page_title: SS Mactan (1898)
section_title: Other service
hierarchical_section_title: SS Mactan (1898) / Commercial service / Other service
caption_attribution_description: English: The steam ship Mactan (S-188) of the Small Ships Section, United States Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USA SOS SWPA), docked at an unidentified wharf. The Mactan was acquired from J Rocklyn, Sydney on 14 October 1942. Initially Australian ships were requisitioned and chartered by the Small Ships Section. Construction of ships for USA SOS SWPA commenced in Australia in 1942. Approximately 3000 vessels were constructed, including freighters, launches, tugs, towboats, lighters, rescue and salvage boats and a large number of barges. An additional 4000 lifeboats and dinghies were built. Around 3000 Australians enlisted in the Small Ships Section during the Second World War. They were not inducted members of the US Army, but were civilians attached to the Army. They were often too young, too old or physically ineligible to serve in the Australian armed forces.
context_page_description: SS Mactan was launched 28 December 1898 as the passenger/cargo ship North Lyell for North Mount Lyell Copper Co.Ltd. intended for service between the west coast of Tasmania and Melbourne. The company no longer needed the ship on delivery in 1899 with resulting sale to Union Steamship Company of New Zealand Ltd. and renaming as Moura. In 1915 upon sale to the Douglas Steamship Company, Ltd. of Hong Kong she was renamed Hai Hong. Upon sale to Philippine operators in 1928 the ship gained the final name Mactan.
  As Mactan the ship made news and history during the first months of war in the Pacific 1941–1942 as the first hospital ship, under charter to the American Red Cross through its Philippine Red Cross representative, in the Southwest Pacific Area. On a single voyage as the improvised hospital ship Mactan she evacuated 224 critically wounded patients, "the worst cases," along with a number of Filipino doctors and nurses serving with the Army, a U.S. Army doctor and two Army nurses from the burning city of Manila just prior to its occupation by Japanese troops.
context_section_description: Though Masterson notes the charter as being cancelled in February 1942 and, the ship being considered unseaworthy, was converted by Australians into a floating warehouse other sources note that Mactan was converted to a Red Cross service facility and recreation vessel for Army officers in Sydney.
  In January 1943 the Army again acquired the ship in for its Southwest Pacific Area Small Ships Section of the permanent local fleet and converted some cargo space into troop accommodations. Mactan, designated with the Small Ships number S-188, was station ship in New Guinea and served as quarters and headquarters of the commanding general of the United States Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USASOS SWPA). Lunney notes Mactan departed Walsh Bay 8 August 1943 for Waga Waga, Milne Bay with August 1943 with two professional barbers, a chef formerly of Sydney's Hotel Carlton and a rare ice cream machine. On 29 November 1944 Mactan left Hollandia for a return to home waters carrying the advance headquarters of USASOS SWPA where she served as quarters vessel at Tacloban, Lyete. The ship, needing extensive repairs, was retired and about to be returned to its Philippine owners on 1 September 1945 after again serving the Army as an interisland transport.
  The ship was scrapped in Hong Kong in 1956.
caption: Mactan (S-188) of the Small Ships Section, United States Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USA SOS SWPA).
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