HMAS Jervis Bay (II)

 
Photographer unknown. (1999). A visit from Santa Claus in December 1999, courtesy of the Dili Express, provided a source of goodwill for ADF members and East Timorese nationals, during a difficult time in arduous conditions. Royal Australian Navy.

A charter ship intended to plug the RAN’s capability gap in sealift and transport, HMAS Jervis Bay became invaluable during the conflict in East Timor. She sailed during Operation, but when conflict arose in East Timor in 1999, she found herself sailing during Operations Spitfire, Warden, Stabilise and Tanager throughout her two years of service in the Royal Australian Navy. 

She could exceed speeds of 48 knots, thus earning her nickname, the ‘Dili Express’.

The Dili Express was a regular sight in Dili Harbour, in support of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and the United Nations Transition Authority East Timor (UNTAET). 

HMAS Jervis Bay (II) completed 107 return trips between Darwin and Dili, ferrying some 21,000 personnel, 1,700 internally displaced persons, 400 vehicles and more than 5,000 tonnes of supplies.

Some of her notable trips occurred in December 1999, when she hosted orphans from Laga on a day trip to Dili and delivered care packages to ADF personnel who were spending Christmas away from their families.