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83k |
USAT City of Fort Worth at anchor, date and location unknown.
"Aerial port quarter view of the United States Army Transport City of Fort Worth which belonged the US Army Transportation Corps with a merchant crew of mixed nationalities, but mainly
Australian. She had a detachment of 20 Armed Guards (our DEMS) under a Lieutenant, all from the US Navy who manned all the guns. The signalman [flags] was also in the group of 20. The ship
was fitted with a 50 calibre on each side of monkey island and an Oerlikon machine gun in each wing of the bridge. During the war period at sea, the crows nest was manned by one of the armed
guard. Four of the crew were from Melbourne, Vic, including AB John H Brake, Ron Cook who was storeman [food], Roy Cameron a steward who became 3rd cook [son of Senator Cameron] and Bert
Smith, a steward. AB Brake joined her in Melbourne and sailing to Los Negros calling in to several ports in New Guinea on the way in the Admiralty Islands and then back to Finchhafen Most
time was spent sailing between Finschhafen, Hollandia, Biak, Noemfoor, Morotai, Tarakan. As cargo, for instance on one trip to Biak she carried frozen food in the 'tween decks of holds 1 and
2, high explosive 155mm shells in the lower decks of 1,2,3,4 holds, with 105mm guns and jeeps in the 'tween decks of 3 &4 holds plus the fuses for every shell on board. After the war
finished the crew spent about three months dumping ammunition at sea from Pinkemba wharves. This consisted of gas shells, all other types of shells some of which were in a very dodgy state
and these were sent down into the sea by specially built chutes and very large gas tanks of mustard gas, phosgene gas etc. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)."
Australia War Memorial |
John Spivey |
