White linen table cloth embroidered with the names of servicemen & nurses 1941 : TSS Nea Hellas

White linen tablecloth embroidered in various colours with the names of nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service and soldiers of the 2/33 Battalion, as well as members of the ship's crew and other allied service personnel. 'T.S.S. "NEA HELLAS" 1941' is embroidered in red wool at the centre top of the tablecloth. Underneath this are the names, as stitched, of 'David Wm Bone, Master', 'E Storment, Chief Officer', 'G Miller, Matron No. 7 General Hospital', 'J C. Allisom. Purser', 'N.S. Seaford. R.A.M.C.', 'Sybil Young', 'Kenneth. B. Robertson.'(?)Wallis', Robt.T.Easton, R.A.M.C.', 'E Watt(?), Innisfail N.Q. 2/33 BN A.I.F.', P Parish. Chief R/O.', 'Neville H. Morgan R.M.O. 2/33 Bn A.I.F.', "M.White', 'Marjorie Stevens A.A.N.S.', 'Jon Spencer Chief Engineer', 'A D Bridge', 'Graham Sutton 2/33 Bn A.I.F.', 'Ashley (?)', 'I.G.Munro. 2nd Seaforth Hd75', 'A Porter (?) Asst Purser.'(?) Savidge', G.A.Dixon. O.C.TROOPS.', 'Joyce M. Roberts', 'Joan L S Golding', 'O W Buttrose. 2/33rd A.I.F.', 'C. Hope Carlton. O/C No. 7 GEN.HOSP.', 'D.W. McCarthy, R.A.M.C.', "Geo. McLachlan. Cherry Brandy', 'J Cummings. 2/33 Bn A.I.F. CAIRNS N.QLD', 'A. Eady', 'Peter Crawford.', 'JH.Counehan(?)', 'Jean Barnard, A.A.N.S.', 'J.E. Robinson. A.A.N.S. A.I.F.', 'Harry O. Gibb.', 'H. Ingram-Pearson.', 'J.W.Kemp.', 'Wm Milne J.A./Purser(?)', 'Keith Lucas.', and 'Sandy Cameron'.

The TSS Nea Hellas was a Greek steam ship requistioned by the British for use as a Troop Transport ship. At the time the cloth was embroidered she was employed in transporting troops from the United Kingdom to the Middle East. In October 1942 she was damaged by an Italian submarine attack in the central Atlantic. Later in the war the TSS Nea Hellas was used as a hospital ship.