The WW2 Nieuw Amsterdam

[colbe]

I have been interested to hear my 92 year-old father talk about the troop ship, Nieuw Amsterdam. He travelled on the NA from New Zealand with the Maori Battalion to fight in Europe. 8600 troops on a ship designed for 1187.They must have been an impressive sight as the NA, Queen Mary, Aquitania, and other ex-liners in convoy, zig zagged their way around the world.

 

See a piece here about US troops

http://www.gallagher.com/ww2/chapter11.html

 

This is an interesting piece on the history of this beautiful ship.

http://www.ssmaritime.com/nieuwamsterdam-II.htm

 

Also see this if you are interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Nieuw_Amsterdam_%281937%29

 

Dad returned home in 1946 on the Aquitania, minus his youth, many of his friends, and sadly his 19 year old brother, all left behind in Italy.

 

I hope that our favourite cruise ships never need to be used as troop carriers.

[Topsham]

Colbe,

 

Here are a few photos of the Nw AMSTERDAM in her trooping days.... and under Cunard Line management!

 

Also two views of AQUITANIA as a transport. The last phto shows teh ship arriving Wellington. Sorry, but I don't know teh date of the photo but most likely when she was repatriating.

 

Best wishes to your dad.

 

Stephen

[Topsham]

Here are the missing photos from my earlier post.

[sparky-elpaso]

Incredible articles. Thanks for posting the links. I've bookmarked the first to read better later.

[Himself]

I have been interested to hear my 92 year-old father talk about the troop ship, Nieuw Amsterdam. He travelled on the NA from New Zealand with the Maori Battalion to fight in Europe. 8600 troops on a ship designed for 1187.They must have been an impressive sight as the NA, Queen Mary, Aquitania, and other ex-liners in convoy, zig zagged their way around the world.

 

See a piece here about US troops

http://www.gallagher.com/ww2/chapter11.html

 

This is an interesting piece on the history of this beautiful ship.

http://www.ssmaritime.com/nieuwamsterdam-II.htm

 

Also see this if you are interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Nieuw_Amsterdam_%281937%29

 

Dad returned home in 1946 on the Aquitania, minus his youth, many of his friends, and sadly his 19 year old brother, all left behind in Italy.

 

I hope that our favourite cruise ships never need to be used as troop carriers.

 

Great stories! Thanks for the links.

[cruisemom42]

This was indeed a beautiful ship. My grandparents used to live in a neighborhood just a block from the channel where ships navigated into and out of Port Everglades. You could stand on the street in front of their house and see the ships (above the houses next to the channel) glide by, and I used to do just that as a child. The Nieuw Amsterdam (at 36,000 tons) seemed huge at the time compared with some of the smaller ships that were just starting to offer "cruises" to the Caribbean. (The old Queen Elizabeth was unimaginably big -- at some 83,000 tons!)

 

My grandmother had gone back and forth to Europe several times in the 1950s by ship, including traveling with my mother on the original Queen Mary to sightsee and to buy things for my mother's upcoming marriage. After his retirement, my grandfather joined her travels by ship, and they frequently cruised with Holland America.

 

Back in the early 1970s, as a past passenger, you could just call up your travel agent and arrange to go onboard the ship while she was in port. At least twice that I can remember, my grandmother took me (an 8-year-old tomboy) onboard Nieuw Amsterdam to see the ship and have formal tea. To this day I still remember the beautiful interiors of that ship, from the glory days of the ocean liners. She was an impressive sight.

 

I was so sad when I heard she'd been sold for scrap a couple of years later. :(

[PathfinderEss]

Wonderful stories Colbe, thanks for posting the links.

Topsham thanks for those great pictures.

[colbe]

Colbe,

 

Here are a few photos of the Nw AMSTERDAM in her trooping days.... and under Cunard Line management!

 

Also two views of AQUITANIA as a transport. The last phto shows teh ship arriving Wellington. Sorry, but I don't know teh date of the photo but most likely when she was repatriating.

 

Best wishes to your dad.

 

Stephen

 

Thanks Stephen. Yes that looks like the 1946 return of troops (and war brides, and babies, including one born on board!!).

[Topsham]

Thanks Stephen. Yes that looks like the 1946 return of troops (and war brides, and babies, including one born on board!!).

 

 

Colby,

 

I know I have more AQUITANIA. I'll search.

 

Just a little FYI. A new book is due out later this year.... history of the Nw AMSTERDAM... 800 pages etc. Dutch text.

 

Do you know what date the Nw AMSTERDAM sailed from Wellington with your dad on board. Might be able to find photos of the sailing.

 

Are you in Wellington?

 

Stephen

[shipmannj]

Nieuw Amsterdam 1936 was then, and still is, hailed as one of the most beautiful ships of all time. She was a great tribute to her builders, owners and, most of all, her country. When she entered service, she was hailed as "the ship of peace." Even though it was obvious that war was again on the horizon, there was nothing in her design or fitting out that would make it "easy" for her to be used in war service.

 

It is highly doubtful that any of the present fleet of cruiseships, with the possible exception of Queen Mary 2, would be able to serve as these ships did. All are so lightly built that they would not survive the constant punishment on their engines and hulls that these older ships were built for.

[BeagleOne]

Thanks for posting! I'll be looking at the links later when I have time, but just wanted to ask you to convey (very belated) thanks to your dad for his service. It must have been awful for him to lose his brother so young.

 

I was on the QE2 on her first crossing after the Falklands, westbound to NYC. Quite an experience. I too hope we never again have need of cruise ships and ocean liners having to be converted to troop ships.

[colbe]

Thanks for posting! I'll be looking at the links later when I have time, but just wanted to ask you to convey (very belated) thanks to your dad for his service. It must have been awful for him to lose his brother so young.

 

I was on the QE2 on her first crossing after the Falklands, westbound to NYC. Quite an experience. I too hope we never again have need of cruise ships and ocean liners having to be converted to troop ships.

 

 

Thank you for your kind words. I took my father back to Italy for the first time in 2011. He was able to visit his brother's grave for the first time and finally say good bye. He has wonderful memories of the people in Italy.

[colbe]

Colby,

 

I know I have more AQUITANIA. I'll search.

 

Just a little FYI. A new book is due out later this year.... history of the Nw AMSTERDAM... 800 pages etc. Dutch text.

 

Do you know what date the Nw AMSTERDAM sailed from Wellington with your dad on board. Might be able to find photos of the sailing.

 

Are you in Wellington?

 

Stephen

 

No we do not live in Wellington. That was the port where troop ships left from. The NA sailed from Wellington on 21 July 1943 heading first to Sydney to join the convoy, and then to Eygpt.

[Topsham]

No we do not live in Wellington. That was the port where troop ships left from. The NA sailed from Wellington on 21 July 1943 heading first to Sydney to join the convoy, and then to Eygpt.

 

 

 

OK, thanks for the date. I know exactly where to look for this info.

 

More later.

 

Stephen

[DFD1]

Thanks Colbe, for an absolutely fascinating thread. Great fun to read and learn more about this great ship and those turbulent times.