War Diary HM HS VITA 1915 – 1916

HM HS VITA

The War Diaries for the HM HS Vita are only available from June 1917 onward.  Below is the best I can do to trace the Vita’s movements from commissioning to when the War Diary starts:

SS VITA – Troop Transport:

14 April, 1915     Bushire. 8.35am: Stopped by SS VITA, drew stores

3 Aug, 1915        Basrah. 5.15am: SS VITA down river

21 Dec, 1915      Marseilles. Troops Boarded the SS Vita at Marseilles

21 Jan, 1916       Basrah. Troops Disembarked SS Vita at Basrah

29 Jan, 1916       Basra. Arrangements were made to dispatch a Medical Officer with practical knowledge of Plague and an Assistant Surgeon skilled in Bacteriology on HT VITA proceeding to Bar to take troops off NILE.

2 Mar, 1916        Basrah. 10.10am: VITA down river

3 Mar, 1916         Basra. Specialist MO with Assistant Surgeon BROWN left on HT VITA for transport NILE at KUWAIT to mitigate Plague outbreak on that ship.

4 Mar, 1916         Troops on NILE being transhipped to HT VITA for Basra.

7 Mar, 1916         It was decided to Quarantine and disinfect troops on the VITA and NILE. A batch of 500.

Note:  The War Diary for Divisional Troops: 56 Brigade Royal Field Artillery (WO 95/5151/4) also shows HMT VITA at Shatt el-Arab on 4 Mar, 1916.

HMHS VITA – Hospital Ship:

21, May, 1916     Basra. The VITA arrived on her first trip [as a Hospital Ship].

23 May, 1916      Basra. Dispatched the VITA with 17 Officers and 341 other ranks and the “Chackdara” with 12 B officers and 260 other ranks.

29 May, 1916      Bombay. 6.30am: Hospital ship VITA arrived

6 June, 1916      Bombay. 1.00pm: Hospital ship VITA proceeded

11 June, 1916     Basra. [No 33 BGH personnel arrived on VITA. 33 Officers & 187 men].

1 July, 1916         Busrah. Hospital Ship VITA.

3 July, 1916        Busrah. Hospital Ship VITA departed to India. 16 British Officers, British Other Ranks 205, Indian Officers 14, Indian Other Ranks 157.

16 July, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 6:15pm.

17 Jul, 1916         BASRA. Sick & Wounded for transfer to HS DONGOLA. British Officers 25; British Other Ranks 500.

18 Jul, 1916        BASRA. VITA departed to Bar.

19 Jul, 1916        BASRA. VITA arrived from Bar.

20 Jul, 1916       BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA departed 12:20pm. Sick & Wounded to India.

20 July, 1916      Mohammerah. 10.20am: 69 ratings discharged sick to SS VITA

2 Aug, 1916       BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived.

4 Aug, 1916        Basrah. HMHS Vita left @ 8:15am

4 Aug, 1916       BASRA. VITA departed 8:30am. Sick & Wounded to HT MADRAS. BO 21, BOR 216, IOR 248.

5 Aug, 1916       BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 5:15pm.

7 Aug, 1916        BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA departed 7:00am. Sick & Wounded to India. BO 5, BOR 389.

7 Aug, 1916        Abadan.  9.50am: Two invalids discharged to HMHS Vita

19 Aug, 1916      At Sea. 9.10pm: HMHS VITA passed, west

21 Aug, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 12:15pm.

22 Aug, 1916      BASRA. VITA departed. Sick to Bar 7:15am.

23 Aug, 1916      BASRA. VITA transfer sick to HS DEVANA. BO 17; BOR 378.

24 Aug, 1916      BASRA. VITA departed. Sick & Wounded to Bar. 7:30am.

25 Aug, 1916      BASRA. VITA Sick & Wounded for Transfer to HS MADRAS. IOR 499.

26 Aug, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived from Bar. 2:15pm.

28 Aug, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA sick to Bar. 6:00am. Sick for transfer to HS DONGOLA. BO 21; BOR 407.

29 Aug, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 6:00pm

30 Aug, 1916      BASRA. VITA departed to India. 6:00am. IO 3; IOR 374.

12 Sep, 1916      BASRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 1:00pm.

13 Sep, 1916      BUSRA. Hospital Ship VITA departed 6:00am. Sick to India BO 10; IO 4; IOR 224. Follrs 150.

27 Sep, 1916      BUSRA. Hospital Ship VITA arrived 5:30pm.

28 Sep, 1916      Basra. Told that VITA, from Bombay, was bringing repatriated PoWs.

30 Sep, 1916      BUSRA. Hospital Ship VITA departed 6:00am. British sick to Bar, Indian sick to Bombay.

18 Oct, 1916       Basrah. 6:20am: VITA passed down

12 Nov, 1916      Basrah. 1:15pm: Hospital Ship VITA passed down

9 Dec, 1916        Zanzibar. 1.00pm: HMHS Vita arrived.

11 Dec, 1916      Dar-es-Salaam. 4:30pm: HMHS Vita arrived.

17 Dec, 1916      Zanzibar. 6.00am: H.S. Vita sailed.

15 Feb, 1917      Basrah. Men discharged to HS Vita

13 Mar, 1917      At Sea. 8.40am: Closed HS Vita

12 Apr, 1917      At Sea. 7.40pm: HS Vita passed, Bombay to Basra.

Source: http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/edwinjones.htm

Source: https://www.naval-history.net

Source: WO 95/5238/3. Headquarters Branches and Services: Assistant Director Medical Services.

Source: WO 95/5241/3. Headquarters Branches and Services: Embarkation Commandant.