ypae

(AE) SHIPPING ARRANGED BY THE UK
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (MOT)
FOR ASSISTED EMIGRATION TO

AUSTRALIA AMD NEW ZEALAND

- POST WW2 -

I. TO AUSTRALIA (1947-1954)

From Dickson Gregory's "Australian Steamships"

   Ormonde – twscs 14,982gt 1917       sln 8 photos: Digital Orders:
Clydebank (Orient Line) No. a638912 aq                         1918 completed as troopship       No. a638913 am
1919-1939 UK-Australia service      No. a638914 uw
1939-1946 troopship         No. a638915 uw
1947-1952 emigrant charter              No. a638916 am.
1952 scrapped                                    No. a638917 uw
   No. a638918 aq
           (with dazzle paint)

   Photo in the author's collection. One funnel, post-WW2.
   Ranchi – twscs 16,738gt 1925      See P&O (PO3) for details
     Newcastle (P&O)                of other pictures of the
     1925 joined service to Bombay         ship
                       1939 converted to armed
           merchant cruiser
       1943 converted to troopship
     served in the Mediterranean,
        Middle East and India theatres
     1948 refitted without her
       second funnel. In Australian
           emigrant service
             1952 (Oct) final sailing to
                    Australia
                       1953 scrapped

From a postcard in the author's collection
                    Chitral - twscs 15,248gt 1925 sln 3 photos Digital Order:
      Glasgow No. a63622 uw
                      1925 joined service to Australia No. a63623 aq
   1939 converted to armed           No. a63624 uw
                       merchant cruiser          slv photo uw
                       1943 converted to troopship        Image No. b41323
1946 twin posts replaced
   rear mast
   1948 back in service to
   Australia carrying emigrants
   1953 scrapped

Photo from the "Old Ship Picture Galleries"
   Amarapoora – scs 9,342g                  sln photo am Digital Order
                       1920 Dumbarton    No. a636127
                        (P. Henderson & Co.) slsa photo uw
                        1946 Purchased by MOT           No. PRG 1324/980
   1948 chartered by    nmm 2 photos (at moorings
International Refugee     Scapa Flow as a hospital
Organization (IRO)    ship in World War II
for transport of    No. N32740 (Oct. 1940)
                        displaced  persons                           No. N32741 (Apr. 1941)
   1951 refitted for New      nmm photo aq (London)
Zealandemigrant        No. P17041
                        service r/n Captain
Hobson (below)

   Postcard in the author's collection
Somersetshire – twscd 9,787gt        awm photo am
                        1921 Belfast (Bibby Line) (Fremantle 1949)
                        1927 rebuilt as troopship ID No. 303949
                        1948 emigration charter       slv 2 photos uw
                        1953 returned to trooping. Image No. an006326
1954 scrapped    (as hospital ship in
                                                                                  WW2)
                         Image No. b38740
                                                                                   (1952)

Postcard in the author's collection
                    Dorsetshire - twscm 9789gt sln photo Digital Order
      1920 Belfast (Bibby Line) No. a637257 aq
1927 rebuilt as a troopship       slv photo Image
1948-1952 emigration charter       No. b41435 aq
1953 accommodation ship
Aden, and trooping
1954 scrapped

Postcard in the author's collection
                     Georgic – twscd 27,469gt           slv 3 photos
1932 Belfast (White Star)        Image No. mp)1512
1941 bombed and burnt      (aerial view, 1949-1953)
   Port Tewfik. Subsequently    Image No. b38003 uw
   purchased and rebuilt by             (Feb 1949)
MOWT with one funnel Image No. b38004 aq
1949-1954 emigrant       (Feb 1949)
service to Australia
      1956 scrapped

Photo from the "Old Ship Picture Galleries"
Oxfordshire – twscs 8,646gt                          awm 2 photos
1912 Belfast (Bibby Line)    ID No. 303875
1949 emigratiion charter.       (Fremantle June 1949)
1950 transferred to                                     ID No.116749
                       trooping service       (hospital ship, Sydney,
                        1951 sold to Pan-Islamic             Sep. 1945, returning
Steamship Co.           POWs)
    1958 scrapped         sln 3 photos Digital Order:
          No. a639022 uw
                    No. a639023 am
    No.639024 u

As troopship from 1953. Photo author's collection
Asturias – twscs 22,445gt   slq 2 photos Image:
                        1925 Belfast    No. 67450
                        (Royal Mail Lines)        (1926, with two funnels)
                        1943 torpedoed and       No.128486
                        beached at Freetown    (Post WW2 trooship,
                        1945 taken over by with one funnel)
                        MOWT and rebuilt    slv 2 photos Image:
as troopship with one    No. gr000271 aq
      funnel                                                  (Emigrant ship
                     1949-1952 emigrant       with one funnel,
service to Australia         Sep. 1950)
                        1953 transferred to        No. gr001626 uw
trooping service       (Dec. 1950)
1957 scrapped

Photo from the "Old Ship Picture Galleries"
Cheshire – twscd 10,623gt sln photo am Digital Order
                        1927 Glasgow No. a636798 (pre-WW2)
                        (Bibby Line)    slv photo uw
                    1949-1952 emigration       Image No. b38458
                        charter           (Mar. 1952)
                       1953 troopship
                        1957 laid-up and
                        scrapped

   Postcard in author's collection
Cameronia – twscs 16,297gt              sln photo am Dgital Order
1920 Dalmuir (Anchor Line)       No.a636652 (pre-WW2)
1940-1945 troopship        slv photo am Image
                      1949-1952 emigration          No. gr002038 (Nov.1952)
          charter - 11 voyages
                    1953 purchased by MOT
                      for troopship service
                      and r/n Empire Clyde.
                      1957 scrapped

Photo from "Old Ship Picture Galleries"
Empire Brent (ex-Letitia) -    slv photo uw Image
   twscs 13,876gt 1925     No.b41486 (May 1948)
                        Glasgow (Donaldson      slq 2 photos uw Image:
                        Atlantic Line)   No. 130793
                        1946 purchased by MOT     No. 130792
                        r/n Empire Brent         (with white band on
1948 Canadian emigration       funnel of Donaldson
                        1950 Australian emigrant Line as Letitia)
                        service
                        1951 New Zealand emigration
                        service r/n Captain Cook

Postcard in author's collection. (Ship after 1947 burnout and refit)
New Australia (ex Monarch of sln photo uw Digital Order
Bermuda) - qdscs 20,256gt No. a638713
                        1931 Newcastle      awm photo uw ID
                        (Furness, Withy & Co)    No.157527
                        1947 burnt out while refitting            (March 1953, arriving
                        Taken over by MOT r/n          Pusan, Korea, with
                        New Australia         Australian troops)
                        1950-1958 Australian
                     emigration service
                        1958 sold to Greek Line
                        r/n Arkadia
                       1966 scrapped

II. TO NEW ZEALAND (1948-1960)

Postcard in author's collection. (Pre-WW2 - Atlantis in
cruising mode)
Atlantis (ex Andes) –trpscs       nmm 3 photos
15,363gt 1913 Belfast                                   No. P21514 aq
                       (Royal Mail S. P. Co.)                                 (as hospital ship
                       1929 converted for cruises                          1944-1946)
                       r/n Atlantis                                                   No. P27844 ut
                       1941 purchased by                                      (as emigrant ship
                       the MOWT.                                                1947)
                       1947 reconditioned and                               No. P27845 ut
                       commenced New Zealand                              (as emigrant ship
                       emigrant service from                                1947)
                       Southampton
                       1952 scrapped

   Photo from "Old Ship Picture Galleries"
Captain Cook (ex-Empire Brent,             nlnz 2 photos uw Ref.:
ex-Letitia) –     No.1/4-010841-F
See details for   (In Wellington harbour
Empire Brent above    between 1952-1955)
                        1951, refitted as replacement    No. 114/500/12-G
                        of Atlantis for the New (Entering Wellington
                        Zealand emigrant service           harbour, 1952)
1952-1959 NewZealand
emigrant service from Glasgow
                       1960, scrapped

From a postcard in the authors's collection
Captain Hobson (ex-Amarapoora)   See Amarpoora above
Ship details as for Amarapoora
   above
1951 refitted for
   1952 -1954 New
                   Zealand emigrant
                   service from Glasgow
1954 transferred to
                   trooping service
1959 scrapped

Sources

1. John M. Maber’s “North Star to Southern Cross”
(T. Stephenson & Sons Ltd, Prescot, Lancashire, 1967)
2. Peter Plowman's "Australian Migrant Ships 1946-1977"
(Rosenberg, Dural, N.S.W., 2006)
3. Duncan Haws' Merchant Fleets in Profile 1: The Ships of the P&O'
Orient and Blue Anchor Lines" (Patrick Stephens, Cambidge 1978)
4. Old ship Picture Galleries
Website: http://www.photoship.co.uk
5. Dickson Gregory's "Australian Steamships Past and Present"
(The Richards Press, London 1928)

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