HMAT Warilda

Abstract

HMAT Warilda (His Majesty's Australian Transport) was a 7713 ton vessel, built by William Beardmore and Company in Glasgow as the SS Warilda for the Adelaide Steamship Company. She was designed for the East-West Australian coastal service, but following the start of the first world war, was converted into a troopship, then later, in 1916, into a hospital ship. On 3 August 1918, HMAT Warilda was transporting wounded soldiers from Le Havre, France to Southampton when she was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-49. This was despite being marked clearly with the Red Cross. The ship sank in about two hours and 123 of the 801 persons on board were lost. Amongst the survivors was her commander, Captain Sim, who was later awarded the OBE by King George V. Her wreck lies in the English Channel. (ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAT_Warilda).