How many of us know anything about the day-to-day work of the hospital ships?
Tasman was under the Command throughout the war by Captain Willem Eleveld, he escaped the Singapore surrender and the Battle of the Java Sea and Dutch East Indies debacle, brought Tasman to Australia, operated as a troop transport and supply ship prior to refit in Sydney as a Hospital ship.Tasman was always in the vanguard of the Allied push to the Philippines with assault troops, in convoys and then conversion to a hospital ship.’

Leapfrogging up the New Guinea coast now as HMAHS Tasman during the “The Battle Of The Beaches” via Cape Gloucester, Aitape, Wewak in support of Australian and US casualties to Hollandia, which had now been transformed into a US base for 30,000 troops Navy Army and Air Force.

Stores and supplies were difficult to obtain victualling for 440 patients sick and wounded, ships crew, medical staff, 650 all up no respite 24hrs a day. Tasman returned home after the Japanese surrender.

Biak
The landing on Biak was a near disaster, the Japanese had landed re-enforcements on the north side of the island and attacked the American forces Tasman was anchored off the recaptured airstrip and was being strafed by Japanese planes. We moved to anchorage further out. Casualties were embarked from barges at night with the ship fully illuminated. “Would the enemy bomb us despite the Geneva Convention?” This fear was always present, with the past record of attacks on hospital ships evident. Everyone was prepared to abandon ship if attacked. Hospital ships carried no armament for protection.
A vast number of cases were loaded by the ship’s derricks, two stretchers to a crate. The dead were placed in coffins and stowed in number 3 tween decks, after 36 hours we returned to Hollandia with no escort independent to land patients and dead.
Later an enormous invasion fleet was assembled at Hollandia.
Tasman was despatched to Tacloban in heavy monsoonal rain a naval battle was in progress in the Leyte Gulf area.
After embarking the maximum number of patients we returned to Hollandia again without escort, sailing independent.
This was the first of a similar number of trips without break in support of allied Forces many patients also with shockingly wounded soldiers.

The Japanese Kamikaze attacks on the allied invasion fleet caused heavy casualties. One US Hospital Ship collected a hit but although damaged made it back to the States. A nearby US Destroyer was hit; most of her crew were saved. Walking wounded were loath to surrender their armament but under regulations “No firearms aboard hospital ships.
One US Commanding Officer of the hospital unit gave orders to take a hand in the navigation of the ship, Captain Eleveld politely informed him “Major you look after your unit I will take care of the navigation and safety of this ship.”

One trip was to be to the partly liberated area Subic Bay/Manila area Philippines, where the Japanese were still holding out in “Intramos” the old Catholic walled Spanish City of Manila.
Survivors were embarked from the Prisoner of War camp “Santo Thomas” The appalling condition of these survivors another never to be forgotten horror, the Japanese atrocity- a monastery set alight priests and nuns incinerated. “Forgive but to Forget?”
A nightmare voyage through the San Bernadino Strait with several islands still in Japanese hands close inshore and no escort.
Memories of Tasman’s service in the Philippines, US and Australian surgical staff operating non stop around the clock in blood spattered gowns Hospital Ships had their own special problems and a few additional traumas as well.

After the Japanese surrender Tasman returned to Sydney for a much needed break and a refit. The ship was stripped of all US equipment, operating theatres, etc. etc. the lot! Everything was replaced and the ship returned to trade.