The armed merchant cruiser/landing ship infantry, HMAS WESTRALIA, (CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN), was commissioned. WESTRALIA was laid down in Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1929. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners Huddart Parker Ltd, Melbourne, on 2 November 1939.

The first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy of the Second World War, US1, sailed from Fremantle. Ships in the convoy were:- STRATHAIRD, STRATHNAVER, OTRANTO, SOBIESKI, ORION, ORFORD, DUNERA 11, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ORCADES, and RANGITARA. Escort ships were; HM Ships RAMILLIES and KENT, and the French cruiser SUFFREN.