List of Australian hospital ships

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The Australian Hospital Ships, using ship prefix AHS, were a number of converted civilian ships used for medical services during the Second World War. They were all staffed primarily by the Army Medical staff.

A single-funnelled merchant ship at rest. The ship is painted white, with a dark horizontal band along the hull, interspersed by dark crosses. The number "47" is painted near the bow, in a black box above the line.
AHS Centaur following her conversion to hospital ship. The Red Cross designation "47" can be seen on the bow.

The ships fell into two groups: Australian ships and Dutch ships transferred to the Australian Government. The Dutch ships retained their original Dutch officers and Javanese sailors, with replacements from an international pool being added as necessary, and they also continued to sail under the Dutch flag.

A third group, closely associated with the island campaigns near Australia and Australian troops, were actually Dutch hospital ships operated under United States Army control.[1][2]