Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

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

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