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matching new zealand troops
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Queenscliffe Maritime MuseumPainting - MV Waterman, Dacre Smyth
Three Victory Class ships, S.S. Cranston Victory, S.S. Costa Rica Victory and the S.S. La Grande Victory, were built for the “United War Shipping Administration” as troop and cargo ships. Their war time duties were short lived as they were soon sold to the Dutch Government for the use as troop transport ships and Migrant ship to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These three ships were built toward the end of World War II, and were part of the new larger improved version of the famed “Liberty” ships. Each ship had strengthened hulls for them to go into the war zone, but by the time they were completed the war was coming to an end. There were ninety seven Victory troop transport ships built, each able to transport up to 1600 troops. Unlike the Liberty ships, all accommodation was fully ventilated and heated. There was the usual meagre style troop bunks, a hospital, galleys, washrooms and even a several public rooms. The first of the trio, S.S. Cranston Victory (Zuiderkruis) was built by the Oregon Shipbuilding Yard in Portland; Oregon was launched on May 5, 1944. The second of the series, S.S. Costa Rica Victory (Groote Beer) was built by Permanente Metals Co, Richmond California and launched on June 17, 1944. The last of the three was the S.S. La Grande Victory (Waterman), which like her sister S.S. Cranston Victory, was built by the Oregon Shipbuilding Yard in Portland, Oregon and launched on January 16, 1945.In November 1951, the third of the trio, La Grande Victory, renamed Waterman, was completed and at 9,176-tons, commenced her first voyage to Australia.A framed oil painting of the migrant ship MV WatermanWatermanmv waterman, liberty ships, migrant ships -
Queenscliffe Maritime MuseumDocument - Passenger List, P&O Passenger List RMS Strathaird
... to Australia and New Zealand with their troops heading home. The RMS ...RMS Strathaird was the second of a pair to be built and was completed on January 10, 1932. She was preceded by her identical sister the RMS Strathnaver completed on September 2, 1931. They were built by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, in Barrow-in-Furness, England.RMS Strathaird departed Tilbury on her maiden voyage on February 12 1932, bound for Brisbane Australia sailing via Port Said, Aden, Bombay, Colombo, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, a service she would remain on until the war would put an end to her passenger’s service for six long years! After the Mediterranean had been declared safe in late 1943, the Strathaird was the very first ship to sail through the Suez Canal in 1943. In 1945 she returned to Australia and New Zealand with their troops heading home. The RMS Strathaird was handed back to P&O in December 1947 and after a major refit she departed Tilbury on January 5, 1948. She returned to her regular Australian service but also continued to operate the occasional cruises. Due to demand and the migrant trade, in 1954 the Strathaird was converted to become a one-class liner, accommodating a good 1,252 passengers. Upon completion she departed Tilbury for her first voyage on April 8, 1954. TSS Strathaird departed Tilbury for Australia on March 28, 1961 and she then departed Sydney on May 9. As she sailed from Australia and had passed through the Suez Canal and was now in the Mediterranean she passed P&O’s newest superliner, the 42,570 GRT SS Canberra that had departed the UK on June 2, for Australia and New Zealand.A PDF doc of a Passenger List from the 'RMS Strathaird' passenger list dated September 1952P&O Passenger Listrms strathaird, passenger liners, migrant ships, cruise liners, british travellers
