THE MARAMA.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1919, Page 4

THE MARAMA.

HER EVENTFUL CAREER IN THE WAR.

AUCKLAND, July 18

With her arrival in Auckland, the ambulance carrier, and ex-hospital ship Mamma entered on the last stage of her eventful career as a unit in New Zealand’s war work. Apart from the magnificent work that she has done as a hospital ship, her history provides many interesting episodes. Sho was commissioned on her work of mercy in 1915, sailing on her first voyage on December "otli of that year from Wellington. She was fitted out with- everything that could possibly be thought of at the time to make her fit for her highily important duties as a carrier of tlic sick and wounded. Her arrival at Auckland yesterday marked the occasion of her eighth trip, in addition to many passages made between ports on the other side of the world. Sho tendered between Havre and Southampton with patients, carrying an estimated number of 8000 Imperial and 3000 German prisoners in this part of her activities She also plied between Salomca, Malta, and Alexandria with troops to the number of 1800. Altogether she has carried about 5000 New Zealand soldiers between England and New Zealand, one direct voyage being from Marseilles to New Zealand. The total number of soldiers carried by the vessel is in the vicinity of 20,000. In the course of her duties as hospital ship she has covered 229,000 miles, and has visited well over thirty different ports in England, France, Egypt, Balkan Peninsula, South Africa, America, and Malay States,, in the Mediterranean, Australia, and New Zealand. As a rule, the Manama was respected by submarines as a hospital ship, being luckier in this respect than many other ambulance carriers. In the early days of the war she frequently encountered these instruments of- Germany’s war activities. In .January, 1917, she had one of her most exciting experiences with these ruthless antagonists. Site had picked up the lifeboat of the steamer Brookwood, of Middlesborougli, with thirteen men, one of whom was dead. It was learned from the survivors that their vessel had been unceremoniously torpedoed, and that th c rest of the crew wore still adrift in another lifeboat. Subsequently those on thc Marama thought they sighted tile second lifeboat, but on drawing near to investigate, discovered that it was another Ilun submarine. The Marama promptly turned about and made her escape, without giving the Huns an opportunity to get to very close quarters. Before they got out of sight of the submarine, they saw a Spanish steamer held up by the submarine, which fired a salvo across the neutral steamer’s hows. The last that those in the Marama saw of the incident was the German naval officers , hoarding the vessel to examine her. Another memorable levent in her career happened during a trip from Durban to Cape Town, on Sunday, May 27th., 1917. She had struck a heavy south-west gale, which increased in violence until incredibly big seas were running. On© huge wave was ultimately shipped, filling the spare and promenade decks, doing much damage to deck fittings, and washing four men overboard. Of these, two were miraculously saved by being washed back on another wave, but the other two were not seen again.

On her last trip to England, the Marama called at Albany, where she receive orders to proceed to Singapore. This visit to the Malay States, was the result of a petition from the residents to Queen Mary, asking that the- wives and children of State officials who had been deprived of their leave by the war for four and a half years should be given the opportunity of making the voyage in the Marama. The climate had had such severe effects on these people that all of them were practically invalids. About six hundred Europeans were carried to England on this occasion.

Tlie Marama sailed early this afternoon for Wellington, Lyttelton, and Fort Chalmers. At the last-named port she will dismantle and end her career as a hospital ship.