One of the pair of tread plates from the ship but the only one recovered from the wreck. A significant artefact from a significant ship of ‘the War to end all Wars’. HMAT Warilda was a passenger liner built by William Beardmore and Company in Dalmuir, Scotland, launched in 1911 for the Adelaide Steamship Company. Initially, she served as a passenger and cargo vessel along the Australian coast. However, during World War I, the British government requisitioned HMAT Warilda for military service, converting her first into a troopship, designated as His Majesty's Australian Transport HMAT Warilda. In 1916, she was further converted into a hospital ship to transport wounded soldiers from the European front lines to Britain.

On August 3, 1918, while travelling from Le Havre, France, to Southampton, England, HMAT Warilda was targeted by the German submarine UC-49 and was torpedoed in the English Channel. Following the attack, rescue operations were launched by vessels responding to HMAT Warilda’s distress signals, saving many survivors. The sinking of HMAT Warilda highlighted the perilous conditions faced by hospital ships during the war and raised concerns about the adherence to international laws designed to protect medical personnel and patients during conflicts. Her service and subsequent sinking showcased the essential role of hospital ships during WWI and served as a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in wartime humanitarian efforts.

Provenance:  Recovered from the wreck in 1992. Droit No. A/2415.