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Maheno and Marama
Two First World War hospital ships.
In 2024, Our Health Journeys partnered with Saint Kentigern College in Auckland and challenged a number of students to conduct research into an aspect of the medical history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The students, ranging from Years 8-13, produced their research in written, oral, or video format and the top projects were chosen for publication to Our Health Journeys. A new project was published weekly following the completion of the project, until late October 2024.
Maheno and Marama
Maheno and Marama, officially known as His Majesty’s New Zealand Hospital Ship No.1 and No.2, were the hospital ships used in the First World War by New Zealand to transport the injured. The initiative was proposed by Governor, Lord Liverpool, after casualties increased at the Gallipoli landings. The idea was quickly acknowledged by the British government, and a combination of government funding and public donations, with the Bank of New Zealand and Order of Saint Johns accepting donations, funded both ships. The general details of the ships, including the iconic white with green band and red crosses paintings, were then completed by Britain.
The SS Maheno had its equipment provided by the fundings of the public and the government. The ship consisted of eight wards, two operating theatres, sterilising rooms, x-ray rooms, and laboratories. The two motor launches were donated from Auckland and Wellington. It was set to depart on 10th July 1915 and to complete a voyage of six months, however, on July 26th, a second voyage was considered. At 12:55 pm, 11th July 1915, SS Maheno departed from Wellington, with Captain D. McLean and 105 officers and ratings, Colonel W.E. Collings and 81 officers, and other ranks of the New Zealand Medical Corps, including 82 nurses, 68 which set to Egypt, and naval signalmen. Maheno arrived in the Suez on August 16th and anchored in Anzac Cove on the 25th. The next afternoon, 445 wounded came onboard to be treated, they were moved to Mudros on the 28th to transfer to a hospital. The next five weeks were spent treating casualties at Gallipoli Malta or Alexandria. On October 8th, at Alexandria, Maheno received orders to return to England, where it sailed with a full load from 10 pm October 8th to arriving in Southampton at 9:55 am on October 17th. On October 30th, Maheno returned to Anzac Cove, and later Alexandria, arriving on November 15th with 418 patients. On November 22nd, Maheno sailed with 76 patients to New Zealand, with further patients embarking at Port Said and Suez, arriving in Auckland on the 1st of January 1916.
Two months after SS Maheno’s departure, Lord Liverpool suggested another ship, which was quickly approved. The SS Marama was larger, with 6437 tonnes and could carry 508 wounded in cots. Marama was to assist in carrying wounded New Zealand soldiers as well, but it ended up carrying men of Imperial Forces, when possible, as it was placed at the disposal of the War Office. Marama arrived in Port Said on the 18th of December 1915, later Southampton on the 31st of January 1916, where it was inspected by the Admiralty and upgraded to first-class standards, then sailed for Alexandria on the 15th of February. From early 1916, both Marama and Maheno worked on cross Channel help between France and England, however, after the Battle of Somme in September of that year, Marama returned to New Zealand with insufficient cot cases filled, whilst Maheno had a full load. However, the return of Marama was controversial, as the Navy Office Melbourne had advised New Zealand to load 15 tons of cordite in the ship upon returning, which resulted in protests from the Governor of New Zealand to the Governor General of Australia and the Acting Senior Naval Officer to the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board of denial. These protests led to the proposal being cancelled, and the situation was re-iterated by the Secretary of State for the Colonies in September 1917. In November of the same year, they concluded that carriage of swords and revolvers of wounded officers were prohibited. Anxiety in New Zealand arose around a Hospital Ship mining in the Mediterranean, so to ensure the safety of the ships, they were not to be used in the Mediterranean from 1916. In the mid-1918s, the dangers escalated, therefore, no hospital ships could go to, nor sail from the United Kingdom.
After the war, the ships were used to transport invalids from England to New Zealand, and the Middle East to Britain. By January 1919, the British Ministry of Shipping wanted to take over the Charter of Marama, with the fittings all intact. However, although the Governor General of New Zealand agreed that the equipment funded from voluntary donations could be taken with the ship, he wished the instruments purchased by New Zealand – x-rays and bacteriological equipment – to be kept in New Zealand and be used in hospitals in New Zealand. This was agreed, with Maheno undergoing a similar distribution. After all services under the Imperial Government were completed, they were returned to New Zealand.
By the end of the war, both ships had transported more than 47,000 patients, leaving a legacy of humanitarian aid in New Zealand's history.
