(RETURN)
(WW2)
WORLD WAR II
A. Troopships with Australian and New
Zealand
military
personnel that were in Convoys to
the Middle
East, Great Britain and
Singapore:
January 1940 -
November 1941
('US' series
convoys Nos. 1 to 13)
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Andes
(Royal Mail) - twscs
25676gt
slsa photo am (wartime grey)
1939 Belfast
Image No. PRG 1324/1274
Intended for Southampton-South
slsa photo uw (peacetime
livery)
America servicer
Image No. PRG
1324/1273
1939 on completion
converted to awm photo
uw (at sea 1942 02,
troopship
seen
from deck of Orcades
(Dec) first trooping voyage
to Halifax on voyage from
the Middle
1940
(May) Convoy US3 intended
East returning troops to
for ME but diverted to the UK after
Australia
Italy joined the war
ID No. 025699
1945 (May) carried the
Norwegian
Government back to Oslo
1948 returned to
commercial service
Southampton-Buenos Aires
1959 rebuilt as
cruise liner 25895gt
1971
scrapped
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Aquitania
(Cunard) - qdscs
45647gt
awm photo uw (1940 12 27
1914
Clydebank
moving down Sydney harbour)
1939 laid up in New York
ID No. 005574
conversion to
a troopship
awm photo uw (1940 05,
1940 sailed
to Sydney for
starboard view,
departing with
conversion to a troopship
Convoy US3)
(May)
Convoy US3 diverted
ID No. P04992.007
to
the United Kingdom
slsa photo
am (wartime grey)
(Aug) Convoy US4 to ME
Image No. PRG 1324/1566
(Oct) Convoy US6
carrying
troops sln 5 photos of
postcards uw
bound for the Middle East as far
(in peace time livery)
as Bombay from where they
were
Digital Order No.:
transported to Egypt in
smaller
Album ID: 824269
vessels,
nmm 4 photos
(Nov) Convoy US8 as
before
to
(1916 as hospital ship)
Bombay with troops transferring
uw
No. P15922
to smaller vessels for passage
(1923-1934 sailing
from
to Egypt
Southampton)
1941 (Feb) Convoy
US9, as
with No.
P27816
US6 and US8, only as far as
(1941-1945
anchored
Bombay
at Tail of the Bank)
(Jul) Convoy US11A to
Egypt -
No. P21465
all the way
(1943-1944 anchored
(Sep) Convoy 12B to Egypt
the Clyde, as
troop
1950 scrapped
transport)
No. N32851
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Awatea (Union
S.S. Co. of New
See Union S.S. Co. of
Zealand) - twscs 13482gt 1936
New Zealand (UN2)
Barrow
1936
(Sep) on trans Tasman
service: Wellington-Sydney-
Auckland-Sydney-Wellington
1939
(Dec) transported the advance
guard of the 2nd New Zealand
Expeditionary Force to Sydney
1940 (Jul) carried evacuees
from
Hong Kong from Manila to Sydney
Then on Vancouver service and
carrying Australian and New
Zealand airmen to Canada for
training
(Dec) Convoy
US8 carrying
troops for ME as far as Bombay
1941 (Sep) taken over by the
British Ministry of War Transport
in Vancouver. Left for the UK but
was involved in a collision. While
under repair in Vancouver was
converted to a troopship. Took
Canadian troops to Hong Kong
returned to UK, took troops
to Port Said then went to Bombay
to bring evacuees from the
Netherlands East Indies to the
UK
1942 (Mar) in convoy out of
Halifax ran down an escorting
destroyer (USS Buck) which
crossed her bow too closely
with heavy loss of life
(Oct) converted to a Landing
Ship Infantry (LSI).
(Nov) in North African landings
at Algiers and Bougie. After
landings and departing for Gibraltar,
attacked by German dive bombers.
Bomb hits caused a fire, a
destroyer
came alongside and took off most of
the crew. In a further air attack, the
ship was immobilised by an aerial
torpedo. She subsequently sank.
No lives were lost but scores were
wounded.
Postcard author's collection
Batory (Gdynia-American Line) --
Photo in Arnold Kudas'
twscm 14287gt 1936 Monfalcone
"Great Passenger Ships of
1940 (Nov) Convoy US7 to ME
the World", Vol. 3 1924-
1946 returned to Poland having
1935, p. 228
participated in the evacuation of
nmm photo aq
St. Nazaire, the Australia-ME
(1936-1939)
convoy,
the North Africa campaign
No. P9095
and the invasions of Sicily,
nmm photo
Normandy and southern France.
(1947-1951
1971 scrapped
manoeuvring
in a polish port)
Postcard in author's collection
Christiaan Huygens (Nederlands
sln photo am (in
SS Co.) - twscm 16286gt 1928
(peace time livery)
Amsterdam
Digital Order No.
1940 (Sep) Convoy US5A to
ME a636827
1945 struck a mine in
Scheldt
nmm 3 photos
estuary beached but broke in two
uw No. P9618
aq No. P21834
(1939-1945 Liverpool)
am No. N33588
(1944 on the Clyde)
Postcard from
author's collection
Dominion Monarch
See Shaw Savill
1940 (Dec) Convoy
US8 with
& Albion (SS2)
troops for ME as far as Bombay
Postcard from author's collection
Dunera (British India) - twscm
Photo in Arnold
Kludas'
12615gt 1937 Glasgow
op. cit., Vol. 3, p.234
(Built as troopship)
nmm 2 photos
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to
ME am
No.29177
(Apr) Convoy US2 to ME
(Jun. 1938
probably
1942
Madagascar campaign
Southampton Water)
1943
Sicily landings
aq No. N34052
1944
landings near Cannes
(Jun.-Aug. 1937 at
After the war, trooping to
fitting out berth Glasgow)
Malaya
1950-1951 trooping to Korea
1956 Suez invasion
1961 refitted as schools
educational cruise ship
1967 scrapped
Postcard from
author' collection
Empress of
Britain (Canadian Pacific)
slv photo uw (1938 Apr.,
qdscs 42348gt 1931 Clydebank
entering
harbour, white
Employed trans-Atlantic
service
hull
1940 (May) Convoy US3 diverted
Image No. b39902
to the UK
sln album 5 photos (one art
1940 (Oct) damaged
and set on
postcard and four photos
fire by a German bomber off
with tugs)
Donegal, Ireland. Taken in tow by
Digital Order
No. a637381
an escort, she was torpedoed and
sunk two days later by submarine
U-32 She was the largest British
liner sunk during World War II
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Empress of Canada (Canadian
Pacific) - Photo Arnold Kludas,
twscs 21517gt 1922 Govan
op.
cit., Vol. 2, p.147
Employed
trans -Pacific service
nmm 3 photos
1940 (Jan)
Convoy US1 to ME
uw No. P15466
(May) Convoy US3
diverted
to
(copy of an Owners
the
UK
photo, hull white)
1943 (Mar) torpedoed and sunk
uw No. P15470
in the South Atlantic 1,000 miles
uw No.
N34165
off the coast of Africa by an Italian
(Mar. 1941, arriving
submarine (Leonardo de Vinci)
in the Clyde)
with the loss of 392 lives including
many Italian POWs who were
being taken to the UK from Durban.
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Empress of Japan, r/n Empress of
slv photo uw (1940,
Scotland
in 1942 (Canadian Pacific)
leaving Melbourne
with
twscs
26313gt 1930 Glasgow
members of the 6th
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to
ME
Division for the Middle
(May) Convoy US3 diverted to
East)
the UK
Image No. an001521
(Aug) Convoy US4
to ME
slv photo (in harbour,
1948 returned to owners having
peacetime livery)
steamed 600,000 miles as a
Image No. b42770
troopship
sln photo
of postcard ut
1950 returned
to trans-Atlantic
(peacetime
livery)
service
Digital Order
No.a637391
1958 sold to Hamburg-America
Line
r/n Hanseatic
1966 caught fire in engine room
in New York, towed to Hamburg,
and then scrapped
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Ettrick (P&O) - twscm 11279gt
Photo in Arnold Kudas'
1938 Glasgow (built as P&O's
op. cit., Vol. 3, p.236
only permanent troopship)
1940 (Apr) Convoy US2 to ME
1942 North African landings at
the port of Azeu. Torpedoed on
her homeward voyage with the
loss of 24 lives
Postcard from author's collection
Ile de France
(CGT - French Line) -
awm photo (May,
1941,
qdscs 43153gt 1926 St Nazaire
Sydney, in the
harbour
1927-1939
trans Atlantic service
after embarking troops)
(Havre-Southampton-New York)
ID
No. 007061
1939 (Sep) laid up New York
sln album of 3 photos -
1940 (May) sailed to
Marseilles
2 of at postcards & 1
then Capetown and Saigon but
in peactime livery
was diverted to Singapore where
Digital Order No.
she was taken over by the British
Album
ID: 824393
when
France capitulated
nmm photo am
1940 (Nov) requisitioned as a
(MOWT 1939-1945)
troopship and sailed to Sydney
No. P 22979
for conversion
nmm photo aq
1941 (Apr) Convoy US10 to ME
(May 1940 Marseilles,
went all the way to Egypt
wartime grey with
1945 handed back to France
armament)
but remained in troop transport
and repatriation service
1946 returned to CGT and
first
passenger voyage
Cherbourg-New York
1947 refitted and funnels
reduced to two
1958 sold for scrapping
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Indrapoera (Rotterdam Lloyd) -
See Messageries
twscm 9585gt 1925 Flushing
Maritimes (MM2)
1940 (Sep) Convoy US5A to ME
Photo in Arnold Kudas,
1949 returned to Rotterdam -Java
op. cit.,
Vol. 2, p.235
service
nmm 2
photos
1956 sold to Panamanian
company uw No. P10953
and chartered by Messageries
(Jul. 1935)
Maritimes
aq
No. G3909
(1940-1945)
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Johan de
Witt (Nederlands SS Co.) - Photos
in peacetime
twscs 10355gt 1920
Amsterdam
livery and as troopship,
1920-1940 Amsterdam-Netherlands
Arnold Kudas, op. cit.,
East Indies service (laid up 1931-32)
pp.78-79
1940 fitted
out as troop ship at Sydney nmm 2 photos
1940 (Oct) Convoy 5B to ME
uw No. P11095
1945 returned
to owners
(1934 arriving
1948 sold
to Greek Line
Southampton)
r/n
Neptunia
am No.23045
1949-1957 transatlantic service
(1942-1943)
from
Piraeus
1957 struck a rock and was
beached
1958 scrapped
Postcard from author's
collection
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
See Netherlands
LInes (NL)
(Nederlands
SS Co.) - twscm
19040gt 1930 Amsterdam
1940-1945 troopship
1941 (Jul) Convoy
US11B to
Singapore
(Sep) Convoy US12B to Egypt
1950 service Amsterdam -Australia
via Suez as a one class ship
1958 Rotterdam-Quebec
service
under charter to Netherlands
Government
1959 commenced
service
Amsterdam -Southampton-Suez-
Australia-New Zealand-Panama
Canal-Port Everglades-Bermuda-
Southampton-Amsterdam
1963 sold to Greek buyers
r/n Lakonia
(Dec) destroyed by fire
200miles
off Madeira with loss of 126 lives
Postcard from author's
collection
Marnix van Sint Aldegonde
Photo in Arnold Kludas,
(Nederlands SS Co.) - twscm
op. cit., Vol. 3, p.150
19129gt 1930 Amsterdam
nmm 2 photos uw
1941
(Jul) Convoy US11B to
(in Capetown harbour)
Singapore.
No. P11744
(Sep) Convoy US12B to Egypt
(off
Capetown)
1943,
torpedoed by
German
No. P11747
aircraft off Algiers and sank
the next day. The 3000 troops
on board were picked up by
other ships
Postcard from author's collection
Mauretania
(Cunard)
- twscs
awm photo am (May, 1941,
35677gt 1939 Birkenhead
at anchor
after embarking
1940 (May) Convoy US3
troops)
diverted to the UK
ID No. 007063
(Aug) Convoy US4 to ME
awm photo
uw (May, 1941
(Oct) Convoy US6 with troops for
leaving
Sydney after
ME as far as Bombay
embarking troops)
(Dec) Convoy US8 (as with US6)
ID No. 007064
as far as Bombay
nmm 4 photos
1941 (Feb) Convoy US9 (as with
(Jul 1939
Southampton)
US 6 & 8) as far as Bombay
aq No. P29664
(Apr) Convoy
US10 all the
(1942 fitted as transport)
way to Egypt
uw
No. N6469
1966 scrapped
(1943-1945 probably at
Liverpool)
aq No. G3951
(Sep 1948 uw bound out
from Southampton)
No. P29666
Postcard from author's
collection.
Neuralia (British India) -
twscs 9082gt Photos,W.A. Laxon
&
1912 Glasgow
F.W. Perry, "B.I. The
London-Calcutta
service
British India Steam
1914
troopship
Navigation Company
1915
(Apr) troopship at Gallipoli
Limited", p, 113
1915 (Jun) hospital ship Eastern
(in peace time livery
Mediterranean and Indian Ocean
and as a troopship)
1916
based in UK
nmm 2 photos
1918
ambulance transport
am No. P15224
1920-1925
back in commercial
uw No.35915
service UK-East Africa
(May 1940 Port Said)
1925 became
permanent troopship
1940 (Apr) Convoy US2 to ME
(May) embarked 2000
French
Senegalese troops at Dakar and
returned them to Dakar when
France fell
1942 (Feb) in evacuation of Rangoon
and subsequently Port Blair
1944 (Jun-Oct) carried 27,000
troops
from Southampton/London to
Normandy beaches
1945 (Apr) returned 1700
refugees
from Port Said to Split,
Yugoslavia
(May) en route Split-Taranto
struck
a
mine and sank
Postcard from author's collection
Nevasa (British India) - twscs 9071gt
awm photo aq (Mar. 1942
1913 Glasgow
aerial port side view at
1914 troopship
Fremantle after returning
1915-1918 hospital ship
troops
from the Middle
1925 became a
permanent troopship East)
1939-1945 troopship between UK,
ID No. 303686
India, Basra, Madagascar and
sln photo of a postcard uw
Normandy landings
(peace time livery)
1940 (Apr) Convoy
US2 to ME
Digital Order No.a638712
1948 laid
up and scrapped
nmm photo uw
(Jul. 1935)
No. P15228
nmm photo (20 May 1940,
uw at Port Said)
No. N35916
Postcard from author's collection
Nieuw
Amsterdam (Holland-America) - awm
photo (May, 1941, in
twscs 36667gt 1938 Rotterdam
Sydney harbour for
1938-1940 trans Atlantic
service
embarkation of troops
1940 (Sep) sailed from
New York for
Malaya)
to Halifax for conversion to troopship
ID No. 007059
1941 (Feb) Convoy
US9 as far as awm
photo (May, 1941, in
Bombay for the ME shuttle
Sydney harbour after
(Apr) departed with ME Convoy
embarkation of troops)
US10 but detatched and
carried
ID No. 007060
troops to Singapore
slq photo uw (aerial view
1946 returned to Rotterdam after
in New York harbour,
steaming 530452 miles as a
peace time
livery)
troopship
Image
No. 134098
1947
resumed trans Atlantic service
nmm 3 photos
1967-1971 used mainly for
cruises
(1943-1945 fitted with
1974
scrapped
radar lantern)
am No. P23574
(1940-1943 no radar
lantern)
uw No. P23575
(Aug. 1944 in Clyde
as a troopship)
am No. N35943
Postcard from
author's collection
Nieuw
Holland (K.P.M.)
See Netherlands Lines (NL2E)
twscs 10903gt 1928 Amsterdam
1928-1940 on Java-Australia route
1940 troop transport
(Sep) Convoy 5A to ME
1947 returned to Singapore
-
Jakarta-Australia route as part
of the
Royal Inter Ocean Line
1948 refitted 11215gt
1959 scrapped
Old Ship Picture
Galleries
Nieuw Zeeland (KPM) - 11069gt 1928
sln album of 4 photos
Rotterdam
3 inharbour
1 alongside
1928 entered service
Java-Australia wharf
(peace time livery)
1931 11069gt
Digital Order No. a638746
1940
troopship
awm photo (c.1932,
(Oct) convoy
US5B to ME
port side view)
1941 (May) evacuation of
Crete
ID No. P01165.001
1942 torpedoed and sunk
by U-407
awm photo (aerial port side
when returning from operation 'Torch'
view at sea, wartime grey)
off Algiers with the loss of 10 lives
ID No. 303696
awm
photo (sinking after
being torpedoed)
ID No.
P01165.003
Orcades -
See Orient Line (OR2)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to ME
(Aug)
Convoy US4 to ME
Orford -
See Orient Line (OR2)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to
ME
Orion -
See
Orient Line (OR2)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to
ME
(Nov) Convoy US7 to ME
Otranto
See
Orient Line (OR2)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to
ME
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Queen
Elizabeth (Cunard)
-
slt photo (1941, anchored
qdsc 83673gt 1940 Glasgow
in the Derwent River in
1940 laid
up in New York
Tasmania. As Sydney
1941-1946
used as a troopship.
harbour could not provide
with a capacity for 20,000
anchorage
for both "Queens"
troops. She carried 811,324 troops
at the same time, they
would
and steamed 492,635 miles as a
make way for
each other by
troopship..
by going to the
Derwent.
1941 (Apr) Convoy
US10 to ME sln
album of 7 photos - 2 in
went
all the way to Egypt
wartime grey
and the others
(Jul) Convoy US11A to Egypt
in peace time livery.
(Sep) Convoy US12A to
Egypt
Digital Order No.
(Nov) Convoy US13 to
Egypt
a639319
1942-1945 transporting
U.S.
nmm 3 photos
troops across the Atlantic
(1943-1945 as troopship)
1946 returned to
commercial
am No. P23810
trans-Atlantic service
(Aug
1945 as troopship
1970
sold to C.Y. Tung of Hong
Southampton Water)
Kong for conversion into floating
uw
No. N12436
university
(Oct 1946, Southampton
1972 caught fire in
Hong Kong
Water, first voyage as a
harbour and capsized on its
side
passenger liner)
dismantled for scrap where she
uw No. N12442
lay
Old Ship
Picture Galleries
Queen Mary (Cunard) -qdscs 81235gt
awm photo (20 Oct. 1940,
1936 Glasgow
in Sydney harbour.
1939
laid up in New York
wartime
grey)
1940 sailed to Sydney for
ID No. 004297
conversion to a troopship
slt photo am (1941,
1940 (May)
Convoy US3 diverted to
anchored in the
the UK
Derwent River,
(Oct) Convoy US6 carrying troops
Tasmania)
or the ME as far as Bombay
Image No.
(Dec) Convoy US8 (as with
US6)
AUTAS001126071539
as far as Bombay in the shuttle to
sln album of 9 photos - 2
the ME
in wartime grey and the
1941 (Feb) Convoy US9 but the QM rest
in peace time livery
only going as far as Singapore
Digital Order No.
(Apr)
Convoy US10 to ME went
a639327
all
the way to Egypt
nmm 3 photos
(Jul) Convoy
US11A to Egypt
(copy of an owner's photo)
(Sep) Convoy 12A to Egypt
uw
No. P16049
(Nov) Convoy
US13 to Egypt
(1943-1945 anchored
1942-1945
carrying U.S.
possibly in
the Clyde as a
troops across the Atlantic
troopship)
1946 (Sep) last trooping voyage
No.
P23812
Halifax-Southampton,
(1947-1956 leaving
conversion back to passeger
Southampton)
liner
No. P28108
1947 (Jul) returned to trans-
Atlantic trade
1967 (Sep) arrivd
Southampton
at end of her 1,000th voyage,
(Nov) sold to City of Long
Beach, Cal.
1971 opened as maritime
museum and hotel.
Rangitato
see New Zealand
1940m (Jan)
Convy US1 to ME
Shipping Co. (NZ2)
Old Ship Picture
Galleries
Sibajak (Rotterdam
Lloyd) -
slv photo ut (16 Sep.,
12226gt 1928
1948)
1941 converted to
troopship
Image
No. b43545
1941 (Jul) Convoy US11B
Photo in Arnold Kludas,
to
Singapore
op. cit., Vol. 2, p.
236.
(Sep) Convoy US12B (to
Egypt) nmm 2
photos
but detatched to go to
uw No. P13006
Singapore
(1933 Southampton
1946 returned
to owners
Water)
1950 converted to emigrant ship
uw No. P24039
Rotterdam-Melbourne-Sydney
(1940-1945 Thames
1951
Rotterdam-Indonesia
estuary)
service
1952
trans Atlantic service to
Quebec
1955 returned Rotterdam-
Indonesia service
1959 scrapped
Old Ship Picture
Galleries
Slamat (Rotterdam Lloyd) -
awm photo uw
11406gt 1924
(wartime grey)
1940 (Sep) Convoy US5A to
ME ID No. 303942
1941 (April) bombed
and sunk in
Photos in Arnold Kludas,
evacuation from Greece with
op. cit., Vol.2, p.234
loss of more than 700 lives
nmm photo
uw
No.
P13083
Old Ship Picture Galleries
Sobieski (Gdynia-America
Line)
sln photo of colour
twscm 11030grt 1939
Newcastle
art post card uw
1939 at Dakar with
outbreak of
Digital Order No.
war and transferred to UK for
a639620
use as troopship
awm photo uw at
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1
toME
sea in wartime grey,
1947 handed
back to Poland
(possibly Jan., 1940
1950 sold
to Soviet Union
carrying New Zealand
r/n Gruzia used in Black Sea
troops)
routes
nmm photo am
1975 scrapped
(1940 Freetown fitted
astemporary LSI(L) -
large infantry landing ship
Photos in Arnold Kludas'
op. cit., Vol. 4, pp. 58-59
(in wartime grey and r/n
Gruzia)
Strathaird -
See P & O (PO3)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to ME
(Apr)
Convoy US2 to ME
Stratheden
See P & O (PO3)
1940 (Nov) Convoy US7 to ME
Strathmore
See P & O (PO3)
1940 (Nov) Convoy US7 to ME
Strathnaver
See P & O (PO3)
1940 (Jan) Convoy US1 to ME
Souces:
1. Lloyd's
Register of British and Foreign Shipping
2. Duncan Haws "Merchant Fleets" volumes on the
following shipping companies -
2. The ships of the Cunard, Red Star, Inmann, Leyland, Dominion,
Atlantic Transport and White Star Lines (Patrick
Stephens, Cambridge 1979)
5. Royal Mail & Nelson Lines (TCL Publications,
UK 1982)
10. Shaw, Savill & Albion Ltd (TCL Publications UK 1987)
11. British India S.N. Co. (TCL Publications, UK, Reprinted
and updated 1991)
23. Canadian Pacific (TCL Publications, UK 1992)
28, Holland America Line (TCL Publications, UK 1995)
30. French
Line - Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (TCL Publications 1996)
32. Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand (TCL Publications, UK
1997)
Shaw Savill, Union S.S. of New
Zealand
3.Arnold Kludas "Great Passenger
Ships of the World" Vols. 2,3, & 5 - for
(Patrick Stephens, Cambridge - English translation - 1977)
Link to WW2B
(RETURN)