# Stratheden? WW2 Troop Ship



## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

My grandad remembers sailing from the UK (Ireland or Liverpool) in 1942 onboard a ship he thinks was called Stratheden(check spelling) to India. 

It was a Troop ship and taken over by the navy approx around 25,000 T

Any help would be appreciated


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Could *this* be the one, Ben?


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## Dulcibella (Mar 7, 2008)

*Stratheden*

Ben,

The vessel to which you refer is almost certain to have been P&O's Stratheden, one of five sister ships, referred to as the 2Great White Sisters" built in the 1930s. They were Strathnaver, Strathaird, Strathmore, Stratheden and Strahallan. The latter vessel was sunk in the Med and was the only one of the sisters to be lost.

Dulcibella
(ex P&O, BI, AUSN, E&A, Sitmar & Chandris Lines, Melbourne)


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

Hello Chaps

Yes that sounds like the ship we are looking for. It was P&O. Do you have any photographs or history on it?


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

If you do a search in the gallery it comes up with quite a few as* here*.
Cheers
Kris


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks

Found a few here : http://www.seadogs-reunited.com/Stratheden.htm


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

They were not all sisters.
STRATHAIRD and STRATHNAVER were built in 1931 with three funnels,reduced to one during their postwar refits..
The others were built five or six years later.
Stan


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## Dulcibella (Mar 7, 2008)

*Stratheden*

Stan,

Though you are right about the Straths' building, they were always regarded as "sisters" in the company, at least they were in Australia. Strathnaver and Strathaird eventually lost the first and third funnels, retaining the second or middle one.

Dulcibella


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## methc (May 4, 2005)

*"Strath" differences*



stan mayes said:


> They were not all sisters.
> STRATHAIRD and STRATHNAVER were built in 1931 with three funnels,reduced to one during their postwar refits..
> The others were built five or six years later.
> Stan


The Aird and the Naver were turbo electric whereas the others were direct coupled turbine. Originally the Aird and Naver had in-turning propellors which prevented them from turning short to port due to the transverse thrust effect of the port screw. This came to light during a tug strike in Sydney when the Aird could not make the usual turn to port after passing under the bridge. The electric motors were re-wired so that going ahead both propellors were out-turning. The fuel consumption was thereby raised even though service speed was reduced by a couple of knots or so.


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

As far as I know, or believe, a sister ship is any ship with the same hull form. Upper works could be derricks, cranes, funnels, accommodation or otherwise but the way the hull is they are sisters. Identical sisters speaks for it's self?


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## tom e kelso (May 1, 2005)

According to Archie Munro's book, "The Winston Specials", Stratheden (Capt. A W Drew) only made one voyage from UK to India druing 1942 (plus two to Suez).

12.o2.42


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## tom e kelso (May 1, 2005)

Sorry about that! Continuing my last message

Stratheden 

12.02.42 Having embarked troops dep King George V dock Glasgow for "Clyde Anchorage"
16.02.42 Departed Clyde Anchorage in Convoy WS16
01.03.42 Arrived Freetown (fuel and fresh water)
06.03.42 Departed Freetown
21.03.42 Arrived Durban (R & R including daily route marches through the
city!)
25.03.42 Departed Durban
08.04.42 Arrived Bombay

Tom


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## Thomson (Dec 13, 2006)

The Convoy referred to is likely be WS 16 and WS16B details of which are on the following web site. 
Hope this is of help.
http://www.naval-history.net/xAH-WSConvoys01.htm


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

tom e kelso said:


> Sorry about that! Continuing my last message
> 
> Stratheden
> 
> ...



Fantastic Tom, I will show this route to my grandad and get back to you.


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## Thomson (Dec 13, 2006)

Please note the URL on my previous reply has been corrected of a mistake in copying. Hope you will find this of interest - my father was on the 1941 Stratheden convoy WS7 hence the reason for my research and finding this link which I hope will be of interest. I note that in 1942 Stratheden was Commodore.


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello,
To confirm details and add more information on the early trooping voyages of STRATHEDEN. From the British National Archives MT40/149

regards
Roger


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## Roland Fox (Apr 23, 2008)

The Stratheden was one of the old survivors in the shipping annals, my wife saild from Tilbury to Adelaide in the year 1962 on this vessel.


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## clawd (Jul 27, 2009)

*Probably the Stratheden's last convoy*

At the age of 8 I sailed with my mother on the Stratheden from Bombay (Mumbai) via Suez and the Mediterranean to Gibraltar where we picked up the convoy for the final leg to Liverpool. Because convoy's net speed was governed by the slowest ship - in this case a tanker at about 8 knots - progress across the Bay of Biscay was slow and very uncomfortable. While travelling up the Irish Sea our escorts (corvettes & armed trawlers) claimed to have found an enemy sub! which they proceeded to attack with depth charges. The uncharitable view was that a shoal of fish had been found and depth charging was a quick fishing system with the trawlers scooping up the end products.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings Clawd and a warm welcome to SN on your first and interesting posting. Enjoy the site and bon voyage.


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## jackman (Apr 26, 2009)

I wasn't on the Stratheden during the war. But I sailed on her for two trips to Australia from 27-12-54 paid off 24-06-55. She was a P&O boat. This was before the merger with the Orient line. I also sailed on the Strathmore. Four trips to Australia. 19-04-53 paid off 4-02-54 Jackman


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## offcumdum sanddancer (Aug 30, 2006)

I am doing some research into my late father's war service and I see, thanks to the thumbnail on this page, that his company war diary is reflected in saying that he embarked Greenock on Stratheden 31 October 1942 and landed in Algeria 13 November 1942 and commenced work at Algiers dock (He was a sergeant. in the Pioneer Corps, 162 company at that time) Thank you for this further research, Roger Griffiths and others.


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## Kenton daughter (Aug 16, 2020)

karbine said:


> Hello Chaps
> 
> Yes that sounds like the ship we are looking for. It was P&O. Do you have any photographs or history on it?


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## Kenton daughter (Aug 16, 2020)

My dad sailed to India on the Stratheden in 1942. He was in the RAF. I've got all sorts of weird stuff he kept. Menus for example, if anyone is interested.


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## MV Glenogle (Jul 6, 2020)

A very good buy for you would be Business in Great Waters by George F Kerr Faber books
Try abe books for best price.


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