- Contributed byÌý
- sparkswatson
- People in story:Ìý
- John Watson Cairns
- Location of story:Ìý
- Indian Ocean
- Article ID:Ìý
- A8875155
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 26 January 2006
SS Rancher
After many treacherous trips across the North Atlantic in a variety of Merchant Ships, I boarded the SS Rancher for my final voyage of the war. We left London on 1/12/44 and returned to Avonmouth on 27/10/45 — after a voyage of some 35,500 miles.
We visited many ports and had an assortment of cargoes during that time:
London — Mombasa (Suez-Aden) — (Cement)
Mombassa — Tanga — Zanzibar — (Cement/General)
Zanzibar — Durban — (General)
Durban — Port Elizabeth — Karachi — (General/Ammo)
Karachi — Bombay — (General/Ammo)
Bombay — Suez — (M.T.Army Stores)
Suez — Port Said (Light)
Port Said — Aden — Calcutta — (Salt)
Calcutta — Santos — (Jute)
Santos — Paranagua — Rio de Janeiro (General)
Rio de Janeiro — St Vincent (Bunkers)
St Vincent — Avonmouth
It was on this voyage on the 8th of May that, as the Second Radio Officer, I copied the surrender message at 1721 hours. A picture of this Marconigram along with the text can be seen on my story entitled “Germany has Surrenderedâ€
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