Territory Stories
Kam Li
Details:
Title
Kam Li,
Name
Kam Li,
Also known as
Li, Kam,
Collection
WWII Roll of Honour,
HistoryNT,
Second World War, 1939-1945,
Date
2021,
Occupation
Workman,
Unit
MV Neptuna,
Date of death
1942-02-19,
Place of death
MV Neptuna,
Memorial
Hong Kong Memorial, China,
Biographical notes
Li Kam was a 40 year old workman on the MV Neptuna. Further information on his life has yet to be discovered.
The Neptuna had a Hong Kong registration, and had been doing the Hong Kong - Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) run, which explains her predominantly Chinese crew. She arrived in Darwin Harbour loaded with two hundred depth charges and a very large quantity of anti-aircraft shells for the Navy and Army.
When the Japanese air attack began the Neptuna was berthed alongside the main wharf awaiting maintenance. The first bomb hit the ship below the waterline and she began taking on water; she then received a direct hit causing her to catch on fire. When the fire entered No. 3 and No. 4 hatches, the Neptuna blew apart, creating a huge mushroom cloud caused by the explosion of the ammunition she was carrying.
Most of the surviving ship's company were rescued from the wharf and the harbour and taken aboard HMAS Platypus, a depot ship being used as a casualty clearing station. Thirty-six of the ship's crew were killed, including the Master, Captain William Michie.,
Notes
Metadata: Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ,
Language
English,
Subject
Second World War, 1939-1945,
Bombing of Darwin,
Roll of Honour,
Northern Territory history,
File type
image/tiff,
Use
No known copyright,
Copyright owner
Library & Archives NT,
Library & Archives NT,
License
https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/pubic-domain/pdm ,
Related links
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2599971/%20LI%20KAM/ ,
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=334209&S=9&R=0 [Darwin Raids - Casualty Lists and Enquiries] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281870 [PictureNT : PH1073/0017, MV Neptuna, Chris Meldrum Collection] ,
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2599971/%20LI%20KAM/ ,
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=334209&S=9&R=0 [Darwin Raids - Casualty Lists and Enquiries] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281870 [PictureNT : PH1073/0017, MV Neptuna, Chris Meldrum Collection] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/844064 [WWII Military Units : MV Neptuna] ,
Parent handle
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/839809 ,
Citation address
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/840376
Territory Stories
Kam Li
Details:
Title
Kam Li,
Name
Kam Li,
Also known as
Li, Kam,
Collection
WWII Roll of Honour,
HistoryNT,
Second World War, 1939-1945,
Date
2021,
Occupation
Workman,
Unit
MV Neptuna,
Date of death
1942-02-19,
Place of death
MV Neptuna,
Memorial
Hong Kong Memorial, China,
Biographical notes
Li Kam was a 40 year old workman on the MV Neptuna. Further information on his life has yet to be discovered.
The Neptuna had a Hong Kong registration, and had been doing the Hong Kong - Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) run, which explains her predominantly Chinese crew. She arrived in Darwin Harbour loaded with two hundred depth charges and a very large quantity of anti-aircraft shells for the Navy and Army.
When the Japanese air attack began the Neptuna was berthed alongside the main wharf awaiting maintenance. The first bomb hit the ship below the waterline and she began taking on water; she then received a direct hit causing her to catch on fire. When the fire entered No. 3 and No. 4 hatches, the Neptuna blew apart, creating a huge mushroom cloud caused by the explosion of the ammunition she was carrying.
Most of the surviving ship's company were rescued from the wharf and the harbour and taken aboard HMAS Platypus, a depot ship being used as a casualty clearing station. Thirty-six of the ship's crew were killed, including the Master, Captain William Michie.,
Notes
Metadata: Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ,
Language
English,
Subject
Second World War, 1939-1945,
Bombing of Darwin,
Roll of Honour,
Northern Territory history,
File type
image/tiff,
Use
No known copyright,
Copyright owner
Library & Archives NT,
Library & Archives NT,
License
https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/pubic-domain/pdm ,
Related links
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2599971/%20LI%20KAM/ ,
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=334209&S=9&R=0 [Darwin Raids - Casualty Lists and Enquiries] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281870 [PictureNT : PH1073/0017, MV Neptuna, Chris Meldrum Collection] ,
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2599971/%20LI%20KAM/ ,
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=334209&S=9&R=0 [Darwin Raids - Casualty Lists and Enquiries] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281870 [PictureNT : PH1073/0017, MV Neptuna, Chris Meldrum Collection] ,
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/844064 [WWII Military Units : MV Neptuna] ,
Parent handle
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/839809 ,
Citation address
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/840376