P & O       R.M.S          "STRATHALLAN"   -    23,500 tons

John A. Leslie          -          Engineer

 

 

24-2 1938 Completed Apprenticeship at Vickers Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England and left the Company.
25-2-1938 Joined the P & O Company.
6-3-1938 Left Barrow-in-Furness   -  Ramsden Dock.12-30 pm
8-3-1938 Arrived Tilbury Dock, LONDON 5-00 pm
18-3-1938 Maiden Voyage - Left Tilbury at 1-30 pm. 6 Hour watches to Gibraltar.
22-3-1938 Called at TANGIER 8-00 am. Arrived at Gibraltar 12-00 Noon  -  departed 6-00 pm.
22-3-1938 Arrived MARSEILLES 6-00 am.
26-3-1938 Left MARSEILLES 6-00 am.
30-3-1938 Arrived PORT SAID 4-30 am  -  left 8-30 am. Cleared Suez Canal 8-00 pm.
1-4-1938 Arrived PORT SUDAN 12-30 pm  -  left 4-30 pm.
3-4-1938 Arrived ADEN 8-00 am  =  left 4-00 pm.
7-4-1938 Arrived BOMBAY 4-30 pm  - left 11-30 pm.
10-4-1938 Arrived COLOMBO 6-00 am  -  left 10-00 pm.
19-4-1938 Arrived FREMANTLE 5=00 am  -  left 5-00 pm.
24-4-1938 Arrived ADELAIDE 6-00 am  -  left 4-00 pm.
25-4-1938 Arrived MELBOURNE 6-00 am  -  left 11-30 pm.
27-4-1938 Arrived SYDNEY 9-00 am.
29-4-1938 Departed SYDNEY 4-00 pm for cruise to New Guinea (Pt. Moresby) calling at BRISBANE.
12-5-1938 Arrived SYDNEY   - then departed on Homeward Bound trip to the U.K. calling at the above mentioned ports
15-6-1938 Arrived MALTA
24-6-1938 Arrived Tilbury Dock, LONDON.
END OF VOYAGE

Then Cruising

1-7-1938 1st cruise to TUNISIA & GREECE.
16-7-1938 2nd cruise to DALMATIA & SICILY.
30-7-1938 3rd cruise to Northern Capitals, OSLO, STOCKHOLM & COPENHAGEN.
14-8-1938 4th cruise to BLACK SEA & TURKEY.
16-9-1938 Depart LONDON
27-10-1938 Arrived SYDNEY went on to BRISBANE.
9-11-1938 Departed SYDNEY 4-00 pm.
25-11-1938 Called at COCOS ISLANDS.
23-12-1938 Arrived Gravesend, LONDON 6-20 am.
21-1-1939 Depart LONDON
1-3-1939 Arrived SYDNEY   -  then did cruise to New Zealand.
16-3-1939 Arrived SYDNEY
18-3-1939 Depart SYDNEY
23-3-1939 Arrived ADELAIDE   -  Essery family joined the ship at Outer Harbour.
28-4-1939 Arrived  LONDON 7-30 am.
12-5-1939 Cruise to ALEXANDRIA   -  19 days.
30-5-1939 Arrived  LONDON 8-00 am.  (John 1 week's leave)
9-6-1939 Depart LONDON 5-00 pm for Australia.
19-7-1939 Arrived SYDNEY went on to BRISBANE.
29-7-1939 Cruise to FIJI.
5-8-1939 Depart SYDNEY 1-00 pm for LONDON
22-8-1939 Ship completely darkened.
30-8-1939 Arrived ADEN    -  depart, then back to ADEN,  Suez,   ADEN
2-9-1939 Finally departed ADEN 7-00 pm  -  destination not known.
15-9-1939 Arrived CAPETOWN 1-00 am.
20-9-1939 Depart CAPETOWN
28-9-1939 Arrived FREETOWN   -  depart FREETOWN
9-10-1939 Arrived  LONDON 7-00 am
26-10-1939 Depart Tilbury LONDON 5-00 pm for Australia.
7-11-1939 Arrived PORT SUEZ 10-00 am. Aground on sandbank. Depart 4-30 pm.
2-12-1939 Arrived SYDNEY 6-00 pm.
6-12-1939 Depart SYDNEY 9-00 am for LONDON
16-12-1939 Arrived ADELAIDE 6-45 pm
17-12-1939 Depart ADELAIDE 8-30 am
18-1-1940 Arrived SOUTHAMPTON 10-00 am.      10 days leave.
18-2-1940 Depart SOUTHAMPTON 7-00 am for Australia.
23-3-1940 Arrived ADELAIDE 8-00 am  -  left 3-00 pm.
27-3-1940 Arrived SYDNEY 7-30 am  -  into Dry Dock
6-4-1940 Depart SYDNEY 6-00 am for SOUTHAMPTON
10-4-1940 Arrived ADELAIDE 4-30 pm.
11-4-1940 Depart ADELAIDE 12-00 noon.
16-5-1940 Arrived SOUTHAMPTON 6-00 am.
1-6-1940 Depart SOUTHAMPTON 7-00 am for Australia via Capetown.
6-6-1940 Las Palmas, Capetown, Mombasa.
7-7-1940 Arrived BOMBAY (Ballard Pier) 3-30 am.
8-7-1940 To Alexandra Dock
11-7-1940 Alexandra Dock to Ballard Pier. Depart BOMBAY 4-00 pm.
27-7-1940 Arrived ADELAIDE 8-20 am  - depart 6-20 pm.
31-7-1940 Arrived SYDNEY 1-15 pm. (Covered 18,780 miles)
2-8-1940 Depart for Dry Dock.
10-8-1940 Depart SYDNEY 5-00 pm.
12-8-1940 Escorted by "Manoora" to MELBOURNE
15-8-1940 Arrived ADELAIDE 1-30 am  - depart 5-00 pm. Escorted by "Manoora"
19-8-1940 Arrived FREMANTLE 12-35 pm  -  left 5-00 pm  -  Departure Escorted by "Manoora"
24-8-1940 Transferred mail to M.V "Manoora" which returned to Australia.
26-8-1940 Arrived SINGAPORE 8-25 am  -  depart 9-55 pm.
27-8-1940 Picked up Destroyer Escort 4-00 pm.
31-8-1940 Arrived COLOMBO 7-45 am  - depart 9-20 pm via Bombay, Mombasa, Capetown.
19-9-1940 Depart CAPETOWN 7-50 am.
6-10-1940 Arrived LIVERPOOL   -  anchored 2-15 pm.
7-10-1940 To Landing Stage 10-15 am then to Dock.
. 6 days leave and also 8 days leave.
H.M.T. STRATHALLAN   -  Ship converted into Troopship.
14-11-1940 Anchored in River (Liverpool)
15-11-1940 Full vacuum ready for moving.
16-11-1940 Full vacuum ready for moving.
17-11-1940 S/B 11-35 am. 45-55 revs. (Six Ships)
18-11-1940 Met rest of convoy with 2 Cruisers & 6 Destroyers. "Strathaird", "Strathnaver", "Viceroy of India", "Empress of Canada", "Duchess of Athol", "Andes", "Reine del Pacifico", "Orcades", "Otranto".
29-11-1940 Two cruisers only. Arrived FREETOWN.
1-12-1940 Depart FREETOWN 4-20 pm. Same Convoy.
12-12-1940 Arrived DURBAN
16-12-1940 Depart DURBAN. Same Convoy.
28-12-1940 Arrive SUEZ   -  anchored 5-15 pm
29-12-1940 Entered Canal
29-12-1940 Arrived PORT SAID 5-50 pm.  -  Anchored.
31-12-1940 Moving Anchorage.
8-1-1941 Moving Anchorage to embark Troops.
9-1-1941 Anchored in Bitter Lakes.
10-1-1941 Anchored SUEZ 3-00 pm.
12-1-1941 Depart SUEZ. Convoy "Viceroy of India", "Andes", "Strathaird", "Orcades", "Otranto", "Duchess of Athol", "Empress of Canada", "Duneden Star". No escort for first day.
15-1-1941 Arrived DURBAN 6-40 am.
3-1-1941 Depart DURBAN 6-00 pm. Not in convoy.
3-2-1941 Arrived CAPETOWN
5-2-1941 Depart CAPETOWN   -  No Escort.
25-2-1941 Arrived FIRTH OF CLYDE  Anchored at Rothsay.
12-3-1941 Left for LIVERPOOL
13-3-1941 Entered Gladstone Dock.    3 days leave.
TROOPING
20-3-1941 Embarked Troops. Anchored in River Mersey.
23-3-1941 Moved to new anchorage.
24-3-1941 In convoy with H.M.S. "Nelson",  H.M.S. "Ram", 2 Cruisers, 12 Destroyers. "Strathmore", "Strathnaver", "Viceroy of India",   "Orcades",  "Orontes", "Andes", "Empress of Canada", "Duchess of Athol", "Reine del Pacifico", "Duchess of York", "Stirling Castle", "Warwick Castle".   22 Ships in all.
28-3-1941 H.M.S. "Nelson" & 1 Cruiser remaining Escort.
4-4-1941 Arrived FREETOWN 1-30 pm -  depart 3-25 pm.
16-4-1941 Arrived CAPETOWN   -  anchored in Bay. Docked at 3-30 pm.
20-4-1941 Depart CAPETOWN   -  anchored in Bay. Left at 3-50 pm.
6-5-1941 Arrived SUEZ   -  anchored.
18-5-1941 Depart SUEZ.
21-5-1941 Arrived ADEN
22-5-1941 Depart ADEN with Cruiser Escort.
26-5-1941 Arrive MOMBASA Anchored 6-30 pm. Moved to berth next day.
29-5-1941 Depart MOMBASA 6-00 pm. No Escort.
3-6-1941 Arrived DURBAN 7-00 am  -  depart 6-45 pm.
6-6-1941 Arrived CAPETOWN   7-00 am.  Anchored in Bay.
7-6-1941 Moved inside and berthed 8-00 am. Loading frozen beef & fruit.
13-6-1941 Depart CAPETOWN   No Escort.
26-6-1941 Arrived TRINIDAD 4-00 pm. Anchored outside.
27-6-1941 Depart TRINIDAD 1-00 pm.
10-7-1941 Arrived RIVER   CLYDE, Scotland.
11-7-1941 Anchored in Rothsay Bay. Leaving for GLASGOW   King George V Dock.
J.A. Leslie left S.S. "Strathallan".

Footnote   -  During his time on S.S. "Strathallan", John met Mary, a passenger on the ship. He went on to serve on many ships including the Cunard Liner, "Queen Elizabeth". He finally settled in Adelaide, South Australia and was married to Mary on March 1st 1947. Sadly, after 52 years of marriage, John died on Friday, 28th May 1999.

Excerpts from Diary of John A. Leslie reproduced with kind permission from Mrs Mary Leslie.
Copyright Ozhoo February 2002. No part of this article may be reproduced whether in part or as a whole without permission from copyright owner.