TROOPSHIPS 1939 - 1961

[Romilly]

Hi Seaweed,

Would this include ships that repatriated men held as Japanese POW's?

They don't seem to be listed on any incoming passenger lists to the UK, and so I assume they must have been returned on Troopships?

Unfortunately I don't have a ship's name, and so that probably makes looking for my late Uncle, Ernest Rencella Wilson, (1897 - 1957) a bit like looking in the proverbial haystack!

Romilly.

Hello Romilly,
I am sure we have been in touch before about your uncle as his name rings a bell. I have checked all my PoW files and his name is not mentioned. I take it that there is no mention of his return in ADM 340/147/21 - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D8294305


Regards
Hugh

Hello Hugh,

Yes, - you have given previous very helpful assistance with tracing records on my late Uncle Ernest Rencella Wilson.

I believe that I already have that record from Kew, - it relates to Ernest's RNR Service in WW1.

I am still trying to piece together what happened to Ernest in WW2... I have his WW2 Medal Record, but can find no trace of him being a Japanese POW, - although anecdotal family stories say he was:-(

Romilly.

[Betty16]

Hi Seaweed

I wondered if you were able to search for troopships by date.  My father arrived in Govan on 10 September 1943 from Gibraltar - I would be very interested in the name of the ship he was on.  There is also a story in the family that when they first left Gibraltar they were fired upon and had to return to port - not sure if they then carried on later in the same ship or if they had to change ships.  thanks in advance for any info you may have.  Lynne

[bugle boy]

great thread 

[seaweed]

Convoy MKF 22 arrived in the Clyde on the 9/Sept/1943. Normally troops would be disembarked the next day.
No other troop convoys with the exception of two single vessel troop convoys the US flagged GENERAL JOHN POPE on the 12th from Hampton Roads and the French vessel CHAMPOLLIAN from Iceland on the 7th, arrived in the Clyde area between the 5th and the 15th of September 1943.
My guess is your man was part of MKF 22.
Problem is there were 3 troopships that sailed from Gibraltar and others that sailed from nearby ports.
The Gibraltar contingent comprised CAMERONIA, DEMPO (Dutch) and DOMINION MONARCH.
Researching troopships is always difficult because of the obvious security considerations. Army War diaries rarely give names of vessels but as a rule referred to them in code. This code changed from one convoy to the next.
Take a look here
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/mkf/index.html?mkf.php?convoy=22!~mkfmain
You will note both CAMERONIA and DOMINION MONARCH had some problems. I know DOMINIAN MONARCH  underwent repairs at Liverpool until 16/October/1943 but have no record of CAMERONIA.
I think your best bet is to look at the convoy reports at Kew to try and find out which vessel, if any was attacked and returned to Gibraltar.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_aq=&_ep=mkf+22&_or1=&_or2=&_or3=&_nq1=&_nq2=&_nq3=&_sd=&_ed=&_col=0&_sw=ref&_cr1=adm&_cr2=&_cr3=&_ps=15&_ro=any&_rd=&_rsd=&_red=&_fr=&_st=adv

Do you have the name of your mans regiment or unit?

[Betty16]

Thanks so much for your reply.  Dad was in the Royal Engineers, 278 company,
703 Artisan Workers - building the airstrip on Gibraltar.

We have the date of 10/9/43 on a telegram from Govan to my mother saying he had landed that morning.

My sister will be visiting Kew hopefully in the near future and this will give her something to go on.

Lynne

[seaweed]

I am not that familiar with Army records but it may pay your sister to look here also.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C798197

[joboy]

Without people like seaweed our current history of Matters Maritime would be totally lost ...... a lot of rootschatters have benefitted from his input.
seaweed deserves the rootschat Medal of Honour.
joboy

[bb10]

This looks interesting.  Have you any details of a troopship carrying 1st Royal Fusiliers from Bombay (I think) to Egypt. Believe embarcation Sept 23rd 1939, arrival Egypt about October 3rd?

Many thanks

[Romilly]

Without people like seaweed our current history of Matters Maritime would be totally lost ...... a lot of rootschatters have benefitted from his input.
seaweed deserves the rootschat Medal of Honour.
joboy

I'll second that!

Romilly