MAHENO hospital ship

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aukepalmhof
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MAHENO hospital ship

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:56 pm

In 1915 New Zealand’s role in the First World War reached a new level. In near-impossible conditions the New Zealand Expeditionary Force took part in the Gallipoli campaign alongside our Australian neighbours. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was formed and the spirits of Anzac lives on today.
First observed in 1916 and commemorated as an official day of remembrance, Anzac Day commemorates the landing of the troops at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915. 100 years on a new generation reflects on the events that occurred at Gallipoli, and remembers all New Zealanders who have served their country during times of conflict and peace.
The intention of the Gallipoli campaign was to open the Dardanelles strait to the Allied fleets, giving them access to the Ottoman capital of Constantinople to possibly force a Turkish surrender. After nine months of conflict, the ultimately unsuccessful campaign came to an end and the peninsula remained in its defenders hands.
The effects the Gallipoli campaign had on New Zealand and Australia were devastating. More than 8,700 Australians and more that 2,700 New Zealanders lost their lives fighting for King and Empire in this ambitious campaign. It was through this hardship that Anzac spirit was born a comradeship felt and remembered to this day with the annual observance of Anzac Day – 25 April.
Three stamps in this set are maritime related, the 80 c “landing at Anzac Cove”, which shows the landing in Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, at the end 12,000 New Zealanders would arrive there.
In the foreground you can see a landings-boat, while in the background most probably are some troop transports, the image is too unclear to make out what it exactly is even the photo I found on the net is too unclear. By the photo where not ships names, only that the photo was taken on 25 April and shows that New Zealand and Australian troops landed.
The other 80c stamp depict a stained glass window in the nurse’s memorial chapel in the grounds of Christchurch Hospital to commemorate the sinking of the troopship MARQUETTE. The stamp shows part of the stained glass with on the left a nurse from World War I and below her feet is the MARQUETTE depict. On the right is a nurse depict of World War II above the pyramids of Egypt.
The $2.50 shows use the New Zealand hospital ship MAHENO.
The New Zealand post gives by the stamp: When the Gallipoli campaign was being planned, few foresaw the need to provide hospital ships for the treatment and evacuation of the wounded. In July 1915, as causalities mounted, the MAHENO left Wellington for Egypt, with a matron, 13 nursing sisters, five medical officers and 61 orderlies among the personnel on board.

MAHENO was built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 746 by Wm. Denny & Bros at Dumbarton, Scotland for the Union Company, Dunedin, New Zealand.
19 June 1905 launched as the MAHENO, named after a small north Otago township in the Southern Island of New Zealand.
Tonnage 5,282 gross, 3,318net, dim 122.04 x 15.2 x 9.4m.
Powered by three Parsons steam turbines 600 nhp, three shafts, speed 17.5 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 231 first class, 120 second and 67 3rd class passengers.
Cargo capacity 3,908 cubic metres.
Crew 113.
15 September 1905 Trials.
29 September 1905 delivered to owners. Building cost £141,967.
She sailed the same day from Glasgow with on board over 200 passengers bound for Australia and New Zealand, she sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and in Durban a further 170 passengers boarded there when she made a call for bunkers.
Her centre propeller was damaged during the voyage from Durban to Melbourne which reduced her speed.
08 November she arrived at Melbourne and after a stay of three days she proceeded to Sydney.
18 November she sailed from Sydney for her maiden voyage service where she was for designed the horseshoe service between Australia and New Zealand.
After a view voyages in the service she was in April 1906 transferred temporarily to the Vancouver service.
03 April she was fitted out for the first Pacific crossing in Sydney, sailed Sydney on the 16th and via Brisbane and Suva arriving in Vancouver on 07 May. Her return voyage was with calling the same ports. Then she made one other voyage to Vancouver and was back in Sydney on 08 September.
After arrival she was put again in the trans-Tasman service till the outbreak of World War I.
She was an enormous expensive ship by consuming lots of bunker coal, and in 1914 she was taken out of service and in Port Chalmers she was converted to a twin screw and two geared turbines, the middle shaft and propeller were removed.
September 1914 again in the horseshoe service. Her speed was slightly reduced but coal consumption had greatly reduced.
1915 Was she requisitioned by the New Zealand Government for conversion as a hospital ship. The work was done by Union Line staff in Port Chalmers.
25 May 1915 commissioned as a hospital ship for 515 patients.
10 July 1915 she sailed from Wellington bound for Egypt and the U.K. and returning with wounded soldiers. Al together she made nine voyages between New Zealand and U.K and Egypt from July 1915 till April 1919 only between Augusts to October 1916 she was used between France and England in the cross-channel service.
She carried in that time around 16,000 wounded men from the battlefield to safety in England.
26 April 1919 she had made her last voyage as hospital ship when she arrived in Dunedin, New Zealand.
She was refitted in Port Chalmers again for the service across the Tasman by the Union Line staff.
01 July 1917 the Union Steam Ship Company was taken over by the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).
1921 She was placed in the direct service from Sydney to Auckland.
1923 Her homeport became Wellington.
December 1929 in the service from Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Bluff to Hobart and Melbourne. This route was operated during the summer months, while the rest of the year she was placed in other routes when needed.
Early 1935 out of service and laid up in Sydney.
Bought by Miyachi Kaisen KK, Osaka, Japan and her propellers were removed. Towed by the OONAH another ship bought by the same company, she left on 3 July 1935 the harbour of Sydney.
Five days later the two ships met stormy weather and the towline broke, the MAHENO drifted helpless with wind and current who drove her to Queensland coast and she grounded on the coast of Fraser Island.
The eight Japanese crew on board managed the next day to go ashore. A tug send out to look for her could not reach her due to the sea and weather.
Very quickly a wall of sand was built up on the seaward side of the wreck, and by inspection it was found that her back was broken and she was abandoned.
During World War II the wrack was used by the RAAF for target practice.
Till today some rusted remains of the ship can been found on Fraser Island.
More info is given on:
http://theesotericcuriosa.blogspot.co.n ... -made.html

New Zealand 2015 $2.50 sg?, scott? (the stamp is included in two mint sheets issued by the New Zealand Post.) 2015 $2.50 sgMS?, scott?

Source: Internet. New Zealand Post info leaflet. Passenger ships of Australia & New Zealand by Peter Plowman.
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Maheno-wartime.jpg
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