Rod's family web site - Shipwrecked and Born at Sea
The Kelton Family's eventful trip immigrating to Australia.
Four members of the family left London emigrating to Australia on the SS Benalla, They were William Kelton 36 a joiner, wife Susan 33, children Jean 11 and John 8. They departed Tilbury (London) on 12 May 1921 for Australia. The liner carried, as third-class passengers, 873 adults, 163 children and many infants. During a thick fog in the Channel, the next day, Friday 13 May at 3:00 am, the "Patella", an oil tanker, hit the "Benalla" causing it to list severely. The Captain managed to beach at Pevensey, on the south coast of England. Although in the newspaper reports the captain made light of the damage, a passenger said the vessel was holed amidships, and made 28ft. of water. Only one bulkhead between the water held. Temporary repairs on the beach took a week before the ship could be towed to the Royal Albert Docks, East London for repairs. Breakfast was served to the passengers about seven o'clock, the ship, having, by this time, been beached, and soon after ten the "Lady Brassey'' from Dover arrived and took off the first party of about 450 people, with such of their luggage as was not stowed below decks. They were landed at Newhaven, and afterwards conveyed by special train to London, where arrangements had been hastily made by the P. and O. Company to accommodate them in various hotels until another boat is available. The remainder of the passengers were brought ashore later by the "Lady Brassey" and the "Warrior." The "Benalla" passengers arrived at Victoria Station wet, sleepy, hungry, and in an unkempt condition. It appears all their belongings stored in the hold were lost. "Patella" was wrecked soon after, on the 17th August 1921 - three months after the collision with the "Benalla". She ran onto a sandbank off the coast of Portugal and couldn't be refloated. P and O Company moved remarkably quickly to find another ship, and on the 14th June 1921 the family left once more for Australia aboard the "Hororata". They arrived to Fremantle on 25th July 1921 and left for Adelaide on the 26th. The "Hororata" arrived in Adelaide 1st August 1921. Herbert Maxwell Kelton's birth is recorded at Port of Adelaide dated 1st August 1921. Whether he was born in the harbour or at sea is not clear. The ship continued via Melbourne to Sydney, arriving on the 11th August 1921, where Max is recorded as "Born at Sea". Quite a trip for the whole family.	Home Win Hilling. Stories for my grandchildren My Ski Home My French Home Jess's holiday Photos 2016 NZ Photos 2017 Photos 2017 Download photos Family tree Shipwrecked
		SS Benalla. 11,118 tons, 500 x 62ft, speed 15 knots. Struck by oil tanker PATELLA
		SS Hororata. Replacement Liner. 9,461 tons, 511 x 64 ft, Speed15.7 knots.
	HMAT A20 Hororata Requisitioned in WWI, as the Australian Expeditionary Force as transport A20. Left Albany for Alexandria. She had on board 67 officers, 2000 other ranks and 124 horses. WWII torpedoed in by U630 in the North Atlantic April 1943 with the loss of 13 crew and 6 passengers.