PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Shanks, George Dennis TI - Liberty ship sinking disrupts military medical mobilisation in 1942 AID - 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2022-002123 DP - 2022 Jun 08 TA - BMJ Military Health PG - e002123 4099 - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/07/bmjmilitary-2022-002123.short 4100 - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/07/bmjmilitary-2022-002123.full AB - Medical mobilisation is vital to support tropical campaigns where many disease casualties are expected. Much of the medical supplies and equipment for nine station and three general hospitals that were being placed in Australia were aboard the Liberty Ship SS Rufus King when it went aground off Moreton Island on 7 July 1942. A concerted salvage operation rescued 85% of the stores from the freighter that had broken in half on the Amity sandbar. This emergency effort allowed medical support to New Guinea to proceed without delays due to medical supplies that were nearly lost at sea.