# RMS Athlone Castle



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

I am trying to trace the dates and itinerary of the voyage of the Union Castle ship 'Athlone Castle' in Spring 1945 from Australia to England. I first came to England, with my mother, from Australia in April 1945 on this ship. She must have been way off her usual runs due to wartime requirements. We sailed from Sydney, to Wellington, then across the Pacific, through the Panama Canal and up to New York to join a convoy to the UK. On the way across the Atlantic, we were diverted to the Azores to pick up some American soldiers whose ship had been torpedoed. After that we came around the north of Ireland, arriving in Liverpool in April 1945. 

Is there anyone out there who may be able to help?


----------



## Boomer2905 (Feb 3, 2012)

Bergerie1 said:


> I am trying to trace the dates and itinerary of the voyage of the Union Castle ship 'Athlone Castle' in Spring 1945 from Australia to England. I first came to England, with my mother, from Australia in April 1945 on this ship. She must have been way off her usual runs due to wartime requirements. We sailed from Sydney, to Wellington, then across the Pacific, through the Panama Canal and up to New York to join a convoy to the UK. On the way across the Atlantic, we were diverted to the Azores to pick up some American soldiers whose ship had been torpedoed. After that we came around the north of Ireland, arriving in Liverpool in April 1945.
> 
> Is there anyone out there who may be able to help?


=======================================

Is this any use to you>>
Athlone Castle history ex Wikipedia

1946 2x troops to Australia and 1x Singapore.
17.09.1946 out of naval service
05.1947 Back to Union-Castle Line.

My Father returned from the War via Singapore on it and I wa sborn Oct 47 so I guess he was on the last voyage !!
Cheers


----------



## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello,
See attached movements of ATHLONE CASTLE 1945

Roger


----------



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

Dear Boomer,

Thank you so much, what you said adds to what I have discovered, my father too was a PoW in Singapore which was part of the story of why we came to England on the Athlone Castle in 1945. Someone advised me to contact the Guildhall in London and they supplied me with the following (sorry but in copying the table the columns have got somewhat scrambled!):-
Departure Date	Departure Port	Arrival Date	Arrival Port	Convoy Number	Notes
05/01/45	Cristobal	Independent	
06/01/45	Balboa	26/01/45	Sydney NSW	Independent	
06/02/45	Sydney NSW	09/02/45	Wellington	Independent	794 troops
10/02/45	Wellington	07/03/45	Balboa	Independent	
08/03/45	Cristobal	14/03/45	NYC	Independent	
15/03/45	NYC	23/03/45	Ponta Delgada	CU 062	Horta
24/03/45	Ponta Delgada	29/03/45	Liverpool	Escorted	2241 troops
02/05/45	Liverpool	12/05/45	Halifax	UC 066A	Halifax

Thank you too Roger Griffiths, your voyage log agrees with what the Guildall sent me.


----------



## harveywhite (Aug 22, 2012)

*Athlone Castle 1945*

I was on the trip in 1945 from Sydney via Wellington, Panama, New York, Azores to Liverpool - as was my brother who is still alive. I have lots of memories and some memorabilia - so please be in touch! HW


----------



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

*Athlone Castle 1945*

Dear Harvey,

I have sent you a private message,

Phil


----------



## harveywhite (Aug 22, 2012)

*Athlone Castle*



Bergerie1 said:


> Dear Harvey,
> 
> I have sent you a private message,
> 
> Phil


There is a lot to say and I have many memories including the diver, the on-board school etc. I will try to find time for a longer e-mail but why not meet up? Harvey


----------



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

The Athlone Castle left Ponta Delgado on 24 March 1945 bound for Liverpool where she arrived on 29 March 1945. During this leg she was escorted by a destroyer which was torpedoed. Can anyone help me find the name of this destroyer and what happened to her.


----------



## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Bergerie1 said:


> The Athlone Castle left Ponta Delgado on 24 March 1945 bound for Liverpool where she arrived on 29 March 1945. During this leg she was escorted by a destroyer which was torpedoed. Can anyone help me find the name of this destroyer and what happened to her.


Only ship around at the time that was torpedoed by U-246 was a frigate HMS TEME on 29th March 1945 off Falmouth did not sink but was damaged beyond repair.B/U Llanelly 1946


----------



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

Many thanks for this information. Is there any way of finding out whether HMS Teme escorted the Athlone Castle from the Azores to Liverpool on the dates I quoted?


----------



## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

HMCS TEME was a River Class Frigate torpedoed by the German Submarine U-315 off Lands End, in postion 50º07'N, 05º45'W
There is a file in the British archive which may relate to the damage she sustained during the submarine attack.
This may or may not confirm she was escorting ATHLONE CASTLE.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...&hdnsorttype=Reference&image1.x=21&image1.y=7
Other than that a look at the narritive pages of the logbook of ATHLONE CASTLE official number 164625may give some clues.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...Highlight=,164625&accessmethod=0&Summary=True

regards
Roger


----------



## Bergerie1 (Nov 7, 2011)

Roger,
Many thanks for your help. I am starting digging!


----------



## Moreton (Sep 12, 2013)

Interesting reading, I think my grandfather was one of the troops going from Liverpool to Sydney (22/12/44 - 6/2/45) - are there any passenger lists for these voyages ? - if there are where should I go looking ?


----------



## wiggin59 (Oct 19, 2013)

*Thank you Roger*

Hello, I joined to learn about the Athlone Castle, and would like to thank Roger very much for the scan of the trips made by this ship that carried my dad in 1945 from Halifax to Liverpool on his way to the air base at Tempsford in SE England. He was in the RCAF as a radar tech.


----------



## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings *Wiggin59* and *Bergerie1* you are both welcomed to* SN *and enjoy the site. Bon voyage.


----------



## G Williams (Apr 1, 2015)

Hi 
My Granddad (William McGrane) was a Merchant Navy Seaman, unfortunately I don't know his rank, on that trip. I've attached his service records, thought they might interest you.


----------



## Ben Rawlings (May 1, 2015)

*Athlone Castle 1945 Australia to England*

I too was on that voyage with my Mother but only four years old at the time. I remember New Zealand (we went ashore for two or three hours), the canoe in the Pacific, Panama Canal and its "Mules" and the Azores.


----------



## Jill Clark (Sep 23, 2016)

*RMS Athalone trip to Canada*

My mother and her sister came to Canada as war brides aboard the Athalone Castle . They arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax on May 12, 1945. I am hoping to find a passenger list with their names. Any ideas from anyone? I have tried without success so far.
I was told that it is possible there was not a passenger list, depending on what the other cargo was on the ship. I have also found the possibility that the Athalone was a mailing ship.


----------



## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

You might find something on this site....... I believe there's a free trial period.

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/ireland-records?country=south africa&datasetname=passenger lists leaving uk 1890-1960&shipname=athlone castle


----------



## Jill Clark (Sep 23, 2016)

Thank you I will give it a try.


----------



## KZP (Oct 23, 2020)

Athlone Castle on old postcard.


----------

