07 February 2008

Dear Harry

My father, Noel Disney, who was managing a rubber estate in Malaya at
the time of the Japanese invasion, saw my mother, sister and I off on
the Duchess of Bedford, in January 1941. He later wrote an account of
his war experiences, which included a brief reference to this incident,
which might interest some visitors to your web site. He wrote as
follows:

'Before rejoining my Malayan Volunteers Army Unit in Singapore, I was
able to see Audrey and the children who were staying at Fraser Estate,
Kulai, Johore, not far from the Johore Causeway. On 20th January I
managed to get them into Singapore and accommodated in the Chayo Hotel
until a berth on a ship could be obtained. Eventually we were able to
obtain berths for them on the Duchess of Bedford, which left Singapore
on 30th January 1942. There were constant heavy bombing raids on the
Singapore docks on the day they left, and theirs was the last passenger
ship to get away before Singapore fell. Shortly afterwards, the Japs
landed on Singapore Island. Two of my friends, Tatham and Rowe, were
killed in a bombing raid about this time'.

Anthony Disney

22 December 2007

Please find attached a photo I recently discovered whilst researching my family tree.
My grandfather John Arthur Brown (Born 01/11/1913 - d1987) is sitting bottom row, first left.
The reason I'm sending you this photo is that the words "Duchess of Bedford - Canadian Pacific" can be seen in the photo.
With this information I discovered your website using GOOGLE.
I know my grandfather travelled to Canada when he was young but by the year 1936 he had already returned to England to marry my grandmother.
I'm afraid I have no other information regarding this photo i.e date or place when taken.
I found your website very interesting and very helpful in my research.
Regards
David Randles view image here

18 November 2007

The enclosed pictures of the clock have been in my husbands family for quite
some time. In case the pictures don't show it is engraved on the outer
ring "S S Duchess of Bedford" Any comments? image 1 :: image 2

Marlene

24 October 2007

Thanks for your website- it is truly a great resource. My mother
was evacuated from England as a child (4 yrs old) on the Duchess of
Bedford, sailing in late June 1940, and arriving in Montreal on July
3rd. I believe this would have been in Convoy TC5, but am still trying
to find a passenger listing. I have been able to obtain a fair number
of artifacts, including postcards of the ship, dining room menus,
pre-war brochures with ship's map, layout, and cabin pictures, and a few
of the souvenirs available for purchase on the ship (e.g. a small silver
vase with the ship's name and crest on the side).
If you should know of a source for the passenger list I would
appreciate it if you could pass that on- the Canadian Pacific company no
longer has possession of these records, having disposed of them some
years back. Please let me know if you would like scans of the pictures
and documents I've collected- most are not war-time vintage, but are
from the pre-war period of service.

Thanks and congrats on your site!

Paul Burns

14 October 2007

I am not sure if you are still collecting items that are related to the Duchess of Bedford. Attached is a copy of my father's records from Marconi. It shows he was a radio operator of the DOB on the trip to Singapore in late 41/early 42.

Regards,

Laurence McDonald view here

30 September 2007

A colleague of mine has recently died at the age of 82 (1925) and was a member of the Glen McGregor Association Pensioners. The Association was founded by pensioners of The Glen Line Limited/McGregor Gow and Holland. My colleague, R.C.(Ray) Wurtzburg was the son of Charles Wurtzburg the Chairman of Mansfields in Singapore and then McGregor Gow & Holland in London. Ray was born in Singapore in 1925 and related to me a story about his Father and Family leaving Singapore on the DUCHESS OF BEDFORD as the fall of Singapore in 1942 took place. Supposedly it was one of the last ships to leave safely as Japanese Soldiers were entering the Docks. People were clammering to board the Ship after the gangway had been hoisted via the mooring ropes but they all failed.

I have been Chairman of our Association and worked over 40 years with Blue Funnel Line and Glen Line and wanted to write about Ray in our Newsletter but because he told me his story some twenty years ago I wanted to make sure my memory correct.
Can you confirm that "Duchess of Bedford" was in Singapore about that time and even better if the Wurtzburg family were on board.

I would be glad of any comment you have and help you can give me.

Many thanks - Brian Humphryes.

17 August 2007

Hello Harry,my Dad sailed on the DOB with his regiment,the Royal Montreal
Regiment(MG)in Dec/1939.I have 5>6 pages about the voyage from the unit
history,including quotations from various individuals.Would you like me to
email them to you? Also,the Regimental museum has information on the
Ship,and voyage as well.I'll follow this up too if you would like.

Redards -Gord Fraser.

13 May 2007

I sailed from Liverpool to Montreal on the Duchess of Bedford on July 18
1940. I was 7 years old and was being evacuated to Canada along with with my
Mother,my twin sisters,my cousin and my Grandparents.I would like to access
the passenger list and welcome contacting anyone who was on that crossing. I
realise that your Father did not join the ship until 1940 but would be
grateful for any information you may have.I look forward to hearing from you

Elizabeth Jackson

9 January 2007

I think that I sailed on the Duchess of Bedford in 1946. I was born in
August 1944 and my father, who was an officer in the Royal Artillery, was
posted to Quetta in 1946. As it was a family posting, he was allowed to
take with him his wife and child. We sailed to Bombay, then Karachi and
went by train to Quetta, where I had my third birthday in 1947. We returned
to England from Karachi/Bombay in 1948 at the time of Partition on the
Empire Windrush (which I see was given that name in 1947).

Sincerely, Charles Walford

28 October 2006

Hi! My dad sailed on the Duchess of Bedford from Liverpool on Wed 8th May
1946 sailing from Liverpool to Greece - the small postcard he has says it sailed
to Malta - Greece - India (see attachment). My dad was in the Royal Norfolk
Regiment.

Anyway - I've just watched the movie "Grey Owl" as I am interested in this
man, who was born in Hastings and at the age of 17, in 1906, went to Canada to
become a trapper and live in the wilderness as a native indian. He became the
first true conservationist, and wrote a number of books that are still
published today. Whilst he was alive everybody believed he was a real Indian, and
only after his death did the truth come out - that he was Archie Belaney from
Hastings.

He was very famous in his day, and in 1937 gave a presentation to King
George and our current Queen at Buckingham Palace. In December 1937 (or early
1938) he returned to Canada. In the movie I've just seen there seems to be
original pathe newsreel of the ship he returned in docking in Canada (but it might
be fake footage made to look old for the movie), but the movie shows Pierce
Brosnan (Grey Owl) walking off a ship that clearly has "Duchess of Bedford"
written on it. The ship on the Pathe newsreel shot looks very similar to ship
on my dads postcard - although the hull is black on my dads card, but the hull
is white in the newsreel - possibly a wartime change of colour.

I wondered if you know if Grey Owl actually sailed back on the Duchess of
Bedford, as it doesn't seem likely the name of the ship was picked at random for
the movie. He is today recognised as a very great man, and it would be
interesting to know if this is another claim to fame for the ship.

reference: DVD "Grey Owl" 20th Century Fox
Book: Grey Owl - The Curious Life of Archie Belaney ISBN
1-55153-785-0

Mark

23 October 2006

Hi Harry,
I found your Duchess of Bedford site last week. Coincidentally we had been talking about the ship earlier that day as my father in law, Gerry Tierney, had served on her for at least some of the time your father did.

Gerry has recently been interviewed by the Liverpool Playhouse company. The company are
planning a production based on the experience of WW2 Merchant Seamen. They
interviewed Gerry at the Villa Marina Arcade.

Gerry and your father both served in the boiler room as firemen so it is unlikely they did not know each other. However, sometimes memories have to be exercised, especially after the passage
of over 60 years.

I dont know if your father is still alive, I very much hope he is. If so, I am sure these two former shipmates would be delighted to meet up or at least talk to each other. Gerry was the youngest member of the engine room / boiler room gang. I think he was 16 at the time, he comes from Liverpool in the Scotland Road area but has lived here on the Island for many years. If you want to get in touch he lives in Port Erin.

I hope this is of some interest to you.
Best regards
Alec Cohen

9 october 2006

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmpressofFrance

This is a list for anyone seeking answers to questions about a particular voyage or person who travelled on the Empress of France, or who are otherwise interested in the history of the ship. Do check out the site and consider joining. You may have the answers to people's questions, if not questions of your own.

Sincerely,
Sue McPherson

5 October 2006

Hi Harry.

I liked your site on the Duchess of Bedford /Empress of France and added it to my links page on this
website:
http://empressoffrance.homestead.com/EofFLinksPage.html
. I hpe that's okay with you.

I was wondering, I had never seen a picture of the tourist cabins and there is one on page 9 of your
site, but with no date. Do you know?It looks very old-fashioned! I travelled on the Empress in 1957,
going to Canada with my parents. I have been curious about the cabins. All I recollect is throwing up.

Sincerely,

Sue McPherson

1 May 2006

Hello Harry,
My mother Mrs. Iris Irene Johns was evacuated on board the
above named troopship at the fall of Singapore, during the Second World War.
Tragically my sister, Irene May Johns, died, aged six months, on board this
ship, during the trip back home to England. She died of Broncho Pneumonia
and was buried at sea. I was wondering IF you knew of ANYONE who can recall
this happening, and could be put in touch with me ?

YOURS HOPEFULLY

MICK JOHNS

P.S. Is there anywhere I can find a list of passengers evacuated at the fall
of Singapore that may contain my families names ?

4 March 2006

hello harry, i have just been reading your story about your father on the duchess and also barney warman's .

i was in the unit i.e. 22 w. u. but we parted at abadan and went down to ceylon to defend against the japanese .

do you have barney,s web site / would be great to chat to an old mucker, good to read about the duchess , she took us safely through troubled waters thanks and all the best i am new to this computor, so please allow for errors

Charlie

27 November 2005

I'm researching the war record of a friend who travelled to South Africa
aboard the SS Duchess of Bedford in 1942. Your web site has been a great
help, especially the pictures that'll be sure to bring back fond memories for
him.

Lieutenant Ronnie Almond's journey to India started on 13 April 1942.
Seemingly the convoy was the second largest ever to have left Huyton
(Liverpool), up to that date. Despite six men being crammed into what would normally
have been a single-occupancy cabin, the ship's crew did them proud. The food
was good and the ship was "wet", in other words alcoholic drinks were
readily available, a most pleasant surprise for Ronnie and his mates!

After calling at Sierra Leone, when the ship arrived at Cape Town half
of the men in transit disembarked and the other half were taken on to Durban
where they received a fantastic reception notable amongst which was that from
the "Lady in White".

Thanks, again, for a really informative web site.
Regards,

David Thompson

16 November 2005

Harry , I used to do a bit of painting since being retired and mostly of ships. Remembered I had done the Duchess and had downloaded a photo of it and thought you might like it
Regards Barney Warman

Thanks Barney click here to view the Bedford in all her glory

10 November 2005

Good Evening old man, just been looking at your Web site re the Troopship Duchess of Bedford.
My unit the 22 Wireless Unit RAF, sailed on the Duchess at the backend of 1941, though we were4 meant to sail on some vessel from Greenock, we were in transit at Glasgow, we were shipped down to Liverpool and put aboard Duchess.
It was a very big convoy with the HMS Royal Sovereign as heavy protection.
We stopped at Freetown for a few days then carried on South. Other big liners in the convoy were the arundel Castle, Cape town Castle, the big new Dutch liner name just slips me, loads of merchant ships and other liners.
Half the convoy stopped at Cape Town and we carried on to Durban and after 3/4 days we saioled on Christmas Eve 1941. I believe from there on the huge convoy split up going their different ways, we went to Bombay.
My unit was split in two for some reason and I was in the half that landed on the dockside and marched along a way to board the Khedive Ismael which ship then departed solo up the Persian Gulf to Basra. Therer we were not known about and had no room for us so we were shipped in barges and sent down to Abadan. Eventually our unit was kitted out in Damascus and we were stationed along the Turco Syrian border, 6 man outpost.s
So friend I just cannot weigh up your time table for the Duchess.
Regardless though it is very very interesting. After the war and coming home from Germany , as lived then in Grimsby, I took up a position as Radio Operator on the deep water fishing vessels sailing from there., retiring from the sea in 1970

Yours Sincerely
Barney Warman.