| Reg. No. 145437, code lettering GFBD, a steel twin screw steamer of 20 914 gross register tons, and 12 792 net, fitted for oil fuel, with 3 decks, and 8 cylinders, she was built in 1923 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast for the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company. A British ship, she was registered in the port of Belfast, had a length of 600.8 feet, a width of 73.4 feet, a depth of 48.6 feet and could attain some 2630hp. |
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During the Second World War she was requisitioned by the British Government and fitted with eight 6 inch and two 3 inch guns. John Sidney Brew, Sub-Lieutenant (E) R.N.V.R., was assigned to her on 11 October 1942, two years after being torpedoed while aboard Dunvegan Castle in August 1940 and shortly before joining the ill-fated HMS Avenger.
John Sidney's uncle, Captain Albert Brew, who was a harbour pilot in Sydney, Australia, piloted Maloja both inward and outward on a visit to Sydney in November 1938.
Reg. No. 84870, an iron screw steamer, 100A1, of 1486 gross register tons, with 1 deck and 160hp. She was built in 1882 by J. Redhead & Co. of South Shields, owned by W.D.C. Balls & Son, and registered in the port of North Shields. She had a length of 259 feet, a width of 36 feet, and a depth of 17.5 feet.
John George Brew jnr. served on her as O.S. (Ordinary Seaman) from 15 September 1894 - 30 January 1895, and as A.B. (Able-bodied Seaman) from 14 March - 21 May 1895.
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Reg. No. 153959, code lettering VLDL, M.V. Manoora was built in 1935 by Alex Stephen & Sons Ltd. of Glasgow, for the Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd. She was registered in the Port of Melbourne and employed on the coastal passenger run between Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, in Australia. She had a tonnage of 10900 gross and 6261 net, and had a length of 463.5 feet, a width of 66.2 feet, and a depth of 29.8 feet. |
She had 3 decks, 16 cylinder diesel engines, twin screws, 8200 horsepower and could attain a speed of some 16 knots.
| Manoora was requisitioned for wartime service in 1939. Refitted as an armed merchant cruiser, she was equipped with six 6-inch guns and one Walrus amphibian aircraft, she was commissioned H.M.A.S. Manoora on 12 December 1939. Serving with the Royal Australian Navy from 1939- 1947, she chiefly carried out patrols in northern Australian waters. She had a compliment of 550 men, and a capacity of between 850 and 1250 troops. Her pennant number was F48. |
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Albert Halewood Brew was mobilised for service in World War II in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.A.N.V.R.) on 5 June 1940, and assigned to Manoora. He served on her for 2 years, from 5 June 1940-21 July 1942.
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Albert was in Singapore on Manoora the day Japan entered the war. Japan made an air attack on the same day she attacked Pearl Harbour, 6 December 1941, except that because of the time difference, Singapore was attacked earlier. Manoora managed to escape undamaged, and headed for Calcutta. |
She spent the ensuing months patrolling and escorting convoys in Australian waters, and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. She returned to Sydney to be converted to a landing ship at the Garden Island Naval Dockyard in May-July 1942, where she was lying in dry dock at the time Japanese midget subs entered and attacked Sydney Harbour. At this time Albert left the ship for H.M.A.S. Doomba.
A shore base of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in Liverpool, England, John Sidney Brew, Sub-Lieutenant (E), R.N.V.R., was assigned to her on 26 November 1941 for a period of one month before joining H.M.S. Saker on 26 December 1941.
Reg. No. 99492, code lettering MLTP, a steel screw steamer, 100A1, of 1743 gross register tons, with 1 deck and 155hp. She was built in 1892 by W. Gray & Co. of Limerick, owned by Leask, Clark & Co. of West Hartpool, and registered in Hartpool. She had a length of 261 feet, a width of 36.6 feet and a depth of 18.1 feet.
John George Brew jnr. served on her as a Seaman for 2 voyages, between 29 December 1897 and 11 June 1898.
