File material on refugee shipping arrivals in Australia

[Hanno Spoelstra]

See Shane Lovell's posting on the missing-lynx.com forum:

File material on refugee shipping arrivals in Australia
June 1 2006 at 7:04 PM Shane Lovell
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Dear colleagues

Please find below some file material I recently found at the Canberra office of the National Archives of Australia regarding arrivals of refugee ships. For those that are not aware of this, these were vessels diverted to Australia in early 1942.

These shipments provided the source of Marmon Herrington 2 - man tanks along with 50 M3 General Stuarts. Many of the M3 General Stuarts were subsequently issued to the 2/6th Australian Armoured Regiment and fought at Buna / Sanananda in late 1942/ early 1943.

Please note that I have not transcribed the full document. The untranscribed sections principally deal with how the cargo would be treated from an accounting perspective.

Series AA1964/5/1 Item 2

Papers of the Executive Officer of the Requisitioned Cargoes Committee. Folder 2

Refugee Cargo (undated)

1. General

The first intimation that vessels would be diverted to Australian ports was received in a cable from the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, dated 23rd December, 1941, in which it was stated that several vessels loaded in the United Kingdom and bound for Singapore and other far eastern ports would likely terminate their voyage in Australian ports and suggesting that there should not be any general requisitioning of the commercial cargoes, and that goods having British interest consigned to enemy territory should not be seized in prize. The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was informed in various cables that United States and vessels of other nationality were seeking refuge in Australian Ports and advice was sought as to whether such cargoes should be treated similarly to United Kingdom cargoes. Advice was received that it would be advantageous to treat goods in which there were United States, other Allied or Neutral interests or which were loaded in any non enemy country, in the same manner as cargoes loaded in the United Kingdom or in which there was a British interest.

Later, the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was informed by cable that the Commonwealth had found it expedient to requisition the commercial cargoes of a number of diverted vessels as the measure offered the most practical solution of all the problems likely to arise and that the acute shortage of manpower, land transport and storage accommodation at the principal Australian ports necessitated full Commonwealth control to handle the large quantities of unexpected cargoes which had caused port and wharf congestion.

The first diverted vessels to arrive in Australia made their appearance early in January, 1942, and were of United States nationality. Subsequently, further United States vessels, together with British, Filipino and Dutch ships, were diverted to this country.

17. Particulars of Refugee Vessels and Requisitioned Cargo

The cargoes of 36 vessels of various nationality have been requisitioned amounting to 190,000 d.w. tons. Of these cargoes approximately 58,000 d.w. tons have been handed over to the US Army, Australian Army and War Departments.

Particulars of the vessels discharged at different ports in Australia are given below

[Original in tabular form. Entries cover Date of requisition, Name of vessel, Nationality and Total cargo (D.W. Tons)]

Sydney

14.1.42 American Leader USA 1,916
14.1.42 President Grant USA 2,424
24.1.42 Hoegh Sliver State Norwgn 1,720 (part)
16.2.42 Marechal Joffre France 600
24.2.42 Prometheus UK 9,135
24.2.42 Glenartnay UK 3,000
11.3.42 Antilochus UK 6,500
10.3.42 Adrastus UK 5,500
10.3.42 Peisander UK 9,000
21.3.42 Various ? 60
21.3.42 Macdhui UK 500
30.3.42 Salabangka Dutch 8,500
1.4.42 Tarakan Dutch 7,900
9.4.42 Wetrevreden Dutch 8,500
15.4.42 Tabinta Dutch 8,000
19.4.42 Bantam Dutch 8,780

Brisbane

15.1.42 Coast Farmer USA 8,000
15.1.42 Hoegh Sliver State Norwgn 1,000 (part)
15.1.42 Admiral Halstead USA 7,000
22.1.42 Harry Luckenbach USA 13,000
2.2.42 James Lykes USA 800
13.2.42 Don Isidro Phillipine 100

Adelaide

26.2.42 Polyhemus UK Dutch charter 4,000
26.2.42 Melampus UK Dutch charter 8,000

Fremantle

13.2.42 Dona Nati Phillipine 400
10.3.42 Klang UK 200

Port Pirie

21.1.42 Cape Fairweather USA 50 (part)

Melbourne

31.1.42 Cape Fairweather USA 100
21.2.42 Polyphemus UK Dutch Charter 1,869
21.2.42 F.J. Luckenbach USA 700
7.3.42 Phrontis UK Dutch charter 6,000
21.3.42 Marella UK 3,153
21.3.42 Tabian Dutch 8,215
21.3.42 Sloterdyk Dutch 6,852
21.3.42 Zaandam Dutch 8,000
21.3.42 Tosari Dutch 8,000
23.3.42 Tjibesar Dutch 9,955
24.3.42 Napier Dutch 9,196
15.4.42 Ruys Dutch 125
15.4.42 Tjimanock Dutch 3,200

cheers

Shane