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Author Topic: troop ship OMRAH  (Read 475 times)

Offline lmgnz

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troop ship OMRAH
« on: Saturday 27 June 20 14:56 BST (UK) »
I have been reading the service record of my gt Uncle who appears to have been in the NZ 28th Reinforcements which left NZ in July 1917. However his records show that he "transhipped" to the OMRAH at Capetown on the 28 Aug 1917.

The OMRAH does not appear on the list of troopships for the NZ reinforcements so I was wondering is she was used by Australia?

I have not yet found out anything that explains the "trans shipped" record but assume it may be due to having to stay in Capetown due to illness.



Offline Crumblie

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Re: troop ship OMRAH
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 27 June 20 15:07 BST (UK) »
The SS Omrah was a ship that travelled between the UK and Australia, and indeed was a troopship during the war and was sunk on 12 May 1918 by a torpedo. Trans-shipped means he moved from the ship he was on to the Omrah.

Offline lmgnz

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Re: troop ship OMRAH
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 27 June 20 15:22 BST (UK) »
Thank you Crumblie.

The OMRAH is not on the list of NZ troopships so that is why I wondered if she was used by the Australian forces.

I was curious as to whether there was a mass of transfers, e.g. if perhaps a ship broke down in Capetown.

The first page of my gt uncles record says he was volunteering (in Feb 1917) for the 29th reinforcements but a typed note on the 2nd page says E Coy 28th on 3 May 1917, which I thought meant he was in the 28th reinforcement.

The 28ths left NZ in July on two ships, Waitemata (14 Jul) and Ulimaroa (26 Jul) and the 29th left NZ in August on the Mokoia (13 Aug) and Ruahine (15 Aug).

There is a stamp saying emb'd HMNZT 33, but the date is unreadable so  do not know which ship that was.

Offline lmgnz

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Re: troop ship OMRAH
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 27 June 20 15:33 BST (UK) »
I have just noted that my gt uncle's foreign service date started on the 14 Jul 1917 which would put him on the troopship Waitemata which departed NZ with the 28th reinforcements on 14 July.

Wikipedia has this to say.
Her final voyage as a troop carrier from New Zealand was on 24 July 1917 under Captain Neilson, as HMNZT 89 with part of the 28th Reinforcements NZ Expeditionary Force. At Cape Town the South African authorities condemned the ship as unfit for carrying troops. The troops were then transhipped aboard Omrah and HMT Norman.

So mystery solved.
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