Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Interwar, Europe, TSS Indarra, 51 Battalion, 1919

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1919

Overview

Group in fancy dress on board "Indarra"

Historical information

The twin screw steamship was the largest and most luxurious of all the AUSN ships (Australasian United Steam Navigation Company, Fremantle). Built by William Denny & Brothers at Dumbarton in 1913. She came in at 9,735 gross tons and was 451 feet long and could carry 470 passengers. After war service she was briefly chartered to the Orient Line and then put up for sale. Sold to Lloyd Royal Belge (Great Britain) Ltd. in 1920 for the Brazilian service she was re-named "Paes de Waes". She didn't and the company failed to meet repayments. She was repossessed by AUSN in 1925 and then in turn sold to Osaka Shosen Kaisha and renamed "Horai Maru". OSK removed some of her accommodation thus improving her stability. She was sunk in the Sunda Strait by American aircraft on 2nd March 1942.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P1997.301.1t

Item type

Photographs

Contextual Information

The Union flag in a white border occasionally seen on merchant ships was sometimes referred to as the Pilot Jack. It can be traced back to 1823 when it was created as a signal flag, but not intended as a civil jack. A book issued to British consuls in 1855 states that the white bordered Union Flag is to be hoisted for a pilot. Although there was some ambiguity regarding the legality of it being flown for any other purpose on civilian vessels, its use as an ensign or jack was established well in advance of the 1864 Act that designated the Red Ensign for merchant shipping. In 1970, the white-bordered Union Flag ceased to be the signal for a pilot.

Year

1919

Geotag

-30.502539485899, 107.31704432845

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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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