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MS Gorgon

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MS Gorgon
MS Gorgon.jpg
MS Gorgon 1.jpg
History
Name MS Gorgon
Owner Ocean Steam Ship Co. Ltd. - A. Holt & Co. & West Australian S.N. Co. Ltd - Bethell Gwyn & Co., Liverpool
Builder Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
Yard number 344
Launched 22 Aug 1933
Completed October 1933
In service 1933
Out of service 1964
General characteristics
Type Passenger/cargo
Tonnage 3,633 tons
Length 320.3 ft (97.1m)
Beam 51.2 ft (15.60m)
Depth 21.6 ft (6.55m)
Propulsion Single screw



Remarks

Built for the Holt Blue Funnel Line to operate for the West Australian Steam Navigation Company on their north west, Java and Singapore route. She continued this service until Singapore fell on 15 Feb 1942. One of a group of 46 ships that were the last to leave Singapore Harbour before the surrender. Of these only 6 made it to Australia safely, MS Gorgon being one of them. The death toll was horrendous and most of the survivors of the ships which were sunk spent the rest of the war in the privation and horrors of Japanese internment camps in Sumatra where up to 30 percent died in some camps.


During the second half of the war she served as a naval-requisitioned support vessel running between Australian east coast ports and the islands north of Australia, principally New Guinea. In April 1943 the SS Gorgon was bombed and damaged in Milne Bay, with 4 of her crew killed. While she sank, it was in shallow watewr and was able to be refloated and resumed her voyages from Austraalia to New Guinea ports.


Sold for scrap, it arrived at Hong Kong on 10 Aug 1964 for breaking by Leung Yau Company. in 1964

Soldiers carried

Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 20 - 26 Dec 1943

Townsville to Merauke, Dutch New Guinea 23 - 27 March 1944

Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 16 - 22 May 1944

Townsville to Lae, New Guinea 14 - 18 August 1944

Brisbane to Aitape, Papua, New Guinea 4 - 10 October 1944

Wewak, New Guinea to Sydney 20 August - 4 September 1945