MV Highland Brigade
From Our Contribution
 While fitting out in Harland & Wolff yards | |
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MV Highland Brigade |
| Owner | Royal Mail Line Ltd. |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Yard number | East Yard, slip 11 |
| Launched | 1 Nov 1928 |
| Completed | 27 Apr 1929 |
| In service | 1929 |
| Out of service | 1965 |
| Fate | sold for scrap 1965 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger / Cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 14,131 tons |
| Length | 520 ft (158.50m) |
| Beam | 69.5 ft (221.16m) |
| Depth | 28 ft (8.53m) |
| Propulsion | Twin Screw |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) |
| Capacity | 150 1st class; 70 Intermediate and 500 3rd class |
Remarks
One of five sister ships which were used for passenger and emigrant trade between London, Portugal and South America. In 1932 she came under the control of Royal Mail Lines and continued this trade until 1940 when she was requisitioned as a troopship. In October 1945 she was used to repatriate Australian POWs from Singapore.
While bound for Sigapore from Bangkok with 2,000 Indian troops the Highland Brigade struck a mine off Singapore in the early morning of 18 Jan 1946. In danger of sinking, landing craft and tugs were sent from Singapore to take of the troops and the ship was able to be towed into Singapore Harbour.
Resumed South America service in 1947 until sold to John Latsis of Piraeus in 1959 and renamed "Henriett". Renamed "Marianna" the following year, rebuilt and used as a Mecca Pilgrimage ship before being scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1965.
Soldiers carried
Singapore to Fremantle 5 - 15 Oct 1945
POWs from the 2/3rd and 2/4th Australian Machine Gun Battalions.