# MS Batory Southampton to Bombay



## ericthepenguin (May 6, 2014)

Hi Guys

I hold 2 passanger lists for the MS Batory, which show my Grandfather Frank Aston as travelling on the vessel to India, (Bombay I think).

1) Outbound 8/1/1955
2) Inbound 20/2/1956

Can anybody say if this would have been 2 separate trips or one long one, (over a year!!). I understand the ship may have stopped at Lisbon and gone through the med and Suez Canal so a year seems excessive to me. Surely though if it was 2 separate trips there would be 2 other outbound/inbound passenger lists showing his name.

Any help gratefully received

Eric


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## eddyw (Nov 6, 2007)

Two separate trips, I think. Batory was on the North Atlantic run until increasing Cold War problems in 1951 resulted in her being refitted for tropical climes and switched to a service from Gdynia and Southampton to Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Karachi, Bombay and Mormugao (Goa). There may have been other ports of call as well. This continued until 1956 when the Suez Crisis closed the canal.


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## ericthepenguin (May 6, 2014)

*A mystery*

Thanks Eddyw for your help.

I was given contact details for a Grzegorz Rogowski, who is researching Polish Transatlantic ships. He confirmed what you have said and estimated a total trip length of 12 weeks.

I am researchig my family history. My grandfather Frank Aston is shown as travelling on both trips, but he had a young wife Violet Annie Aston, (he was 22 years older)

1) she is not on the passenger list
2) unfortunatley she died on the 27/3/1956 i think of a brain tumour. This is just a few weeks after what we assume was his 2nd trip ended on the MS Batory.
3) I have found a probate in which she leaves everything to Frank and shows her last address as the marital home in Sidmouth.

So, in world terms it's not important, but to me, reseaching the family history it bodes the question 'why wasn't she on the trip?' I have seen a passenger list from 1953 when they went on a cruise together to Madeira

I know my mum told me Grandfather had a bad chest and went away in the winter to warmer climes. I guess we will never know. Maybe Violet did not like cruising. maybe she had work commitments, (however my Grandfather was quite a wealthy man so I believe she did not have to work if she did not want to. It seems strange that a couple would spend so long apart, and also slightly odd that my Grandfather would go on the same ship, and, I assume covering the same ports. If anyone know whether they went to different ports in 1956 than they did in 1955 this might partly explain things.

I am happy to accept any other theories that are put forward by members.

Cheers

Eric


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## Mike Agate (May 22, 2012)

*Stefan Vatory*

I sailed on this ship as a boy. I left from Southampton via Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malta, Suez Canal, Aden and Bombay. It took 6 to 7 weeks. Re your querry the round trip would be 12 to 14 weeks.


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## ericthepenguin (May 6, 2014)

Hi Mike

Well that's it then....around 3 months was the round trip.

Thanks for the post.

Regards

Eric


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## SaraEmmaMB (Jan 15, 2019)

Hi, I am writing you from Mexico. I am working on the biography of the mexican poet Octavio Paz, it is know from a book of his that he traveled on the Batory in 1951 from Port Said to Mumbai, Does anyone know where can I find photos or the passenger list that mentions him? Thank you.


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## SaraEmmaMB (Jan 15, 2019)

Do you have any memories of Octavio Paz in that travel? He took it in Port Said to Mumbai.


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## tom roberts (May 4, 2008)

The Batory was in Montreal 1967 the year of expo and I was on the Sylvania,we played football against their team and were battered by them,they turned up fit as butchers dogs our lot having been in Joe Beefs or some other most unsuitable training establishments the night before or were dragged out of said training grounds took to the field with hangovers etc and hardly a fit one among us and as I said we're truly stuffed ,at half time it was sod the lemons it was Molsons that enabled us to go out and get even more of a hiding than the first half,fit buggers them Poles .


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## MarjB (Oct 3, 2020)

ericthepenguin said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I hold 2 passanger lists for the MS Batory, which show my Grandfather Frank Aston as travelling on the vessel to India, (Bombay I think).
> 
> ...


Hi Eric
Just seen the above and would really appreciate you letting me know if the Stocking family is on the 1956 list. We sailed on the MS Batory from Bombay, Malta, Aden, Suez Canal etc and arrived at Southampton in February 1956. Kind regards. Marj,


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

MarjB said:


> Hi Eric
> Just seen the above and would really appreciate you letting me know if the Stocking family is on the 1956 list. We sailed on the MS Batory from Bombay, Malta, Aden, Suez Canal etc and arrived at Southampton in February 1956. Kind regards. Marj,


Maybe try sending a message via conversations to Eric.
He has not been back to SN since 2014.
Good luck!


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## AshleyJT (Oct 12, 2021)

Hi, I am new to the site and would welcome any information. I am researching part of my family history. My father (Beresford), Mother (Cynthia), sister Loren and I (Ashley Taylor) travelled on the MS Batory leaving Bombay on or around 6th Oct 1955 arriving Southampton 17th Nov 1955. Does anyone have a passenger list or travelogue of this journey that would help enrich my story?


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello and welcome,
This is the nearest I can get to your date of disembarkation. 17th may be a typo or your memory may be playing tricks. After all it is nearly 80 years!





Southampton: MS Batory (Polish Ocean Liners) travelling from Bombay to Southampton.... | The National Archives


The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.




discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk




To view follow the link to Ancestry or you can visit Kew to look at the original
regards
Roger


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Roger Griffiths said:


> Hello and welcome,
> This is the nearest I can get to your date of disembarkation. 17th may be a typo or your memory may be playing tricks. After all it is nearly 80 years!
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry its my old eyes!


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## Murselin (Jan 4, 2022)

Dear all,
My father travelled with this ship from India to Southampton in 1956. Now he is battling for his life in hospital with covid, Apologies as I am feeling very emotional finding this group. He told me this ship was one of very last few ships that were allowed to pass through suez canal before war broke out. Does anyone know where I can find passengers record on this ship? Many thanks.


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello and welcome,
The last 1956 Passenger List of BATORY, Bombay to Southampton which seems to have survived was arrival in Southampton April 12 1956.





Southampton: MS Batory (Polish Ocean Lines) travelling from Bombay to Southampton.... | The National Archives


The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.




discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk




The Suez Crisis began in July 1956.

This could mean one of two scenario's.
1/ If there were any later passenger lists, they have been lost or destroyed.
2/ Your fathers recollections could be confused.
I would download the April 12 passenger list via "Ancestry" for the purpose of elimination.

regards
Roger


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## Murselin (Jan 4, 2022)

Dear Roger,
Many thanks for clarification. I will go through his diaries to clarify the dates. Many thanks again.


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