# SS Nellore



## Phil Hogge (Nov 8, 2016)

I am a new member and seek information on the SS Nellore, a ship owned by the Eastern & Australian Steamship Co. I was evacuated as a small baby with my mother on this ship in December 1941. To the best of my knowledge we left Singapore on or around 15 December bound initially for Batavia. We spent Christmas in Batavia before continuing to Fremantle in Western Australia, arriving on 8 January 1942 with some 313 passengers and evacuees on board. I have the passenger list for the arrival in Fremantle but would also like to know the exact date we left Singapore and the dates we were in Batavia.

I have some details of the ship and know that she was sunk by the Japanese in 1944. But any additional information on our voyage in 1941/42 would be most welcome.

My father was with BI and was captured on the Mata Hari on 15 February 1942. He survived the war and I am now writing these things up for my grandchildren.


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## eddyw (Nov 6, 2007)

http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?31571


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## Phil Hogge (Nov 8, 2016)

eddyw,
Many thanks for that, but I had already found it. What I am really after are the sailing dates for the voyage from Singapore to Fremantle in 1941/42.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetingg *Phil *and welcome to *SN*. Bon voyage.


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## peterlball (Oct 3, 2012)

*ss Nellore*

I have the passenger deck cabin plan of ss Nellore, let me know if you would like a copy. I knew well Captain Colin Springall (deceased now) who was a cadet officer on Nellore when she was sunk. When I was a teenage cadet in the 60s I sailed on the next ss Nellore (2) 
- built towards the end of the war. From Peter Ballantyne


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Google this > Britain at war. Evacuated to western Australia - Telegraph. It may be of some help to you.


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## Phil Hogge (Nov 8, 2016)

Peter, Thank you for your offer of the deck plan for the SS Nellore. I would be very pleased to receive a copy. My email is [email protected]


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

Try this: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8654292

Dave W


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## Phil Hogge (Nov 8, 2016)

cueball44 and whitespirit, 

Thank you both so much for your suggested links. I have been writing an account of my father and his capture soon after the fall of Singapore, link here to the Muntock Peace Museum:- http://muntokpeacemuseum.org/wp-con...her-and-the-Mata-Hari-v5-public-version-1.pdf 

And I am now writing for my grandchildren about our stay in Western Australia and voyage to England in February/March 1945. Your links have been very helpful. 

Many thanks, Phil


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## Chomedy41 (Feb 17, 2018)

*Nellore on Dec 6, 1941*

My father was a radio officer on a Canadian merchant ship in 1941. He left a diary. On December 8, 1941 he recorded this: "At about 9 o’clock ship’s time I went up to the wireless room and the Chief showed me a message he had just received. Here it is: AAAA AAAA AAAA S/S Nellore Nellore 6:26 N 6:26 N 108.08 E 108.08 E bombed bombed de de VPX VPX." The coordinates put the Nellore somewhere north of Riau Islands, northeast of Singapore.
Their ship received the news of Japan's declaration of war the same day. Their ship had departed Singapore on the morning of Dec. 4.


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## Christopher Creek (Mar 19, 2018)

*Nellore*

Hi Phil,

I am doing some family tree research and my mother Raymonde Gachnang was on that same desperate journey along with her mother and sister. I too would like the that detail you are seeking. 

Regards,

Christopher


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## Zuytdorp (Apr 13, 2019)

*Nellore speed question*

Hi, some of my family were on board the SS Nellore on one of its last trips from Hong Kong before war broke out. They traveled from Hong Kong, via Singapore, to Rabaul.

I'd appreciate any assistance clearing up a question I have about the duration of that voyage.

• Relatives say that the voyage took 12 days.

• They also say they spent a day docked in Singapore

Does anyone know if the Nellore was capable of doing that voyage in 12 days, including the stop in Singapore?

Thanks in advance.

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PS: There seems to have been a second Nellore based on some archived reports I've found - that was operating in the 50's and 60's.
I'm only interested in the earlier one.
http://collections.anmm.gov.au/en/o...1;jsessionid=924D0EEF27F4BBA9AADF18F7B57ABED2


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## Zuytdorp (Apr 13, 2019)

Zuytdorp said:


> Does anyone know if the Nellore was capable of doing that voyage in 12 days, including the stop in Singapore?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Update: The Nellore's wrecksites entry lists her speed as 14 knots. Presuming she would not have been travelling at top speed all the time, it seems to make the 12 day timetable from Hong Kong unlikely. I based this on entering the voyage on searoutes.com


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## shipmate17 (Jun 1, 2005)

*Nellore*

NELLORE.grt 6583.built 1913 by Caird & Co.Greenock.sm/t(I-8)7.51S/75.20E/ 29.6.1944.(Bombay-Sydney.)


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## Zuytdorp (Apr 13, 2019)

shipmate17 said:


> NELLORE.grt 6583.built 1913 by Caird & Co.Greenock.sm/t(I-8)7.51S/75.20E/ 29.6.1944.(Bombay-Sydney.)


Thanks for the reply - not sure if there's something I can use there


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## BoutcherFamilyHistory (Aug 25, 2019)

*account of Nellore evacuation*

Excerpt from a letter written by my grandmother, Margaret Boutcher, who was evacuated on the Nellore in December/Jan 1940/41 

"When we arrived in S’pore at 8 am we were met by H.E and the colonial secretary and told we were being put onto a ship destination ? That was blow No. 1. The followed blow No. 2 – the children’s suitcase was not on the train only half the luggage had been put on – nearly everyone was minus. The boys then were filthy dirty and had only the clothes they stood up in and the one change that had been lent me in K.L. We were then put into army lorries and taken to the ship. Words will never describe that, we were put into the hold without water or sanitary arrangements. I was lucky and managed to secure a mattress on the floor of the lounge as I just thought I’d never get the boys and 3 life belts up the ladder if things went wrong and the heat down there was terrible. Well we sailed at about 5 pm – we turned tail and went back to anchorage – rumour had it there were Jap warships about. Anyway our hopes all rose as we thought it would be too dangerous to go and we could go back and stay in S’pore but not so at daybreak we set off again this time convoyed by 2 destroyers. Three indescribable days and nights followed and then we arrived here where we were taken in by the inhabitants. We were terribly lucky and are staying with the kindest family imaginable our host is a Dr and a children’s specialist and they are just wonderful to us and have given us everything we could possibly want and outfitted the children. The Consul general and all the staff are marvellous. My great anxiety was of course Charles but he has cabled that he is safe in Singapore and is going to try and join us in Perth where we are all being sent as soon as the ship is ready for us. It is being reconditioned and bathrooms and sanitary arrangements etc being fixed up for us so it will be a degree better than before and we are much refreshed and rested after our week here. –Christmas day – this letter has been written over many days. The children had a lovely Xmas eve party at the consulate with Santa Claus and a tree and presents. Our hostess 3 children aged 6, 9,11 also had a tree and our two were laden with presents and I was given some lovely new clothes for them. Neither Nick nor Kit seem in the least upset or worried but all the events of the last fortnight but I do rather dread the next bit of the journey for them."

There is also an account of the evacuation by the mother of Brian Miller, who was also on the Nellore. However, I am reluctant to post it without his permission. His account makes it quite clear what my grandmother missed out when she wrote home! 

One, published, account tells that the Penang evacuees were locked in the train when it arrived at Singapore to prevent them from leaving the evacuation process.


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## BoutcherFamilyHistory (Aug 25, 2019)

Looking at Brian Miller's mum's account it looks like the Nellore arrived in Batavia on Dec 22 or 23 having taken 3 days to get there. The Nellore left Batavia on the Saturday morning so that looks as though it should be 27 December.


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