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HMHS AMARAPOORA....Hospital Ship WW2........seeking information


andy1960

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Suppose you have all this, but just in case you haven't.......

 

 

Good photo of the ship at

http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus/ENQ/PM/FULL1?447860,I

 

AMARAPOORA / CAPTAIN HOBSON 1920

8,084 gross tons, length 465.8ft x beam 59.3ft, single screw, speed 13

knots, accommodation for 150-1st class passengers. Built 1920 by Wm. Denny &

Bros, Dumbarton for P. Henderson & Co (British & Burmese Steam Navigation

Co). Used on the Glasgow - Rangoon service. 1939 requisitioned as a hospital

ship with 503 beds and operating theatres. As HMHS AMARAPOORA, she was the

base hospital ship at Scapa Flow and made trips to Glasgow to carry the sick

to local hospitals. In 1940 she was used in the evacuation from Norway. 1942

Sent to Gibraltar in preparation for the invasion of North Africa and made

several trips to the UK with wounded. Sep.1943 involved in the Salerno

landings and was subject to air attack. Nov.1942 returned to the Clyde for

overhaul and fitted with another 100 beds. Jan.1944 Mediterranean hospital

ship. Apr.1944 converted on the Tyne into a Far East hospital ship and

fitted with air conditioning. Oct.1944 base hospital ship at Trincomalee.

Aug.1946 released by the Navy to the Ministry of Transport, managed by P.

Henderson and used on various duties including carrying French nationals

from Saigon to Toulon, Dutch nationals from Indonesia to Holland, pilgrims

from Levant to Jeddah and German prisoners from North Africa to Germany.

1948 converted to an austerity emigrant carrier with capacity for 617

passengers and chartered to the International Refugee Organisation. Carried

emigrants Italy - Australia and returned with Dutch nationals from

Indonesia. Also acted as a troopship for the British garrisons in Libya.

1951 refitted by Alex Stephens as an assisted emigrant carrier with

accommodation for 584 passengers, renamed CAPTAIN HOBSON and used on the

Glasgow - Wellington service. 1953 - 1955 employed trooping to Hong Kong and

then reverted to the New Zealand service. 1956 used as troopship during the

Suez crisis and then returned to NZ service. June 1957 suffered engine

breakdown in the Pacific and towed to Auckland by the PORT MACQUARIE.

Temporarily repaired, she sailed to the Clyde at reduced speed and was

fitted with a new high pressure cylinder. In May 1958 she made her final

voyage to Wellington where she was put up for sale. There was no interest in

the old ship, so she sailed to Bombay where she was laid up. In Mar.1959 she

was scrapped at Osaka. [Merchant Fleets, vol.29 by Duncan Haws]

 

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  • 7 months later...
Hi All ...my Dad served on HMHS Amarapoora...hospital ship..... during WW2 ..looking for any information or indeed anyone who served as well. Many Thanks Andrew Biddle

 

Hi Andy,

 

My Dad also served on this ship. He was on the first Far East voyage as a SBA/Petty Officer from 1944-46. He's still around. I have been looking around various message boards but so far I've not come across anyone else still surviving.

I have all sorts of photographs and things.

 

Regards,

John

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  • 1 month later...
Hi Andy,

 

My Dad also served on this ship. He was on the first Far East voyage as a SBA/Petty Officer from 1944-46. He's still around. I have been looking around various message boards but so far I've not come across anyone else still surviving.

I have all sorts of photographs and things.

 

Regards,

John

 

Hi John..ony just seen your reply.Would be really keen to get in touch .PM sent

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  • 5 months later...
Hi Andy,

 

My Dad also served on this ship. He was on the first Far East voyage as a SBA/Petty Officer from 1944-46. He's still around. I have been looking around various message boards but so far I've not come across anyone else still surviving.

I have all sorts of photographs and things.

 

Regards,

John

 

My father, Jack (William John) Lucas was also on Amarapoora as a petty officer when it was in the far east from 44 to 46 He is frail but would like to meet an old ship mates if it were possible. He lives in Alton Hampshire

 

Brian Lucas 01983 855406 blucas43@hotmail.com

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  • 1 year later...
Brian M Lucas said:
My father, Jack (William John) Lucas was also on Amarapoora as a petty officer when it was in the far east from 44 to 46 He is frail but would like to meet an old ship mates if it were possible. He lives in Alton Hampshire

 

Brian Lucas 01983 855406 blucas43@hotmail.com

 

email sent to you

Andy B

Edited by andy1960
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  • 9 months later...

Re: AMARAPOORA as a Hospital Ship

 

Just would like to respond to say that my wife's aunt was a nurse on this ship; in fact her aunt married the Chief Officer (I think that's correct title). I knew her well, but not her husband who died some years before. She was an extremely spirited, fun and resourceful lady. She has also now passed on, but she left her typed 'life-story' which includes a lot about life on board Amarapoora; and that's quite exciting (and revealing...). We have one original framed ship photo in the family although I discovered other info on-line since (including the Cpt. Hobson journeys post-war). We are only recently getting round to transcribing her story to MSWord. I think it should be in the public domain but will need to look into best way of publishing it. I could possibly give you a snippet if relevant to your enquiry. Unfortunately she substituted fictitious names for crew and staff, so I may not be able to identify specific people unless you give identifiable posts and duty dates. She was on board at Scapa Flow dodging the fleet bombings and dealing with injured navy crews in wards and theatre, and as a young nurse had to see some bad outcomes...

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  • 9 months later...
Re: AMARAPOORA as a Hospital Ship

 

Just would like to respond to say that my wife's aunt was a nurse on this ship; in fact her aunt married the Chief Officer (I think that's correct title). I knew her well, but not her husband who died some years before. She was an extremely spirited, fun and resourceful lady. She has also now passed on, but she left her typed 'life-story' which includes a lot about life on board Amarapoora; and that's quite exciting (and revealing...). We have one original framed ship photo in the family although I discovered other info on-line since (including the Cpt. Hobson journeys post-war). We are only recently getting round to transcribing her story to MSWord. I think it should be in the public domain but will need to look into best way of publishing it. I could possibly give you a snippet if relevant to your enquiry. Unfortunately she substituted fictitious names for crew and staff, so I may not be able to identify specific people unless you give identifiable posts and duty dates. She was on board at Scapa Flow dodging the fleet bombings and dealing with injured navy crews in wards and theatre, and as a young nurse had to see some bad outcomes...

 

 

Any more news on this ? A copy of the "life story" would give me a flavour of my Dads war as a senior sick berth attendant on this hospital ship! I should have asked him more about it when he was still alive ! Let that be a lesson to anyone who knows a veteran from WW2..try gently to see if they want to pass on some info .. but do not push if they don't. Many Thanks Andy B

Edited by andy1960
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Any more news on this ? A copy of the "life story" would give me a flavour of my Dads war as a senior sick berth attendant on this hospital ship! I should have asked him more about it when he was still alive ! Let that be a lesson to anyone who knows a veteran from WW2..try gently to see if they want to pass on some info .. but do not push if they don't. Many Thanks Andy B

 

Hi andy1960 - if it's possible I'll PM you with a response to this one. We have the 'life story' document transcribed and one chapter is particularly relevant to this post.

 

many thanks for contacting - sorry for delay.

 

:-)

Colin

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Hi andy1960 - if it's possible I'll PM you with a response to this one. We have the 'life story' document transcribed and one chapter is particularly relevant to this post.

 

many thanks for contacting - sorry for delay.

 

:-)

Colin

 

 

Hi Colin

 

I have sent you an email. Thanks Again

Andy

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  • 4 years later...
  • 1 year later...

My father served on board for the duration of the war as Pay Lieutenant John H Froude, working in accounts and pay. He was from Head Office of P Henderson & Co in Bothwell Street Glasgow before that.  On board he met Dorothy Hall, a nursing sister with the formidable QARNNSR (Queen Alexandra). I remember them talking together about characters on the ship and one very familiar name was "Brown Kelly"  How wonderful it was to see that.  Thank you Emma. Tales of Scapa Flow and the rest much cherished now. Like so many I now wish I had asked more questions.

 

Ken Froude

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