Honouring the Men who gave their lives whilst serving in the Merchant Navy
and whose names are on the Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll

M.V. DONERAIL (Panama)  -  WW2

M.V. Donerail was sunk on 9 December 1941 by a torpedo and gunfire from Japanese submarine. The ship was carrying 33 crew and 7 passengers. One boat containing 24 got away but the Captain and 15 others died before it made land.

 Argus, Melbourne, Victoria 19-3-1942
CASTAWAYS IN PACIFIC
MANY DEATHS
Victims of Jap. Submarines
SUVA, Wednesday, AAP.
A story of great hardship suffered in a voyage of 30 days in an open lifeboat is told by the survivors of the steamer Donerail which was sunk 200 miles from Hawaii 2 days after the Pearl Harbour raid on December 7
The Donerail was bound from Suva to Vancouver and nearly rammed a submarine on the surface at night The submarine crash-dived but later rose to the surface and shelled the Donerail's boat deck killing l8 persons out of the 42 on board including 2 female and 5 male passengers and an 18-months-old
baby all of whom were sitting in a lifeboat already swung out for launching M Chambers a member of the crew of Sydney was the only survivor in this boat. The 24 remaining members of the crew got away in a badly holed steel lifeboat which sank to the gunwales the air tanks just keeping the craft awash.
The castaways tried to make Hawaii in a gale but abandoned the attempt and steered for the Island of Tarawa where they landed after sailing about 2 000 miles.  They lived on flying fish sally biscuits vitamin tablets tinned milk and water caught in sails from the constant rain. The captain was washed overboard and drowned and 16 others died from exposure and starvation only 7 reaching land all of them Danes with the exception of Chambers. The mate was the only officer saved.  Japanese had landed on Tarawa before the arrival of the castaways but had departed. Another party of castaways soon arrived and a
motor-boat calling at the island took all away to Fiji.