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Letters
Exploits of HMAS Shropshire Dear Mac I would like to say how much I have enjoyed your website. My friend and myself are very interested in the exploits of HMAS Shropshire, not just during the Pacific war, but her history after the conflicts. We are lead to believe that she was towed from Sydney to the Forth of Clyde in Scotland towards the end of 1954 beginning of 1955, by a Dutch Seagoing Tug The MV Oostzee. We don't however know any more information about this action. Any information would be gratefully received, regarding, the reason, its route, its ports of call, its exact dates of leaving and arriving, etc. Keep up the great site, and a very happy new year.. Ex Merchant Seaman .... Phil Braithwaite..
Thank you for the encouraging note about my Web Site. All the praise for setting up and the running of the site should go to my friend Terry inAtlanta, Georgia, I supply the content, and he does the rest. But to your query about Shropshire, the ship was decommissioned in 1947, and was sold for scrapon the 16th. of July 1954, she was bought by Thomas W. Ward Ltd. of Sheffield on behalf of British Iron and Steel( Salvage ) Corporation. It is interesting to note that Thomas W. Ward first went into the ship dismantling buisness in1894,they maintained yards at Barrow, Preston, and Morecombe. they finally closed up the business in 1972 when IndianShip breaking firms undercut them, forcing Ward's to shut down. Now Shropshire left Sydney on the 9th. of October 1954, under tow to the Dutch Tug Oostzee, but I can not find anyrecord of ports called into during her tow to the West coast of Scotland where she arrived on the 20th. of January 1955,at Dalmuir, at the yards of the Scottish ship breakers W.H. Arnott Young and Co. where they started to dismantle my oldship. Paul, I do not know whether Ward's on behalf of British Steel, sold the ship to Arnott Young and Co, or whether theycontracted with them to break up Shropshire. The general dismantling was completed and the hull only was thentransferred to Troon, where it was turned into scrap on the 19th. of September 1955, and the once proud and famousship of both the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy was at last no more. But it is my belief that Shropshire didnot reach her full potential until she became a unit in the RAN. I trust these few notes are of interest to you Paul. Best regards, Mac. |
