Embarkation
The Convoy
The official War Diary of HQ 26 Aust. Inf. Bde between 14th November and 26th December 1940 relates to the unit moving from its training camps at Albury/Bonegilla to the Middle East to combat German and Italian forces.
The diary appears to be in the handwriting of Arthur Shannon. A copy can be seen by clicking HERE.
A typed version of the document is provided below for easier reading.
Albury 15 Nov Tents struck and stores returned to CQMS and Ordnance in preparation for move. Troops
exercised in falling in (serial order).
Albury 16 Nov Reveille 0200 hrs and tps embarked on time 0414 hrs. Entrained WODONGA
0515 hrs and reached PORT MELBOURNE pier at 1130 hrs.
Port Melbourne Embarked on HMT "STRATHMORE" and ship drew out at 1435 hrs.
Anchored off MOUNT MARTHA for night.
At Sea 17 Nov Started to move down bay at 0845 hrs. Joined convoy of one cruiser ( HMAS ADELAIDE)
and two transports ( ORION and BATOURY) at 1815. Tps rested all day.
At Sea 18 Nov Convoy joined by HMAS PERTH during afternoon, and HMAS ADELAIDE left.
At 1800 hrs HMT "STRATHEDEN" joined convoy.
At Sea 19 Nov Training commenced on board. Tps show desire to be kept busy - some apparently a little
homesick.
FREMANTLE
21 Nov Came in sight of land, and in censoring letters it was found tps much more cheerful.
Ship berthed at FREMANTLE at 2000 hrs.
24 Nov Because apparent that we might be delayed in FREMANTLE for some time owing to
presence of raider in INDIAN OCEAN , arrangements made for training tps ashore
25 Nov Training areas located and training proceeded with. Afternoon devoted to recreation
on beaches. Ships provided cut lunch to enable tps to spend whole day out.
26 Nov Training ashore.
27 Nov All tps returned to ship by 1200 hrs , and moved out of harbour at 1415 hrs. Anchored
just off shore for night.
At Sea 28 Nov Ships moved out before reveille. Escort HMAS PERTH but joined by HMAS CANBERRA
in late afternoon. Boat drill and general training re-commenced.
At Sea 3 Dec HMAS CANBERRA was relieved by a light cruiser HMS CAPETOWN.
At Sea 5 Dec Arrived in COLOMBO.
COLOMBO Tps given shore leave - behaved very well. Postal arrangements very bad - the tps paid
6 Dec 1/2' per letter for air mail letters and it is now disclosed that they won't go air mail as
they had insufficient stamps. Most unsatisfactory.*
7 Dec Postal arrangements for dealing with parcels were unsatisfactory - no stamps available on
the ship and no arrangements made for dealing with same. Essential you have an
experienced postal official to run ship's PO and he wants to understand the requirements
of foreign postal regulations.*
At Sea Reached KANTARA EAST on SUEZ CANAL in late afternoon. Saw no enemy planes
16 Dec during whole voyage.
KANTARA-DIMRA
17 Dec Disembarked and reached camp at DIMRA. Camp not completed, but 20 Aust. Inf.
Bde. had made mess arrangements & obtained stores which could be procured.
DIMRA Lt-General Sir Thomas Blamey inspected units of Bde during the morning and
23 Dec addressed the tps and expressed pleasure at the general turnout and steadiness
of the men.
* The postal problems experienced by Brigade personnel on their way to war were not the only ones. See below. (It was Christmas mail too!)
The diary appears to be in the handwriting of Arthur Shannon. A copy can be seen by clicking HERE.
A typed version of the document is provided below for easier reading.
Albury 15 Nov Tents struck and stores returned to CQMS and Ordnance in preparation for move. Troops
exercised in falling in (serial order).
Albury 16 Nov Reveille 0200 hrs and tps embarked on time 0414 hrs. Entrained WODONGA
0515 hrs and reached PORT MELBOURNE pier at 1130 hrs.
Port Melbourne Embarked on HMT "STRATHMORE" and ship drew out at 1435 hrs.
Anchored off MOUNT MARTHA for night.
At Sea 17 Nov Started to move down bay at 0845 hrs. Joined convoy of one cruiser ( HMAS ADELAIDE)
and two transports ( ORION and BATOURY) at 1815. Tps rested all day.
At Sea 18 Nov Convoy joined by HMAS PERTH during afternoon, and HMAS ADELAIDE left.
At 1800 hrs HMT "STRATHEDEN" joined convoy.
At Sea 19 Nov Training commenced on board. Tps show desire to be kept busy - some apparently a little
homesick.
FREMANTLE
21 Nov Came in sight of land, and in censoring letters it was found tps much more cheerful.
Ship berthed at FREMANTLE at 2000 hrs.
24 Nov Because apparent that we might be delayed in FREMANTLE for some time owing to
presence of raider in INDIAN OCEAN , arrangements made for training tps ashore
25 Nov Training areas located and training proceeded with. Afternoon devoted to recreation
on beaches. Ships provided cut lunch to enable tps to spend whole day out.
26 Nov Training ashore.
27 Nov All tps returned to ship by 1200 hrs , and moved out of harbour at 1415 hrs. Anchored
just off shore for night.
At Sea 28 Nov Ships moved out before reveille. Escort HMAS PERTH but joined by HMAS CANBERRA
in late afternoon. Boat drill and general training re-commenced.
At Sea 3 Dec HMAS CANBERRA was relieved by a light cruiser HMS CAPETOWN.
At Sea 5 Dec Arrived in COLOMBO.
COLOMBO Tps given shore leave - behaved very well. Postal arrangements very bad - the tps paid
6 Dec 1/2' per letter for air mail letters and it is now disclosed that they won't go air mail as
they had insufficient stamps. Most unsatisfactory.*
7 Dec Postal arrangements for dealing with parcels were unsatisfactory - no stamps available on
the ship and no arrangements made for dealing with same. Essential you have an
experienced postal official to run ship's PO and he wants to understand the requirements
of foreign postal regulations.*
At Sea Reached KANTARA EAST on SUEZ CANAL in late afternoon. Saw no enemy planes
16 Dec during whole voyage.
KANTARA-DIMRA
17 Dec Disembarked and reached camp at DIMRA. Camp not completed, but 20 Aust. Inf.
Bde. had made mess arrangements & obtained stores which could be procured.
DIMRA Lt-General Sir Thomas Blamey inspected units of Bde during the morning and
23 Dec addressed the tps and expressed pleasure at the general turnout and steadiness
of the men.
* The postal problems experienced by Brigade personnel on their way to war were not the only ones. See below. (It was Christmas mail too!)
The war diary extract (second above) shows that the Naval vessels escorting the troop transport ships joined and left the convoy at various points along the way.
Photos of ships which took part in the convoy can be seen in the slide-show below. The prefix HMT stood for His Majesty's Transport.
Click top left of pictures to start and pause the photos.