MV Melbourne Star
Blue Star Line

2nd April 1943
MV Melbourne Star
was lost to enemy action in the Atlantic Ocean.
83 Crew, 6 RN Gunners and 22 Passengers
were lost whilst serving on this  merchant ship during WWII.
The Melbourne Star Memorial
Tower Hill London
 Panel 69
























'We Will Remember Them'









 1)   Hall JB Master  57
 2)   Adams GJ Carpenter 35
 3)   Aitken G Galley Boy 18
 4)   Almond CW Chief Refrigeration Officer 39
 5)   Atkins HJ Junior Engineer Officer 22
 6)   Ayling PA Cadet 18
 7)   Bates W Donkeyman 47
 8)   Blandford H        (DSC) Chief Engineer Officer 52
 9)   Bowles J Chief Cook 47
10)  Boyle MC Greaser 49
11)  Bradshaw W Assistant Steward 31
12)  Brown A Greaser 28
13)  Camilleri W Assistant Steward 31
14)  Christie AC Chief Electrician 29
15)  Cochrane P Donkeyman Greaser 28
16)  Cook J               (DSM) Boatswain 36
17)  Coulthard A Greaser 22
18)  Davies FW 3rd Radio Officer 17
19)  Davies RL Able Seaman 36
20)  Dunville RH 3rd Engineer 23
21)  Elsey F Assistant Steward 28
22)  Gessey JAF Steward’s Boy 18
23)  Greenwood A    (DSM) Able Seaman 39
24)  Hall AG Cadet 17
25)  Hamilton JN 2nd Engineer Officer 36
26)  Hampson E Assistant Steward 27
27)  Haugh J 2nd Refrigerator Engineer 27
28)  Hayes R Assistant Steward 29
29)  Healey JG Storekeeper 33
30)  Henshall C Junior Engineer Officer 20
31)  Hogan C Greaser 36
32)  Hutchinson RIW Writer 21
33)  Ince H             (KCBC)
 Petty Officer Supply
 22
34)  Inskip RC 2nd Steward 31
35)  Kelly J Greaser 22
36)  Lambert GF Baker 50
37)  Lannon J Greaser 43
38)  Lawson T Greaser 26
39)  Leay EN Stewards Boy 17
40)  Leckie TS 2nd Radio Officer 29
41)  Leunig NA 4th Officer 22
42)  Lewis IW Engineer Officer 24
43)  McCafferty G Able Seaman 27
44)  McCall JS Junior Engineer Officer 23
45)  McCann P Greaser
 23
46)  McGarry J Cook 36
47)  McGovern P Ordinary Seaman 21
48)  MacKinnon DJ Able Seaman 27
49)  MacSherry DLT Surgeon 26
50)  McWilliam F     (DSM) Lamptrimmer 34
51)  Martin JDA Assistant Steward 25
52)  May WL 4th Engineer Officer 20
53)  Michaels T Galley Boy 16
54)  Morgan D Steward’s Boy 17
55)  Murphy P Able Seaman 38
56)  O’Connor F Ordinary Seaman 17
57)  O’Connor H      (DSM) Chief Steward 41
58)  O’Neil C Able Seaman 47
59)  O’Neil J Deck Boy 18
60)  Owen W Able Seaman 18
61)  Parsonage PM 4th Officer 18
62)  Parsons LT        (DSC) Chief officer 38
63)  Percival WH Electrician 27
64)  Pilkington JS Greaser 26
65)  Pitkin JAG Able Seaman 23
66)  Rice H Able Seaman 20
67)  Richards WE Second Officer 31
68)  Rippon S Senior 4th Engineer Officer 27
69)  Senior HF 3rd Officer 21
70)  Sheehan P Able Seaman 27
71)  Smith F
Assistant Cook 29
72)  Smith L Able Seaman 40
73)  Treliving H Senior Engineer Officer 40
74)  Walker D Greaser 39
75)  Webb EJ  Greaser 54
76)  Welch H Senior Asst. Steward 47
77)  Whipp E Junior Engineer Officer 26
78)  White SW Senior 3rd Eng. Officer 28
79)  Whiteside GM Radio Officer 49
80)  Williams L
 Able Seaman
 20
81)  Wilson E Assistant Steward 22
82)  Witham SAT 1st Radio Officer 26
83)  Young R
Able Seaman 31



The Survivors
84) Best W     (BEM) Greaser --
85) Burns W   (BEM)
 Greaser --
86) Nunn R     (BEM) Ordinary Seaman 18
87) White L     (BEM) Able Seaman 23


Ronald Nunn
 Died 10th June 1944, aged 19,
when the SS Dungrange was sunk off the French coast whilst
heading for the Normandy beaches.
 Tower Hill Memorial (Panel 36).
*
Leonard White
 died in 1995 aged 75
 of natural causes.



(DSC) Distinguished Service  Cross 
 Awarded during the Malta Convoys 1941-1942.

(DSM) Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded during the Malta Convoys 1941-1942.

(KCBC) Kings Commendation for Brave Conduct
Awarded during the Malta Convoys 1941-1942.

(BEM) British Empire Medal
awarded to all four survivors.



80)  Williams L. Able Seaman 20

On September 5th 1940, while on a voyage from Freetown to Glasgow and between 400 and 500 miles off the west coast  of  Ireland the Melbourne Star was attacked by a German aircraft. Several bombs were dropped and the Melbourne Star was  hit by one that failed to explode. The aircraft then proceeded to rake the merchant ship's decks with cannon and machine gun fire. Able Seaman Williams was seriously wounded and later died of his injuries.



12)  Brown A.  Greaser  28
15)  Cochrane P.  Donkeyman Greaser  28
33) Ince H.  Petty Officer Supply 22
35)  Kelly J.  Greaser  22
45)  McCann P.  Greaser  23
54)  Morgan D.  Steward’s Boy  17
60)  Owen W.  Able Seaman  18
74)  Walker D.  Greaser  39
76)  Welch H.  Senior Asst. Steward  47

On the 13th August 1942 during the Malta Convoy, 'Operation Pedestal', an incident occurred which involved the sinking of the merchant ship MV Waimarama. The above nine crew members were lost at this time. This story is told on the 'Malta Convoy' Page.



2)  Adams G  Carpenter  35
7)  Bates W  Main Greaser 47
9)  Bowles J  Chief Cook  47
48)  MacKinnon D  Able Seaman  27
46)  McGarry J  2nd Cook  36
77)  Whipp E  Assistant Engineer  26

Having endured the epic saga of the wrecked Dunedin Star four months earlier on the 29th November 1942 and after a period of leave, the above joined the Melbourne Star on her final and fateful  journey and were lost at sea.




Passengers




ADAMSON, EMMA  Age 58
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

CURRAN, Rev JOHN M Age 36
St. Mary's, Tallaght, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland

FAUX, LOUISE  Age 20
Launceston, Tasmania

GOLDSMITH, DOROTHEA ROSEMARY Age 28
Camborne, Cornwall, United Kingdom

KING, EILEEN Age 54
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

KYLE, MARJORIE  Age 35
British

MACFARLANE, WILLIAM  Age 71
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

MACPHERSON, DONALD JAMES Age 28
Wing Commander RAAF
Kew, Victoria, Australia

MACPHERSON, PAMELA YVONNE  Age 21
Kew, Victoria, Australia

McWHAE, CAROLINE AGNES HENTY  Age 50
Elie, Fifeshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

McWHAE, KENNETH  Age 51
Elie, Fifeshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

MULCAHY, ETHNE  Age 23
Dublin, Republic of Ireland

OWEN, EVA DOREEN  Age 40
Pickering Brook, West Australia

PARTRIDGE, EVA  Age 72
Southsea, Hampshire, United Kingdom

PORTER, Rev ALEXANDER  Age 34
Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia

SLIDDERS, ELIZABETH  Age 34
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

SLIDDERS, JOHN  Age 8
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

SLIDDERS, SANDISON  Age 4
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

THOM, AGNES W. M  Age 58
Maidenhead, Berkshire, United Kingdom

THOMAS, ANDRE EMILE  Age 45
Gurnard, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, United Kingdom

WHYTE, NINA K  Age 34
Double Bay, Sydney, Australia

WILSON, SHEILA  Age 28
Elwood, Melbourne, Australia





Royal Australian Navy
 Volantary Reserve Officers




BALFOUR, JOHN EYRES  Age 30
Engineer Sub-Lieutenant RANVR
Toorak, Victoria, Australia

JACKSON, KEITH HAROLD Age 21
Sub-Lieutenant RANVR
Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

POMROY, ALAN BROWNING  Age 29
Electrical Lieutenant RANVR
Wallaroo Mines, South Australia

SECKER, CHARLES ARCHIBALD  Age 33
Lieutenant  RANVR
Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia

WHISHAW, PETER  Age 41
Lieutenant  RANVR
 Australian





Royal Navy Gunners




  CLAYTON, GEORGE SAMUEL
C/JX 249626 Able Seaman

COWIN, RICHARD
D/JX 210091 Leading Seaman

KYTE, NORMAN JAMES
D/JX 395477 Able Seaman

MARSH, JOHN EDWARD
PA1799 RANR Able Seaman

MARSHALL, NORMAN
D/JX 192676 Petty Officer

MARTIN, ROBERT
D/JX 306182 Able Seaman



'The Last Post'
Courtesy of the
Band of  the Royal Marines



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