I am restoring a garden bench I've had for some time & I've just uncovered a notice stating that the wood use to make the bench came from the decking of SS Otranto. Can anyone help with information regarding this ship?

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There was an Otranto built for the Orient Line in 1925 by Vickers Armstrong of Barrow.

20,026 tons gross, length 658 feet, twin screw turbines, 524 first class passengers, 531 tourist class.

She survived the War, but I don't know how long she lasted after that.

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I believe 'Otranto'(2) was only to survive until 1957, in which year she was scrapped at Faslane.

Her predecessor 'Otranto' (1) was built in 1909 and lost in 1918 when she sank following a collision with P&O's 'Kashmir' off the Scottish coast, at the time the vessel was serving as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.

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Hi Pauline,
I immigrated with my family to Australia on the SS Otranto in 1956. We left from Tilbury docks and the voyage took about 5 weeks.
We all enjoyed the trip over - it was just like a cruise ship!

Regards,
Pat Farrows

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Hello Pat, I was just looking on the net for information of the Otranto as I came here also in 1956. We arrived some time in November and I am trying to find the exact date that we arrived as i want to celebrate the 50th anniversary this year. Unfortunately my parents are not alive and I don't know what day it was.Our family name is Abbess and we came here as a small family Mum,Dad and two boys. I still have a couple of the original post cards of the ship and some of the menus.

Best regards,

John Abbess 13 Ballanda place, Bangor NSW 2243

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Hello John
With regards the details of your voyage to Australia. It appears your family is listed on the National Archives of Australia website. The date of departure but not arrival is given. The archives will have the records.
www.naa.gov.au Click on Record Search. Click on Search now - as a guest. Type your name in the Keyword box. Click on display.

Regards Diane.

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John Abbas - Try checking the government archives for the informaion you want. There are various search options there. I found my family's arrival information there. I too came on the Otranto but in early 1957. On her final voyage.

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My family also arrived in Melbourne in March 1957 on the Otranto.I am about to search the archives for more information.

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Hi Elizabeth

I am helping a friend in researching her family ( mothers side ) and have found they came on the Otranto departing Tilbury on the 13 Feb 1957 to Melbourne, was wondering if you know the date that it arrived and where passengers went on arrival???? The Family was a Albert Henry E Brookman and wife and 3 chyildren. Thanking You Janet

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Hi, i was on board the same voyage, on the journey we stopped at following places. Las Palmos Canary Islands, crossed equator Feb 24th 1957, Capetown ( seaside similar to Blackpool) then Freemantle, the smell of a bushfire was evident from mainland. Shortly after leaving Freemantle the engines broke down for a while. Next stop Adelaide where the HMAS Melbourne (aircraft carrier) was also in port. Next stop Port Melbourne 24th March 1957. Captains name 'Edgecomb'. I was in cabin 504 F deck.

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Hi John, Seems like a lot of us POMS arrived in 1956 aboard the Otranto. My father, mother, brother and myself arrived on the 6/6/56 at Fremantle. I know this as we arrived on Aussie soil on my mother's birthday. We then sailed around to Sydney and we were dutifully ensconsed at Berkley Hostel, near Wollongong. I was told by an old sailor on the ship, that this was to be the last trip for the old girl, she was on her way back to England, headed for the scrap yards. Have you any idea how I can find out the passenger list of a particular trip? I would dearly loke to try to find some of the people who became friends, but time marches on, and they are lost. Look firward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

Kathy Cochran

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Hello Pauline
I have been readng my fathers memoirs and have just got to the bit where he was posted to the Middle East in December 1947 on the s.s. Otranto whilst still in the armed forces following the second world war.
regards
Malcolm

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Hello Pauline

I am after information regarding the SS Otranto, which I emigrated to Australia. We left Tilbury Docks June 1955. I was six and through the eye of a six yr old found shipboard life fascinating. We came through the Suez Canal and I remember looking through the railing of the ship and viewing men with camels and guns just sitting and watching us. I am presently puting information together for my mother and daughter for family memoirs.

Regards
Maureen

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I too came out on the Otranto, left Tilbury June 1955.
I was an 8 year old and coming from Sheerness with a sea faring family background I was fascinated by shipboard life.

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I also emigrated to Australia (Adelaide as it turned out) in 1955 on the Otranto. I presume we were on the ship together, although I had only just turned 4. But I have the same memory of looking through the porthole to see camels close up in the Suez Canal. Other things I remember were the children's swimming pool, which was a canvas lined tank, not very big; being terrified of King Neptune and his trident as we crossed the equator (I was dressed as Robin Hood, in crepe paper with a bow made from corset stays), and the incredible confusion of people in I think, Bombay, although it could have been Colombo, in Ceylon as it was then called (now Sri Lanka).

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I don't know how much interest this will have for you - or even whether you'll read it, but...

My late father was posted to Egypt during WW2 and mentioned that he and his cohort were transported from Liverpool on the "Otranto". Unfortunately I do not know the year or date. However, when the main hostilities ended and they were shipped back on another , considerably larger, vessel, he remembered seeing, on the Bay of Biscay (during fairly typical Biscay weather), another ship which was heading South, vanishing and re-appearing some time later from a massive trough in the sea. This other vessel turned out to be the Otranto. He expressed his amazement that it had lasted the war. By coincidence I heard a piece on Radio4 only this morning which was dealing with child-migration from GB to Australia: one of those interviewed sad that he remebered, as a small child, being sent to Australia aboard, yep, you guessed it - the Otranto. As a consequence of these coincidences, I'fd like to learn more about the Otranto too! Best wishes, Fil

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I have a rather tatty diary from a passenger who travelled on the SS Otranto in the 1920’s – it includes menus and a plan of the cabins - if anyone is interested, please email me

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My father was actually one of the stewards on board during the troop transports to Egypt this would have been between March and August 1944.

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