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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Jeffrey on Thursday 10 December 15 16:47 GMT (UK)
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Further to my posts about my father-in-law being in the RAF in the Middle East during the second world war then among his 'keepsakes' was the photo of this ship with names on the back.
Does anyone recognize the ship and where it is docked please please.
Thank you.
Judy
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http://www.britishforcesinpalestine.org/travel/wil_nieuwam.html looks like the businesss.
Troopship Nieuw Amsterdam at Durban ?
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As a guess for starters it may have been the troopship on which your father-in-law sailed for the middle east. If you can hazard a guess at the dates he was there we might track down the convoy he sailed on. The names on the back were probably mates he teamed up with en route. As for the port someone may recognise it from other troop movements. Typically those convoys docked on the way in Cape Town or Durban. Try for old photos of those ports or maybe even Port Said to see if the architecture is recognisable.
Clive
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I would go with NIEUW AMSTERDAM and Durban.
Your man probably transhipped in Durban having sailed on another vessel from the UK. Certainly the movements of NIEUW AMSTERDAM would suggest this.
I have a record of all her voyages if you require.
Have you received his RAF service records yet?
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The funny thing is that the ship is not painted in wartime livery.
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Probably a pre war postcard issued for general consumption. It was forbidden to photograph vessels in WW2. Security and all that. No doubt this rule was broken on numerous occasions by individuals.
All that the photograph displayed implies, is that Judy's relative was probably on board sometime during WW2.
Hopfully his RAF service record will give details of dates etc. We can then deduce what voyage and in what convoy.
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Just a very quick reply to thank you for the great replies.
I shall write a longer post later when I have more time, to let you know how everything is tying in.
Exciting :D
Judy
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Just a long shot off this particular topic I see you list the Little family in Cumberland among your researches. Would they be the Little family of Rockliffe? In particular I have a record of a John Little born in or around 1818-1820 connected to the Percival family in the 1841 and 1851 census's.
C
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What we now know - with the help of people on this web site is that he sailed on RMS Rangitata from Britain to Durban, stopping at Freetown on the way, arriving May 18th 1942. We had an idea he stayed there in the transit camp probably until near the end of June.
We have some photos of him in Durban and a program of 'Where to go and What to See' in Durban for June.
We thought he would then have gone by another Troop Ship either the Ile de France or the Niew Amsterdam to Egypt.
So it was rather exciting that the Post Card is the Niew Amsterdam. :D It seems everything he kept was a memento of his time in the war.
The photo is a Post Card and as some one suggested it may have been just for general consumption rather than of when it was commandeered to serve as a troop ship.
So think he must have left Durban on the Niew Amsterdam on 27th June.
Just received his Records today so not yet had time to decipher them properly yet.
Seaweed would very much like a copy of any journey that this ship made leaving the 27th June from Durban and any info on the convoy.
Thank you all so much - my husband has now built up quite a document on his father. We are amazed by how much info we have.
Then of course we still have his records to decipher!!! :) Which we hope will verify everything.
Judy
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Hi CPercival,
My Littles came from around Stapleton & Bewcastle - not a million miles away from yours. They were there in the 16,17 & early 18 hundreds.
Judy
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Your description of your father-in-laws journey fits in with the movements of convoy WS18 which included Rangitata and troops from that vessel trans shipped in Durban to Niew Amsterdam for their onward journey to Egypt. the story of convoy WS18 is told in great detail in an excellent book - 'The Winston Specials' - Troopships via the Cape 1940-1943 - by Archie Munro. Published by Maritime Books, ISBN 1-904459-20-X. I recommend it to anyone researching troops who made that journey.
C
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I'll have to do a bit more digging among my Littles to see if they go back to Stapleton and Bewcastle!
C
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Thanks for the book title - I feel another Christmas Present coming on!!! :)
Let me know about your Littles when you have researched further back.
Judy
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As far as I can tell NIEW AMSTERDAM sailed from Durban as an independent.
My records and Archie Munros book says she sailed for Suez on the 27/June/1942. Arriving 9/July/1942. The troops on board having spent the intervening time since disembarking from RANGITATA at Clairwood Transit Camp. A google search gives loads of info on this camp.
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Thank you for that and all the information which all ties in.
Judy.