Hello,
I am trying to find the name of the ship that my grandfather left Australia to Singapore September 1941. All I have is H.M.T.J.J. if you can help that would be great
kind regards
Jennifer
Jenny McKenzie
jennifermck1967@yahoo.com.au
Jenny,
Here is your grandfather's WW2 Service Certificate and once I had his Unit it was easy to find their transportation from Australia to Singapore.
Driver
HENRY CALEB CAMERON MARTIN
VX52761
Service Australian Army
Date of Birth 5 April 1920
Place of Birth YARRAWONGA, VIC
Date of Enlistment 26 April 1941
Locality on Enlistment YARRAWONGA, VIC
Place of Enlistment ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin MARTIN, MARY
Date of Discharge 8 January 1946
Posting at Discharge 4 RESERVE MOTOR TRANSPORT
Prisoner of War Yes
The ship was HMT Sibajak
From http://230battalion.org.au/history/training/voyage/sibajaklistJJ.htm
Sibajak
Summary of Embarkation for Sibajak (HMT JJ)
The following troops embarked on Sibajak at Woolloomooloo, Sydney on 17/9/1941 for the voyage to Singapore.
Serial No. Unit Officers WO's Sgts Cpls & Ptes. Total Other Ranks Total Shortages Total allotment Remarks
470 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station (C.C.S.) 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 6 6 6 - 6
478 Ambulance Sea Transport 7 - 1 - 1 8 - 8
491 10 Australian General Hospital 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 10 10 10 - 10
492 2 Convalescent Depot 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 4 4 4 - 4
562 Voyage Only Conducting Officer (Group 14) 1 - - - - 1 - 1
562 Voyage Only Conducting Officer (Group 14) 1 - - - - 1 - 1
562 Voyage Only Conducting Officer (Group 12) 3 - - - - 3 - 3
562 Voyage Only Conducting Officer (Group 13) 3 - - - - 3 - 3
562 Voyage Only Ship's Staff 4 2 5 1 8 12 1 13
564 27 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Pet. Company 3rd Reinforcements - - - 2 2 2 - 2
564 27 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Supply Section 3rd Reinforcements - - - 3 3 3 - 3
564 27 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Administration Section 3rd Reinforcements - - - 3 3 3 - 3
573 Command Pay Office Details - - - 7 7 7 - 7
573 A.A.P.C. 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 2 2 2 - 2
573 A.A.P.C. Reinforcements - - - 2 2 2 - 2
574 General Base Depot, Malaya 9 4 14 98 116 125 - 125
575 H.Q. A.I.F. Malaya Details Administration - 2 2 7 11 11 - 11
575 H.Q. A.I.F. Administration - - - 3 3 3 - 3
61525 2/10 Field Regiment 4th & 5th Reinforcements 2 - 2 52 54 56 - 56
61529 2/15 Field Regiment 3rd Reinforcements 1 - 1 26 27 28 - 28
61529 2/15 Field Regiment Details 1 - - - - 1 - 1
61531 4 Anti Tank Regiment 4th Reinforcements 1 - 1 24 25 26 - 26
61533 H.Q. R.A.E. 8 Division Details 1 - 1 19 20 21 - 21
61534 2/10 Field Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 20 20 20 - 20
61536 2/12 Field Company 3rd Reinforcements - - - 10 10 10 - 10
61539 8 Division Signals 4th & 5th Reinforcements 2 - 1 29 30 32 - 32
61542 2/18 Battalion 4th & 5th Reinforcements 4 - 6 160 166 170 - 170
61543 2/19 Battalion 4th & 5th Reinforcements 4 - 6 160 166 170 - 170
61544 2/20 Battalion 4th & 5th Reinforcements 4 - 6 160 166 170 - 170
61555 2/26 Battalion 3rd Reinforcements 2 - 3 90 93 95 - 95
61556 2/29 Battalion 3rd Reinforcements 2 - - 83 83 85 - 85
61557 2/30 Battalion 3rd Reinforcements 2 - 3 80 83 85 - 85
61565 2/10 Field Ambulance 3rd Reinforcements - - - 8 8 8 - 8
61564 2/9 Field Ambulance 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 16 16 16 - 16
61579 Field Bakery Sub Section, Malaya Details - - - 5 5 5 - 5
61580 22 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Pet. Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 5 5 5 - 5
61580 22 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Supply Section 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 7 7 7 - 7
61580 22 Brigade Coy. A.A.S.C. Administration Section 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 5 5 5 - 5
61582 Command Cash Office Details - - - 7 7 7 - 7
61583 2 Reserve Motor Transport Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 8 8 8 - 8
61584 3 Reserve Motor Transport Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - 1 21 22 22 - 22
61585 4 Reserve Motor Transport Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 22 22 22 - 22
61586 2/2 Motor Ambulance Convoy 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 4 4 4 - 4
61587 2/3 Motor Ambulance Convoy 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 14 14 14 - 14
61589 2nd Echelon Malaya Details - - - 1 1 1 - 1
61591 2/3 Ordnance Store Company 4th & 5th Reinforcements - - - 6 6 6 - 6
Total 54 8 53 1190 1251 1305 1 1306
(Source: Australian Army War Diary 1/15/14 - District Records Office Eastern Command August-October 1941)
Last updated 29/04/2006
Under Serial 61585 you will see 4 Reserve Motor Transport Company, and they only consisted of 22 Corporals and Privates.
Here are details of the Convoy and Ports of call enroute to Singapore. See the note calling Sibajak ( HMT JJ ) on this Convoy.
A picture of the ship is also included.
From http://230battalion.org.au/history/training/voyage/convoyUS12B.htm
Convoy US12B
Departed Sydney 17/9/1941; arrived Fremantle 25/9/1941; departed Fremantle 28/9/1941; arrived Singapore 5/10/1941
Troopship to Singapore
*
HMT JJ - Sibajak
Troopships to Middle East
*
Aquitania (N.Z. Forces)
*
Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt (N.Z. Forces)
*
HMT II - Marnix Van St. Aldegonde (A.I.F)
Reinforcements for the 2/30th and various other units in the Middle East and Singapore departed Australia in September 1941 in Convoy US12B. The convoy included four troopships, plus escorts. On this voyage, Sibajak was codenamed HMT JJ (on the previous convoy she was called HMT DD).
The Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt and Aquitania had departed Wellington, on 15/9/1941, carrying N.Z. troops. Sibajak departed Sydney on 17/9/1941, and the three troopships met up in the Tasman Sea on 18/9/1941. On board Sibajak were reinforcements destined for the 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/29, 2/30, GBD, 4 Anti Tank, 2/10 Field Company, 2 Reserve Motor Transport, 2/15 Field Regiment, 2/12 Field Company, 2/3 Reserve Motor Transport, and 2/3 Motor Ambulance Convoy.
The convoy was later joined by the Marnix Van St. Aldegonde, which had left Melbourne on 17/9/1941, carrying South Australian troops. The convoy arrived in Fremantle on 26/9/1941 and departed on 28/9/1941.
South Australian troops departing Melbourne, 17/9/1941 on board Marnix Van St. Aldegonde. Australian War Memorial - ID No. 009583
Sibajak, in Fremantle Harbour, 7/8/1941. This was while the ship was part of Convoy US11B to Singapore. (Naval Historical Collection) Australian War Memorial - ID No. 306777
The convoy sailed together for a further three days, until the Sibajak turned and headed for Singapore. The other three troopships in the convoy headed for the Middle East. The Sibajak arrived in Singapore on 5/10/1941.
After arrival in Singapore, some of the troops were immediately sent to the General Base Depot in Johore Bahru, to undertake further training and await posting as reinforcements to various Battalions, including the 2/30th.
(Source: Across the Sea to War; NAA: B883 Service Records)
Last updated 06/04/2007
Best wishes from one Mackenzie to another McKenzie, happy to help.
Thank you so much Mac.You have been very helpful. I have been researching through the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives. As far as the name of his ship, it has been quite difficult to get and information. So I appreciated this very much and so will my Grandmother.
Thank you again
Jennifer
Mac,
I hope you are well. I am just about at the end of my investigation of my grandfather's war story. I have managed to track him from Sydney - the Siam/Burma railway - Australia. However, I wanted to impose on you one more time, if I may.
In his papers it mentions a ship "Moreton Bay" which he disembarked Melbourne 30.10.1945. The copy is not the best. So I wonder do you know if this was a ship that returned soldiers back to Australia when the Japanese surrendered?
Thank you again for your time.
Kind regards,
Jennifer
Jennifer,
I am fine thank you.
Early in WW2 HMS Moreton Bay was an Armed Merchant Cruiser, manned by Australians, and then she was converted back as a Troopship. I believe she brought Aussie POW's from Singapore home to Australia.
Regards,
Mac
back to letters index
