HMAS Duntroon was a troopship operated by the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN) from 1946 to 1949.

Built in 1935 as MV Duntroon for the Melbourne Steamship Company, the ship was offered for conversion into an armed merchant cruiser at the start of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, but was not accepted. In 1942, the ship was requesitioned by the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 for use as a troopship, and became HMAT Duntroon. Her Army service continued until 1946, when she was chartered by the RAN for transport duties with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force

British Commonwealth Occupation Force

The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...

. Duntroon was returned to her civilian owners in 1950. In 1961, the ship was sold to Kie Hock Shipping Co. and renamed Tong Hoo. She was sold again in 1966 to Africa Shipping Co. and renamed Lydia. The ship was laid up in Singapore in 1967, and sailed to Taiwan for scrapping in 1973.

During her career, Duntroon collided with and sank two vessels: the auxiliary minesweeper in November 1940, and the destroyer in November 1943.

Construction

The 10,346 ton vessel was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, in 1935 for the Melbourne Steamship Company of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. She was designed for the East–West Australian coastal passenger service.

Melbourne Steamship Company

Duntroon operated as a passenger transport until the start of World War II, when she was offered for conversion into an armed merchant cruiser. This offer was turned down, and she continued to operate as part of the merchant navy.

On the evening of 20 November 1940, Duntroon departed from Melbourne for Sydney, with soldiers aboard. At 20:37, while attempting to exit Port Phillip Bay, Duntroon collided with the blacked-out

Blackout (wartime)

A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...

 auxiliary minesweeper , which was sailing to Portsea

Portsea, Victoria

Portsea is a resort town located across Port Phillip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....

 to anchor for the night. The smaller ship was cut in two, and all 24 aboard were killed: the first RAN losses of World War II. Duntroon attempted to recover survivors, but was only successful in finding six bodies. The ship returned to Melbourne for bow repairs, which were completed on 18 December.

Military service

In February 1942, Duntroon was requesitioned by the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

. She was converted into a troopship and received the prefix HMAT.

Duntroon transported elements of the Second Australian Imperial Force

Second Australian Imperial Force

The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...

 from the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 back to Australia before commencing operations in the South West Pacific

South West Pacific theatre of World War II

The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....

 and Far East

South-East Asian theatre of World War II

The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...

.

Duntroon was involved in a second collision in November 1943, this time with United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 destroyer . The destroyer was sailing from Milne Bay

Milne Bay

Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....

 to Buna

Buna

Buna may refer to the official Mbum language of Cameroon, as well as:People:*Buna Lawrie, an Australian Aboriginal musician.Places:*Buna village, a small Bosnia and Herzegovina village at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers...

 when she was rammed portside amidships and cut in two by Duntroon just before 02:00 on 29 November, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from Ipoteto Island. Four Americans were killed.

After the war's end, Duntroon was used to repatriate prisoners of war to Australia. The ship left Army service in April 1946, but was chartered by the RAN three months later. Duntroon was commissioned into the Navy, and received the prefix HMAS. While in RAN service, Duntroon was used to transport personnel of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force

British Commonwealth Occupation Force

The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...

 between Japan and Australia until late 1948.

Return to civilian service

Duntroon was returned to her owners in March 1949, and resumed coastal passenger and cruising services in August 1950. On 23 October 1950, she was damaged by fire while berthed in the Yarra River

Yarra River

The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...

.

In 1960, Duntroon was sold to the Grosvenor Shipping Co. and was towed to Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 by the tug Ajax. The ship's bell was removed; this was later installed on the parade ground of the Royal Military College Duntroon, in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

. She was resold to Kie Hock Shipping Co. in 1961 and was renamed Tong Hoo and used on Hong Kong–Indonesia passenger service.

Tong Hoo was sold in 1966 to the Africa Shipping Co., renamed Lydia and used for the India–Pakistan–East Africa route.

Fate

She was laid up in 1967 at Singapore for her last voyage Yokosuka to Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

in 1973 where she was scrapped.