World War 1, Europe, HMAT A60 Aeneas, MARSH, Australian Artillery, 1916

HMAT A60 Aeneas was built for Ocean Steam Ship Co (Blue Funnel Line) for the South Africa - Australia service. Trip took 39 days and operated every six weeks. Requisitioned by the Commonwealth for use as a troopship for four voyages from Australia and one as a cargo ship in 1917. Fitted out at Cockatoo Island in Sydney to carry 1,820 troops. She made several trips to England carrying reinforcements. Management was transferred to the British Admiralty on 22 Jun 1917. In May 1918 after she left Commonwealth control, she ran aground, but was refloated, and in 1920 resumed her peacetime Australian service with capacity for 180 first class passengers. She was in convoy 21 miles S.E. of Start Point on July 2nd, 1940, when she was attacked by German bombers and finally sank on July 4th. As the vessel was the largest in the convoy she received particular attention from the enemy, one bomb passing through the port side and another going down the after cross-bunker trunkway and blowing out the starboard side. This bomb, which exploded deep within the ship, is assumed to have killed nearly all of the engineers and stokers on duty. 19 lives were lost.