William Thomas Alldis Moran, RAN
| Born | 11 Dec 1903 | Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Died | 9 Apr 1942 | (38) |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Warship Commands listed for William Thomas Alldis Moran, RAN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMAS Vampire (D 68) | Cdr. | Destroyer | 16 Oct 1941 | 9 Apr 1942 (+) |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Destroyer HMAS Vampire (D 68)
15 Nov 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
With her refit completed HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) conducted trials off Singapore. On her return to harbour a collision occured with the merchant vessel Perak (British, 1188 GRT, built 1906) and HMAS Vampire sustained some hull damage. (1)
21 Nov 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) is docked in No.2 Dock at Singapore for repairs to her hull damage. (1)
26 Nov 1941
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) is undocked. She then conducted trials off Singapore.
Late in the evening she departed Singapore for Kuching, Serawak. (1)
28 Nov 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) arrived at Kuching. (1)
30 Nov 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) departed Kuching to return to Singapore. (1)
1 Dec 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) arrived at Singapore from Kuching. At Keppel harbour she was then taken in hand to repair some post-refit defects that had surfaced. (1)
13 Dec 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2000GH/13, the auxiliary minelayer HMS Teviotbank (Cdr.(Retd.) R.D. King-Harman, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) departed Singapore to lay mines in the South China Sea near Pulau Aur. She was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN).
Mine lines M1 (45 mines) and M2 (141 mines) were laid on 14 December 1941.
HMS Teviotbank and HMAS Vampire then returned to Singapore. (2)
5 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At Singapore, the destroyer HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN), was fitted with two additional 2-pdr AA guns.
She departed Singapore later the same day to overtake and join the transports Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939) and Lancashire (British, 9445 GRT, built 1917) which had departed Singapore for Colombo earlier that day escorted by the destroyer HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN).
On 8 January 1942, after the Sunda Straits had been passed the destroyers parted company and they then proceeded to Batavia arriving there later the same day. (3)
10 Jan 1942
Convoys MS 2 and MS 2A.
Convoy MS 2 departed Sydney on 10 January 1942.
This convoy was made up of only one ship, the troopship Aquitania (British, 44786 GRT, built 1914).
On departure from Sydney convoy MS 2 was escorted by the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (Capt. G.D. Moore, RAN).
Convoy MS 2 arrived at Fremantle on 15 January and departed again in the same composition on the 16th.
On 19 January 1942, while approaching the Sunda Strait the convoy was joined by a local escort made up of the light cruisers HMS Dragon (Capt. R.J. Shaw, MBE, RN), HrMs Java (Capt. P.B.M van Straelen, RNN) and the destroyers HMS Express (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Cartwright, RN) and HMS Thanet ( Cdr.(Retd.) B.S. Davies, RN) which came from Batavia.
On 20 January 1942, the destroyer HrMs Van Nes (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Lagaay, RNN) joined. The convoy arrived at Ratai Bay, Sumatra later the same day.
On arrival at Lampung Bay, HrMs Java and HMS Thanet parted company to proceed to Batavia to fuel on completion of which they returned to Ratai Bay. HMAS Canberra and HMS Express fuelled at Ratai Bay.
At Lampung Bay the troops from the Aquitania were put onto smaller ships which were to take them to Singapore as Convoy MS 2A.
These were the merchant vessels; Both (Dutch, 2601 GRT, built 1931), Reael (Dutch, 2561 GRT, built 1931), Reijnst (Dutch, 2462 GRT, built 1928), Sloet van Beele (Dutch, 2977 GRT, built 1914), Taishan (British, 3174 GRT, built 1925), Van der Lijn (Dutch, 2464 GRT, built 1928) and Van Swoll (Dutch, 2147 GRT, built 1930).
To provide cover for the operation of putting the troops on board the smaller ships the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, light cruisers HMS Dragon, destroyers HMS Express, HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN), USS Barker (Lt.Cdr. L.G. McGlone, USN), USS Stewart (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Smith, USN), HrMs Evertsen (Lt.Cdr. W.M. de Vries, RNN), HrMs Van Nes, sloops HMIS Jumna (Cdr. W.R. Shewring, RIN), HrMs Soemba (Cdr. P.J.G. Huijer, RNN) and the patrol vessel USS Isabel (Lt. J.W. Payne, Jr., USN) were patrolling / present in the Bay.
Around 1045GH, convoy MS 2A departed Ratai Bay for Singapore. It was escorted by HMAS Canberra, HMAS Vampire and HMIS Jumna.
Around 1830GH/21, HrMs Java and HMS Thanet joined from Batavia.
At 1000GH/23, after the convoy had passed the Banka Strait HMAS Canberra parted company leaving HrMs Java in command of the escort. HMAS Canberra then proceeded to Batavia where she arrived the following day.
The convoy arrived at Singapore late in the morning of the 24th. (4)
14 Jan 1942
During 14/15 January 1942, HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) cleaned boilers at Singapore. (3)
16 Jan 1942
The troopships Aorangi (17491 GRT, built 1924) and Narkunda (16227 GRT, built 1920) departed Singapore for Australia. They were escorted by the destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) and HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN) until the troopships, which were evacuating women and children, were clear of the Sunda Strait.
The destroyers then proceeded to Batavia arriving there on 18 January 1942. Upon arrived HMS Encounter commenced boiler cleaning. (3)
20 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) proceeded from Batavia to Ratai Bay, Sumatra to provide cover for the unloading of convoy MS 2 and the loading of convoy MS 2A.
[For more info on these convoys see the event ' Convoys MS 2 and MS 2A ' for 10 January 1942.] (5)
26 Jan 1942
Battle of Endau.
Around 1630GH/26, the destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) and HMS Thanet ( Cdr.(Retd.) B.S. Davies, RN) departed Singapore to attack Japanese transports and warships which had been reported landing troops near Endau, Malaya.
At 0237GH/27, what was thought to be an enemy destroyer was sighted. As the main target of the raid were to be the transports the Allied destroyers evaded and continued on towards Endau. They however soon sighted a second ' destroyer ' right ahead and close. HMAS Vampire swung to port and fired two torpedoes but both missed. This ship, which was in fact the minesweeper W 1 patrolling outside the anchorage, sighted the Allied destroyer and sounded the alarm. The two Allied destroyers continued their course towards Endau until shortly after 0300GH/27 and when not sighting the expected concentration of transport they turned to the south-east and increased to their best speed.
At 0318GH/27 an enemy destroyer appeared on Vampire's port bow and she fired her last remaining torpedo. Again no hit was obtained. HMS Thanet altered course to starboard and fired all her torpedoes but they too missed. The Japanese destroyer, which was the Shirayuki, opened fire and the light cruiser Sendai also opened fire.
The Allied destroyers retired to the south-east by east at full speed, returning the Japanese fire in the unequal engagement.
Around 0400GH/27, HMS Thanet was hit in a boiler room and she soon came to a halt. Cdr. Moran tried to cover her withdrawal with a smoke screen but the stricken vessel was doomed and was last seen from HMAS Vampire laying stopped and listing heavily to starboard. She sank shortly afterwards at about 0415GH/27. More Japanese ships had meanwhile attacked her, these were the destroyers Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, Amagiri, Asagiri and Yugiri and the minesweeper W-1.
HMAS Vampire managed to escape undamaged and returned to Singapore around 1000GH/27.
[All links to Japanese warships are offsite links.]
28 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Convoy ULU.
This convoy departed Singapore for Bombay with evacuees.
In this convoy were the transports; Cap St. Jaques (British, 8009 GRT, built 1922), Ekma (British, 5108 GRT, built 1911), Islami (British, 5879 GRT, built 1934) and Rohna (British, 8602 GRT, built 1926).
Also with this convoy were the transports; Darvel (British, 1929 GRT, built 1924), Ipoh (British, 1279 GRT, built 1908) and Pankor (British, ? GRT, built ?). They had on board RAF personnel which they were to take to Palembang, Sumatra.
On departure from Singapore the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) and the sloop HMAS Yarra (Cdr. W.H. Harrington, RAN).
On the 29th the convoy was attacked by enemy aircraft but no hits were obtained.
Around 1615GH/30, HMAS Vampire was relieved by the sloop HMIS Sutlej. HMAS Vampire then proceeded to Batavia arriving there later the same day.
The convoy was dispersed around 0530Z/1. (6)
3 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) arrived at Batavia with the ' Batavia section ' of convoy BM 12. (7)
5 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) departed Batavia for Colombo. She was escorting the transports
Melchior Treub (Dutch, 3458 GRT, built 1913) and
Ophir (Dutch, 4070 GRT, built 1929).
They arrived at Colombo on 11 February 1942. HMAS Vampire then joined the East Indies Station. (7)
12 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) departed Colombo to make rendezvous with HMS Hermes (Capt. R.F.J. Onslow, DSC, MVO, RN). (7)
Sources
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for November 1941
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for December 1941
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for January 1942
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Canberra for January 1942 + Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for January 1942
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for January 1942.
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for January 1942 + Report of proceedings of HMAS Yarra for January 1942
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Vampire for February 1942
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