Duty Passage - Signalman Lewis Hale 1945

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by popeye1975, Nov 28, 2021.

  1. popeye1975

    popeye1975 Junior Member

    On my father's Royal Navy Pay and Victualling record, one entry states that he was travelling to Australia between 22 December 1944 and 27 Jan 1945. The record states that this was 'duty passage.' Am I correct in thinking that he would have been employed as a signalman? I believe the ship was HMT Athlone Castle
     
  2. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    There is a passenger list at Australian Archives for the Athlone Castle, unfortunately not digitised as yet. A list from an arrival almost a year later is digitised and available online. See Item ID: 7969975, which includes details of service personnel as passengers.

    Title
    Incoming passenger list for MV ATHLONE CASTLE arriving Sydney on 27 January 1945
    Contents date range
    1945 - 1945
    Series number
    A907
    Click to see which government agency or person created this item.
    Control symbol
    1945/1/13
    Citation
    NAA: A907, 1945/1/13
    Item ID
    8331568
    Location
    Canberra
    Access status
    Open
    Date of decision
    12 Nov 2004
    Physical format
    PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level)
    Extent
    2 folios
    Records authority class number
    1000190
    Date registered
    09 Jul 2004
     
  3. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Maybe but my inclination is that the term 'duty passage' just means he was travelling officially.

    Tim
     
  4. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    I came to the same conclusion, based on some searching and past experience.
     
  5. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Amongst the units on Athlone Castle on that journey starting Liverpool Dec 1944, were the personnel of MONABs II & III plus other support personnel for the British Pacific Fleet. They disembarked at Sydney on 24-25th Jan. Further information about those units here.
    The MONAB Story
     
    papiermache and Tricky Dicky like this.
  6. popeye1975

    popeye1975 Junior Member

    Ewen, that's quite interesting, as the next entry after the 'duty passage' was for FONAS, (Flag Officer Naval Air Stations) That was for a few weeks until his next duty appeared to be HMS Golden Hind, RN quarters, Cairo House (which I'm told was the old Cairo Hotel in Sydney itself.) Dad often spoke about HMS Indomitable...
     
  7. popeye1975

    popeye1975 Junior Member

    On the subject of MONABs, was there any record of the personnel attached to them? I know that we are talking about thousands of names, but it could be a starting point
     
  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    HMS Golden Hind was a large transit camp accumulating RN Personnel for the British Pacific Fleet. FONAS (Australia) with responsibility for FAA Personnel was also based there.
    At this time HMS Indomitable was part of the BFP.
    H.M.S. GOLDEN HIND

    Tim
     
  9. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

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