World War II hospital ship MV MANUNDA
Datec 1942
Object number00028477
NamePostcard
MediumSilver gelatin print on paper
DimensionsOverall: 92 x 144 mm
ClassificationsPosters and postcards
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Ivor Pilley
DescriptionThis colour photographic postcard depicts the World War II hospital ship MV MANUNDA just off shore from portside view. The hand colouring of the postcard highlights the three red crosses along the ship’s hull.HistoryThe MANUNDA was a 9915-ton passenger ship built in Glasgow in 1929 for the Adelaide Steamship Co. On 22 July 1940 the vessel was recommissioned as a hospital ship and remodelled. It became well known in the war years for its duties bringing wounded Australian soldiers home from the Middle East on four trips between 1940 and 1941.
The ship was also present in Darwin on 19 February 1942 when the city was bombed by Japanese aircraft. The ship's medical and nursing quarters were completely destroyed during this attack. After repairs MANUNDA was the first ship to arrive in Singapore after the Japanese surrender. It collected ex-prisoners from the camp at Changi and carried them to Labuan Island where they could recover and later be flown home to Australia. MANUNDA was scrapped in 1957.SignificanceThis postcard illustrates the use of hospital ships during World War II. Operating in or near the war zones as a facility for medical treatment, hospital ships were vital to the war effort. Despite protection under the Hague Convention, clearly marked hospital ships like the MV MANUNDA were still at risk from attack.
