Esme Sheila GRAIL (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 13:14 (5565 days ago) @ petrina

It is possible

Name: Esme Sheila Grail
Birth Date: 12 Feb 1911
Death Registration Month/Year: May 1984
Age at death (estimated): 73
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 22
Page: 1790

lets assume Arthur J was born
in the Far East - during the second world war - Singapore fell to Japan in 1942 (?)
Perhaps Esme was a Forces / Missionary Nurse at the time ??

who departed from Kure,Japan,on the Ship Strathaver,arrival at Southampton 9 October 1946.

The Commonwealth Occupation Force had taken over the Kure naval base from about 1946 - I suspect this became a repatriation post.

Was the Strathnaver being used to carry troops / POW's back from Japan ? I think there was a Strathnaver from the P&O Line (one of the UK- Australia White Sisters) that became a Troopship.
http://www.poships.co.uk/Strathnaver%20History.html
http://www.ozhoo.com.au/~strathsisters/strathnaver/index.htm
STRATHNAVER 1931
The STRATHNAVER was a 22,270 gross ton ship, length 638.6ft x beam 80.2ft (194,64m x 24,43m), three funnels, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 21 knots. There was accommodation for 500-1st and 670-tourist class passengers. Built by Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, she was launched for the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P & O Line) on 5th Feb.1931. Her maiden voyage started on 2nd Oct.1931 when she left London for Bombay, Colombo, Melbourne and Sydney and she continued on this service until requisitioned as a troopship in 1939. Used for transporting ANZAC troops to Suez, and later at the troop landings at Oran and Algiers in 1942. In May and June 1943 she was stationed in the Red Sea and used as a training ship for the Italian landings and in 1944 took part in the Anzio landing. After the war she was used for the repatriation of troops and in 1948-9 was reconditioned at Belfast, where her two dummy funnels were removed. She resumed the London - Australia service on 5th Jan.1950, and in 1954 was refitted to carry 1,252 single class passengers. The same year the Bombay call was omitted from her schedule. Her last voyage to Australia started on 7th Dec.1961 and in April 1962 she was sold to Shun Fung Ironworks, Hong Kong for breaking up. [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.1, P & O, Orient and Blue Anchor Lines]

possible match for Arthur Grail in
GRO ARMY BIRTH INDICES (1881 to 1965) 1941 - 1945 GOULD to GRINSTED

Name: Arthur J Grail
Spouse : Maureen P James
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1967
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Registration county (inferred): Gloucestershire
Volume Number: 7b
Page Number: 1105

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>