John
Title for image: Troop ship Ormonde
Describe the image: This is the vessel in which Gunner Stokes and the Sixth Field Regiment were taken from Bombay/Mumbai to Egypt. When the NZ troops boarded the ship, they found it to be in a disgusting condition and some troops also saw tainted meat being loaded into the ship. A number of gunners took over the bridge and prevented the ship leaving with its convoy. The British Military Authorities declared a "mutiny" and threatened to intern the New Zealanders in India for the duration of the war. The situation was resolved by the intervention of senior NZ officers and the ship sailed a day late. The tainted meat was thrown overboard, the troops having to live on Bully Beef for the rest of the voyage. It isn't known if Gunner Stokes participated in the "mutiny", there is nothing on his file.
Where did your information come from?: Soldier Country Jim Henderson ISBN 0-908582-03-X Chapter 2 "There's a Troopship Not Leaving Bombay" pp16-19. Official History of New Zealand in The Second World War 1939-45 W E Murphy Historical Publications Branch New Zealand Chapter one 'The Early Days"pp14-16.
File created: 31 March 2017