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| Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. Motor Vessel 3,310 Tons  AWM August 29, 1940  AWM August 30, 1942  AWM September 1942 |
Ship History During 1933 purchased by Burns Philp & Co. Limited and named MV Malaita named in honor of Malaita Island. Prewar, operated in New Guinea as a steamship and trade vessel. Wartime History On December 9, 1941 departed Sydney with a party of six signalers, Army personnel and supplies bound for "Lark Force" stationed at Rabaul. The vessel traveled via Samarai, Tulagi on December 31, 1941 then northward to Soraken then transited the Buka Passage before reaching Rabaul in early January 1942. On August 29, 1942 at 11:34am MV Malaita escorted by HMAS Arunta (I30) departeds Port Moresby to escape enemy air raids bound for Cairns. At 12:10pm near the entrance to Fairfax Harbor at roughly at 9° 50' S, 144° 55' E MV Malaita was hit below the bridge on her starboard side by a torpedoed fired by Japanese submarine RO-33 and takes on a heavy list to starboard. Aboard, one crew member was wounded, the Chief Steward who had both legs broken. Aboard, the cabin, lounge area and deck fittings were damaged by the blast. By 12:45pm, the crew abandons ship fearing the ship was about to capsize, but later re-boarded and the damaged vessel and towed back to Port Moresby. During September 1942 repaired at Mort's Dock in Sydney. Postwar Malaita remained in service until 1965. Ultimate fate unknown likely sold for scrap and broken up. References Note, another vessel, steamship MV Malaita of 929 gross tons was also owned and registered to Burns Philp & Co Wrecks & Reefs (1994) pages 199–207 AWM PR00072 Burns Philp and Company Ltd account of the activity of three vessels Passengers In History - Malaita Merchant Ships of Australia in World War II - Burns, Philp & Company Limited "Malaita / 1933 / 3310 / 1933-1965" Merchant Ships of Australia in World War II - Malaita (Burns Philp) Contribute
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