE STEAMER WANDILLA LAUNCHED

London, May 31 1912

The Adelaide Steamship Company’s steamer Wandilla has been launched at Dalmuir.

The Register (Adelaide), Tue 17 Dec 1912:

NEW AUSTRALIAN STEAMERS

THE WANDILLA

During the first week in November the twin-screw steamer Wandilla, built by Messrs William Beardmore & Co., Dalmuir, for the Adelaide Steamship Company, completed her official trials on the Firth of Clyde, with marked success. She attained a mean speed of 16 knots under loaded conditions, including a run of 100 miles at sea, and amply fulfilled all the conditions of the contract. ………….

Kalgoorlie Western Argus, Tue 31 Dec 1912:

NEW PASSENGER STEAMER

WANDILLA AT FREMANTLE

Perth, Dec 29

The new twin screw steamer Wandilla reached Fremantle from Glasgow on Saturday morning. She is especially designed and equipped to suit the requirements of the Australian shipping service. Her luxurious accommodation is said to place her among the finest passenger steamers afloat. A spacious accommodation is provided for first, second and third class passengers.

The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 3 Feb 1913:

WANDILLA’S MAIDEN TRIP

The Adelaide Steamship Company’s new twin-screw steamer Wandilla, which is now lying at the E. and A. Company’s wharf, West Circular Quay, will leave on her maiden voyage to Melbourne, Adelaide, Albany, and Fremantle to-morrow, at 4 pm. The Wandilla is a sister ship to the Warilda, which has now been running in the interstate trade for some months, and which has already established itself as a firm favourite with the travelling public. The Willochra, the third sister ship, is due to leave the United Kingdom shortly, and on arrival in Australia will join the company’s interstate fleet.

The Sydney Morning Herald, Wed 5 May 1915:

WANDILLA TO BE WITHDRAWN

The Adelaide Steamship Company’s steamer Wandilla will be withdrawn from interstate trade on her arrival in Melbourne from Queensland on May 17.

[Capt C.C. McKenzie]

She was then requisitioned for use as a troopship:

As the A62 HMAT Wandilla – she picked up her first batch of Australian troops (156) in Sydney, and sailed on the 14/6/1915, collecting another 598 troops (& civilians) (1st AGH) from Melbourne, departing 17/6/15 – 268 troops were embarked at Fremantle, WA - and she left Australian shores 25/6/15 – arriving Suez 18/7/1915

[Rev Charles Hamilton Shedden was troopship Chaplain for this voyage only]

Official Histories – The Australian Navy (p.426-427):

“The Wandilla had in July, 1915, when serving as a troopship, assisted in the defence of Aden; Turks from Mecca were attacking, and a large body of Arab auxiliaries, whom the British commander had enlisted and armed, promptly deserted to the Turkish side, taking with them all their stores and about 1,000 camels. “The emergency being ended,” to quote the Wandilla’s phlegmatic master, and the Australian reinforcements landed at Suez, the vessel took aboard at Alexandria 800 British sick and wounded troops, landed them at Plymouth, and proceeded to London with her cargo of wool and wheat. As she passed The Downs, she saw four large vessels lying awash, having struck mines in the neighbouring fairway; next, while berthed in Victoria Dock, she was bombed (but not hit) by German aeroplanes that did much damage in the East End of London and at Woolwich. Moving to Tilbury Dock, she came in for another aerial bombing, close enough to sever her mooring lines. Her return voyage to Australia via the Cape, and her second and third voyages as a transport as far as Egypt were uneventful. At Port Said she embarked the Scottish borderers and the Inniskillings (evacuated from Gallipoli), took them to Marseilles, picked up at Malta about a thousand ex-hospital cases who had recovered, took them back to Alexandria, and went on through the Canal to Australia. A fourth voyage – with troops and cargo for England – ended at Liverpool, where the Wandilla was coverted into a hospital ship. During her career as a troopship there was only one death on board among 9,000 troops carried, and no sickness. “My crew,” wrote her then master, “were all Australian seamen, and I had no trouble with them throughout.”

Arrived back at Sydney 8/10/1915 (from London) – Capt McKenzie

2nd Voyage – left Melbourne 9/11/15 with 1,353 troops (31st Bn) – Suez Dec 1915

Departed Port Said 13/12/1915 (carrying sick & wounded) & arrived back in Sydney 17/1/1916

3rd Voyage – Brisbane 31/1/16 (1,052 troops) – Sydney 3/2/16 (337 troops) – arriving Suez by 7/3/1916

4th Voyage – Sydney 2/6/16 (1) – Melbourne 5/6/16 (1,353: incl Hsp Tspt Corps, 1st AGH & Nurses ret to duty) – arriving Plymouth Jul 1916

Taken over & converted to a hospital ship in Aug 1916

Official Histories – The Australian Navy (p.427-428):

“As a hospital ship she travelled far and wide. She steamed in all 112,241 miles, and carried 26,425 invalides – British from all the three kingdoms and Australia. West Africans, East Africans, and Portuguese – with a death-record of forty-two in three years. In the United Kingdom she visited Liverpool, Southampton, Avonmouth, Cardiff, Plymouth, Newport, and Dublin. She saw Le Havre, and Brest, and Lisbon; in the Mediterranean Gibraltar, Marseilles, Malta, Port Said, Alexandria, Mudros, Salonica, Stavros, Limasol, Suda Bay, Beirut, Alexandretta, Haifa, and Tripoli in Syria; in Africa Mombasa, Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salaam, Kilwa, Cape Town, Lagos, Accra, and Sierra Leone. Of actual adventures during this period she had few; but in January 1917, she picked up the crew of the Danish steamer Viking, which a submarine had destroyed by gun-fire in the Wandilla’s presence; in February she rescued the seven survivors (out of 1,100) of an Italian troopship, the Minas, torpedoed two days before; and in May, 1918, she was held up in the Mediterranean by an enemy submarine, and thoroughly examined, but was so unmistakably a hospital ship that she was allowed to proceed.”

Returned to Australia carrying invalid troops – embarking Southampton Mar 1919 – arriving Sydney 20/5/1919

The Wandilla was officially transferred back into the hands of its owners 16/8/1919

The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 10 May 1919:

THE WANDILLA

FINE WAR RECORD

The Adelaide Steamship Company’s steamer Wandilla, which is at present in port here, has an interesting war record. Under the command of Captain R. Sunter, she engaged in war service for four years, both as a transport and hospital ship.

She was taken over as a troops hip during the first year of the war, and conveyed 9907 Australians from these shores to their destination oversea. For three years afterwards she was chartered by the Imperial Government as a hospital ship, running in the English Channel and Mediterranean Sea, and during that period she carried 26,425 wounded and invalids, 39 of whom died. As a trooper the Wandilla covered 79,173 miles, and as a hospital ship 112,241 miles, making a total of 191, 414 miles in four years.

Whilst in the vicinity of Salonica 11 air raids were witnessed, and before the Hun began his ruthless torpedoeing of hospital ships two useful rescues were made from torpedoed vessels.

On June 11, 1917, in spite of the fact that she was a hospital ship, conveying invalids and wounded, she was attacked by a German submarine, but the torpedo failed to reach its objective.

Another noteworthy incident occurred in the Mediterranean. A German submarine fired a shot across the Wandilla’s bows, and ordered her to stop. She was boarded by two officers, and was later allowed to proceed unmolested.

Captain Sunter declares the Wandilla to be an extremely lucky ship.

Capain Sunter is an Australian, and many of the officers and engineers are also Australians.

The Wandilla is at present berthed at Wooloomooloo Bay.

[Capt Robert Sunter (b.c1877 – came to Aus in 1890 – d.1934 Cairns)]

The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 18 Aug 1919:

WANDILLA FOR INTERSTATE TRADE

The travelling public will probably be pleased to learn that the Adelaide Steamship Company’s popular steamer Wandilla, in command of Captain James Sim, O.B.E., will re-enter the interstate passenger service within the next week or so. After having served as a troopship and hospital ship under Admiralty orders she has been thoroughly re-fitted and was handed back to her owners on Saturday last.

Assuming the strike is over early next week the Adelaide Steamship Co. intend despatching the Wandilla about August 26 for Melbourne, Adelaide, and Fremantle.

Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sun 17 Oct 1915:

The following message was found in a bottle that was picked up on Middleton Beach (says the “Albany Advertiser”): - “To the ‘Daily Post’, Hobart, Tasmania. – This bottle was thrown overboard from ss Wandilla on June 22, 1915, by some of the men of the 6th Reinforcements of the 12th Battalion. We all hop to return to “Tassy” in time for Christmans dinner. – R.V. Cairns (Hobart), A.J. Torpy (Longford), W. O’Brien (Zeehan), B. Hawkesford, J. Copping, R.H. McNally (Hobart).

Notes:

[Various sources – including “Sea Transport of the AIF” – by G. Tregarthen]

*Troopship journals: “The Kangaroosilite” (1916), “The Wandilla Wonder”

*AWM Collection: Burch, Isaac John (Chief Officer)

Description

Diary and memoirs (photocopy) kept by Chief Officer Isaac John Burch relating to his service as a merchant seaman on SS Wandilla during World War I. The diary, 17 June to 4 October 1915, details the first voyage of the ship after its refitting as a troopship (A62). It refers to the routines of the crew and troops on their way to the Middle East, views of British soldiers taken on board of fighting in the Dardanelles, precautions taken on nearing English ports against submarine and aerial attack. The memoirs contain recollections of various incidents on board SS Wandilla during its time as a troop ship and a hospital ship. It includes a copy transcript of a letter of appreciation from a survivor of the Italian troopship, Minas, which was torpedoed in February 1917.

*AWM Collection:

Description

Souvenir program for a concert held to entertain troops during the First World War. This program is for a concert given by the 6th Reinforcements of the 13th Battalion aboard QTSS Wandilla on Friday 9 July 1915. The concert was held to commemorate 'Crossing the Line'. The front cover of the program features a black and white portrait of the QTSS Wandilla with twelve autographs featured on the back of the program.

[tocca]

Hallo Frev, thank you very much, a real big amount of info and address to serch.

Australian Archives are very friendly and contain a realy mountains of digitized record, some are on line the other must be payed for reproduction with scan and mailing, this is not a problem, I have just paied a lot for book and picture on italian ebay. At the point of the work I'm arrived I only want to do a good job. At the start of the work I think to do only a summary of italian service for the Museum of Red Cross in Genova Campomorone in wich I' involved, but the more I learn about the sip and his past career the more I hope to cover in my history both australian - british war service in WWI either italian service in Etiopia, Spain (as Cesarea) and during WWII as Arno.

The best regard to all the friends on this site, and excuse me again for my english

Giacomo

[crickhollow]

Hello!

This is on a slight tangent but the paragraphs below and photo may interest you as it concerns the sister ship of HMAS Wandilla namely HMAS Warilda. I came across this ship as I was researching a memorial in Albany, Western Australia to a WW1 soldier in the Pioneer Battalion: Paul Retell. Aged 45 years, Paul Retellwas probably too old to be a frontline soldier in the Australian Army hence hisrole in the 5^th Pioneer Battalion raised in South Australia and assigned to the FifthDivision AIF. I was intrigued that his memorial plaque stated he was drowned in the English Channel 3 Aug 1918 (when HMAT Warilda was torpedoed)

The CGWC record for Paul Retell statesthat his name is recorded on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton which isdescribed in the CGWC website:

Thememorial in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton, was one of those erected by theImperial War Graves Commission to record the names of those officers and men ofthe forces of the Empire who fell in the Great War and whose graves are notknown. It is especially the memorial of those who went down in transports orother vessels torpedoed or mined in home waters, but it includes the names ofothers who died at home, or in distant areas, and whose bodies could not berecovered.

Fourof the names are due to the loss of HMS "Hampshire" and H.M. Trawler"Commandant" - among them Lord Kitchener of Khartoum. It alsoincludes the names of 737 officers and men who were killed or drowned in H.M.Transports "Donegal", "Mendi", "Warilda" and"Wayfarer". Of these, "Donegal" (an ambulance transport)was torpedoed and sunk on the 17th April 1917, between Le Havre and Southampton;"Mendi" was lost in the Channel on the 21st February 1917, with 596men of the South African Native Labour Corps; "Warilda" (an ambulancetransport) was torpedoed and sunk on the 3rd August, 1918, between Le Havre andSouthampton, and 109 patients and seven of the crew were killed or drowned; and"Wayfarer" was torpedoed (but not sunk) on the 11th April 1915, sixtymiles North-West of the Scillies.

HMAT Warilda

Technical details: Steamship,7784 tons. Built 1912, 'with accommodation of three classes of passengers on amost lavish scale'. Adelaide Steamship Company Ltd. Requisitioned by theAdmiralty for World War 1; fitted up first as a troop ship, then as a hospitalship, on the Southampton-Havre run across the English Channel. Torpedoed by anenemy submarine whilst returning from France with 700 wounded, 3 August1918. Sank within two hours. Of 801 on board, 123 lives lost. No less than70,000 troops had been carried by the Warilda, Captain Sim being awarded an OBEfor his services. '... the dastardly act on the part of the enemy cannot beforgotten'.

Timeas a troopship:

5 October1915: 10th Reinforcements, 9th Battalion embarked from Brisbaneheadingto Egypt.[3]

8October 1915: 10th Reinforcements, 1st Infantry Battalion embarked fromSydney

headingto Egypt.[4]

8November 1915: 10th Reinforcements, 1st Brigade of the AIF,embarked from Liverpool,NSW, Australia.The ship arrived at Fremantle,Western Australia on 15 October 1915, and reached Suez on5 November, a Friday, where the troops were disembarked.[5]

25May 1916: Tunneling Companies, 2 Reinforcements embarked Melbourne.[6]

1June 1916: Tunneling Company 6, 3rd Tunneling Company embarked from Fremantle,Western Australia 1 June 1916. Disembarked Plymouth,England, 18 July 1916.[7]

Sinking

On 3 August 1918, she was transporting wounded soldiersfrom LeHavre, France to Southampton whenshe was torpedoed by UC-49, a German submarine. This was despite beingmarked clearly with the Red Cross; as with a number of other hospital shipstorpedoed during the war, Germany claimed the ships were also carrying arms.[

Theship sank in about 2 hours, and of the 801 persons on board, a total of 123lives were lost. Amongst the survivors was her commander, Capt. Sim who waslater awarded the OBE by KingGeorge.

A Survivor’sRecord

Curiously, evidence is available from a survivor of the sinkingof HMAT Warilda. This is the personal diary of one HaroldWilliam Chipperton and records the sinking of the Warilda on 3^rdAugust: ‘Torpedoed in Channel 1.30am’ and being taken to the Naval Hospitalat Netley near Southampton.

More info on web site [http://blogs.dogtime.com/check-the-gate/2010/03/tree-of-chipperton]

Regards

Christopher

[crickhollow]

HMAT Warilda Today

Comments from ‘DiveMagazine’ (Sep 2008) regarding HMATWarilda, English Channel

As a Post Script to my earlier comments, below is an extract from a diving magazine that describes the current wreck of HMAT Warilda.

‘Anofficial war grave, HMAT Warilda makes a fascinating dive.

Photo: Paul Webster

Initiallydesigned as a coastal ship in 1912, she was intended to transport three classesof passengers in varying degrees of comfort, but after the start of the FirstWorld War, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and used first as a troopship in 1915 and then as a hospital ship in 1916. On 3 August 1918, on the wayfrom Le Havre to Southampton, she was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-49and sank within two hours. Of the 801 on board, 123 lives were lost.

The remains of the 135m-long structure now lies at a depth of 50m, some 10mproud of the sea bed, with a 45-degree list to port. The stern section isarguably the most interesting portion of this wreck, with the massive sweep ofthe stern towering over the rudder and propeller, and a stern gun lying on thesea bed nearby. An enjoyable wreck, but one to dive with respect.’

Interestingto note that ‘a stern gun’ is observed on what was a hospital ship. I guess this is true? Does anyone else know of armaments installed on designated Hospital Ships'?

Comment from ‘C-Life.Co.UK’ :

Technical WreckDive - This is usually done when we have the 2-3 day Mid-Channel Francetrip. But occasionally can be done for a day trip but mid summer, as there is6hrs of motoring to do return. Built in1912, Sunk a German Submarine UC-49 bytorpedo while transporting 700 wounded soldiers from Le Havre to Southampton.123 lives were lost and is an official war grave. Originally intended for theEast-West Australian coastal service, but requisitioned by the Admiralty andused as a troop ship in 1915 and then a hospital ship in 1916. The Warildastands 10m high and lists 45-degrees to the port and is fairly intact but largetrawler nets obscure a lot and caution must be taken in these areas. This is afantastic dive to do, she is big bold and definitely beautiful with 8-20mvisibility.

[Guest DRRBertie204]

My Grandfather Cpl Bertie Reeves was a member of the RAMC and served aboard the HMS (HMAT) Wandilla for most of the time it was a hospital ship during WW1. He kept a diary of daily life aboard for the medics. Is this of any use to anyone?

[frev]

My Grandfather Cpl Bertie Reeves was a member of the RAMC and served aboard the HMS (HMAT) Wandilla for most of the time it was a hospital ship during WW1. He kept a diary of daily life aboard for the medics. Is this of any use to anyone?

Hi there - and welcome to the forum.

I'd be very interested in seeing a transcript of your Grandfather's diary - would you be willing to post it here for us all to see?

Cheers, Frev

[trajan]

... I'd be very interested in seeing a transcript of your Grandfather's diary...

Me too! My hospitalised grandad sailed with her from Alexandria to the UK in June 1918.

Trajan

[Falloden]

SS Wandilla came into the ownership of the Furness Bermuda Line under the name of Fort St George and was used on cruises from New York to Bermuda and back during Prohibition

in the USA.

My father was a cadet officer with the Furness Bermuda Line on the cruise ship "Queen of Bermuda" but he acted as 4th Mate on ss Fort St George for one voyage from New York and back lasting from 28.06.1935 to 15.07.1935. I believe shortly after this the ship was sold to Italians and renamed Cesarea and then Arno.

[tocca]

Dear all,

For long long time I wasn't in condition of write and see your nice furum and the friends that helped me in my search....coming back to the forum after a long, sad period I see a couple of post that are very teresting for me. frev has the diary of his granfather that served on Wandilla and Falloden's father was a cadet on Fort St George. I'm still working about this ship...restarting now actually, And all the document of your relatives con help me in a strong way like did Pat Geary with picture and documents of his fantastic greatmother, a great woman that served as a nurse onboard of Wandilla Thank in advance. My mail address is toccagiac54@libero.it.

All my best regards

 

giacomo 

[MKC]

Hi Tocca,

 

The dates I have for Wandilla's four trooping voyages from Australia differ slightly from those given above:

Voyage 1:

14-6-1915: depart Sydney

17-6-1915 depart Melbourne

25-6-1915: depart Fremantle, arrive Suez 18 -7-1915.

 

V1 Return:

Arrive Adelaide 1-10-1915

Arrive Melbourne 4-10-1915

Arrive Sydney 11-10-1915, then to refit.

 

Voyage 2:

9-11-1915 depart Melbourne

16-11-1915 depart Fremantle, arrive Suez 6 -12-1915.

 

V2 Return:

arrive Fremantle 7-1-1916

arrive Adelaide 11-1-1916

arrive Melbourne 14-1-1916

arrive Sydney 17-1-1916

arrive Newcastle 19-1-1916 

 

Voyage 3: 

1-2-1916 depart Brisbane

3-2-1916 depart Sydney, arrive Suez 5-3-1916

 

V3 Return:

arrive Port Pirie 1-5-1916, to load lead bullion.

arrive Sydney 6-5-1916 and transfer lead bullion to Medic, Suevic and Ascanius, then to refit 

 

Voyage 4:

25-5-1916: began loading general cargo for Marseilles after completing refit & bunkers.

3-6-1916 depart Sydney (embark one AIF 4th class chaplain, Rev John Huthnance, Church of England).

6-6-1916 depart Melbourne, arrive Plymouth 26-7-1916.

 

Transfer to Imperial Control on 5 August 1916.

 

As far as I can tell, Wandilla made one further 'trooping' voyage to Australia, departing England on 31 March 1919, and arriving Melbourne on 18 May 1919. Among those on board were 20 AANS nurses (more than half of whom had served in Salonika), three AAMC Medical Officers and an AIF chaplain.  

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

Edited 4 May , 2018 by MKC

[Falloden]

Fort St George employed on cruises from the USA to Bermuda during the 1930's when sailing for the Furness Bermuda line.  My father did one voyage in her as 4th Officer in 1935.

Edited 5 May , 2018 by Falloden

[Kath]

U.K. National Archives Records 17 results for Wandilla O.N. 122741 : 

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r/?_q=Wandilla+

 

Using the O.N. (Official No.) in the Crew List Index Search of the  Memorial University of Newfoundland Maritime History Archive gives this:

https://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcombinedcrews.php?Official_No=122741

Crew List Index Search Results

Search results for Crew Lists in the Maritime History Archive 
Types of Agreements and Accounts page provides an explanation for the codes referring to 
the crew agreements held at the Maritime History Archive.
 

Official_No:		122741
1918:		E2
1921:		E1
1931:		O2
1932:		O2

[tocca]

Thank you for the intresting news.

About the voyages dates I have only the dates reported on AWM and on the book “Sea Transport of the AIF”  by G. Tregarthen that I dowloaded fron australian site, of course your information is very intresting and confirm the needs of more source to be sure about this ancient events.

Hi Falloden, very intresting the boarding certification. The Bermuda voyage are of course the most difficult period to explore, I find something about a collision occurred in NY harbour with SS Olympic in march 22th 1924 that caused serious damage to the stern of Olimpic. 

If you have some more interesting news about the ship and the life onboard I very grate to you.

DDR Bertie 204 say that his grampa was a medic onboard Wandilla, please, have you a diary or some notes?

I want to thank you all, dear friend. I'm slowly collecting info about this ship..in 2013 I was in Glasgow, then in Trieste and in Rome in the archives of Italian Navy and find the log book related the operational missions of the ship during the invasion of Etiopia, and WWII of course for me is more difficult to collect news related the WWI voyages and the Bermudan period...In my mind the personal history and experience is quite more important of the number of miles sailed and the technical data, Is my wish to honorate the serviceman and women that served onboard.

I served in IT Army during former Jugoslavia war as medical officer in Albania and Kosovo working with lots of collegues and nurse and the spirit of sacrifice in duty is for me the real reason because I want to tell the story of the woman and the man that gave so much to the sick and the wonded to help them to live.

All my best to all

giacomo

[tocca]

Thank you very much Kath, sorry I see you post only when I submit mine.

Intresting news and source. 

Hi Kath, thanks

 

giacomo

[Falloden]

Wandilla was sold by Adelaide Steamship Company to Furness in January 1921.  She was sailed from Australia across the Pacific to New York via the Panama Canal and she was refitted for cruising, being re-named Fort St George.  She did trips from New York to Halifax and Quebec and occasional cruises to the Caribbean.  Fort St George was also converted from coal firing to oil..  On 22 March 1924 she was leaving her pier in the Hudson River, New York, at the the same time as her Royal Mail Line rival, Arcadian and a friendly race ensued down river.  Unfortunately the White Star liner Olympic was reversing from her pier and despite swerving,  Fort St George scraped 150 feet of her stern against Olympic's stern and lost her mainmast, derrick posts, railings ventilators and sundry other damage.  Despite the damage Fort St George sailed for Bermuda two days later. 

Fort St George and her sister ships ran regular trips to Bermuda during the 1920's and early 1930's, the main attraction for many passengers was availability of alcohol during the USA's Prohibition Era.

Edited 5 May , 2018 by Falloden

[tocca]

Thank you again,

the main part of this info I find in the book QUEEN OF BERMUDA and the Furness Bermuda Line that I bought some time ago...Actually the info that I realy need are the experience of the people that sailed on the ship...how was the way of life, the food, the social life onbord..as you say many people sailed on Fort St George to avoid the ban of alcool in USA and liquors and cocktails was served on bord as soon the ship left territorial USA water. 

Thank again giacomo

[tocca]

I hope you enjoy this pics that some friends of Trieste gave me. If's the Fort St George, bought by italian governament in order to serve as hospital transport during invasion of Etiopia. The ship was painted of white but didn't show the red cross insigna. Actually they used the ship as a troops transport during the voyage from Italy to Etiopia and as wonded trasport on coming back track. Of course the Etiopia has no Navy and didn't check our ships. But everithing was ready on board in order to trasform the ship in a regular hospital ship, paint and maily the registretion form deposed in Geneva, if the Royal Navy start to check the ships. I show you a pic of a ward full of wounded soldier.

On the counterside i have a pic, from the same source that show the Arno (last name of the ship) in course of transformation in regular hospital ship in the starting days of WWII (for us june 1940).