# Port Kembla sunk off NZ 1917



## Dolphinfish (Jun 9, 2014)

My grandfather was a merchant seaman and was among the crew of the Port Kembla when she hit a mine and sank with no loss of life in Septemeber 1917 The mine was laid by the german ship Wolf.
He was Herbert Henry Hall. While waiting for a vessel to ship back to England on he signed on to the collier Ngahere. 
If anyone else out ther is searching I'd love to hear form you 
In all my many years of searching I have never come across anyone else searching for crew memebers.
I was fortunate enough to meet some of the divers whi idnetifed the wreck and have held her, now restored, bell.
(==D)


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## Glyn Howell (Nov 2, 2010)

To Dolphinfish. 
An interesting request. One of my uncles served with the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, later to become Port Line. His name was Arthur Howell. He joined the Port Kembla on the 14th June 1915 as First Officer. He stayed until 22.11.16. He went from there onto the Port's Nicholsen and Adelaide, and was aboard when that vessel was torpedoed, the Captain was taken prisoner by the U.Boat Commander, leaving Arthur to marshal all the lifeboats until they were rescued. He eventually joined the Port Alma, and was promoted to Captain when the present Captain died. This actually did not have a great ending as he also caught the Endemic Flu outbreak and died in Wellington in 1918. His remains are still in the cemetery, along with his cabin boy. I have a photograph of him on board the Kembla. I followed him and went to sea ending up as Master, retiring some twenty years ago.
Glyn Howell.


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## dolphinfiah (Jun 24, 2014)

Hello Glyn, you are the first person I have ever come across with any connection, albeit a tenuous one, to the kembla. There is another coincidence too as my grandfather also sailed on the Port Alma, but in 1922. Is your Uncle Buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington,, that's where my grandfather is.


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## Glyn Howell (Nov 2, 2010)

*Glyn Howell re Port Kembla*

G'day Dolphinfish,

I have several letters from my Uncle, actually one of my dad's younger brothers, to his mother, posted from the Port Kembla, the last one posted from Pier 10, Brooklyn, NY. in February 1915. From thence he went, as I mentioned to the Port Alma. The Port Alma was originally built as the Indralema and transferred to the Commonwealth and Dominion Line in 1914, being renamed Port Alma in 1916 It was sold on to the Vianda Steamship Co Ltd., in 1923. 

My uncle, Captain Arthur Howell, caught flu in Wellington in November 1918, he was, apparently, transferred to a Hospital Ship, the Takapuna, in the harbour, where he died on November the 18th.

I also have a letter from a Family living in Liffey St, Island Bay, Wellington, saying that they looked after the grave when he was buried in Plot 70 EC2. of the Karori Cemetery. I mentioned that he was buried with his cabin boy, but as the Company did not continue to pay for the boy's grave, he was exhumed and re interred in one of the pathways with no memorial.

I wrote an article in Sea Breezes about this relative, and a local with Welsh heritage visited the grave about five years ago, and sent a photograph. As a matter of interest I spent 47 years at sea. 

Glyn Howell


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## Dolphinfish (Jun 9, 2014)

G'day Glyn 
In the research for my grandfathers MM history I lookd at what do***ents were available for the Port Alma and learend about her changes of name from them.Dissapointingly there was no crew list at all. If you are interested I can send you copies of the do***ents. 
I'd love to see a copy of the article you wrote. When he was alive my ex father inlaw was a subscriber to the magazine.
That is sad that the cabin boy has no memorial.

Regards
Jeanette


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