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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Parkybe on Sunday 21 July 24 02:10 BST (UK)

Title: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: Parkybe on Sunday 21 July 24 02:10 BST (UK)
I am seeking the name of the troopship B17 which carried returning soldiers from Liverpool departing 25 July 1945 returning via Panama Canal and Wellington NZ arriving 7 September.
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: maddys52 on Sunday 21 July 24 02:38 BST (UK)
Is it the Orion? A few articles about the accomodation and food eg:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48666368
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134366134
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17952672
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: Parkybe on Sunday 21 July 24 03:02 BST (UK)
Thank you for the suggestions.  Very interesting to read.  The dates are not quite the same as my father in law’s service record.  So I will keep looking.
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: bbart on Monday 22 July 24 09:17 BST (UK)
Could the date of 25 July 1945 just be the date the ship was supposed to leave?  There was a dockers' strike at that time;  ships were being delayed as they couldn't resupply.

From the Liverpool Daily Mail, dated 26 July 1945, these are the ships that did sail on the 25th, many with no destination listed:
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: Parkybe on Monday 22 July 24 12:37 BST (UK)
Thank you for the reply.  I have now determined the ship he was on was the Rangitiki and it is there on the list of ships leaving on 25 July.  Thank you so much for posting the list.
Lyn
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: maddys52 on Tuesday 23 July 24 03:52 BST (UK)
Glad you found it. Lots of articles on trove about the arrival of the Rangitiki which was carrying 226 former prisoners of war.
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: Parkybe on Tuesday 23 July 24 04:26 BST (UK)
We have a lovely photo of my father in law in Sydney surrounded by girls and balloons, probably at the Showgrounds.
Title: Re: Troopship B17 to Australia
Post by: dobfarm on Tuesday 23 July 24 10:06 BST (UK)
I would think as war in Japan was still ongoing on 25th July 1945 this B17 ship movements maybe be still under some form of Government documents lockdown for a set number of years.

Just a thought ???