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The Journey of the Polish ship MV Batory from Liverpool (UK) to Sydney NSW in August-October 1940.

This little liner of 15,000 tons was part of a large convoy that departed from Liverpool on or about 5th August 1940 bound for Australia. Aboard were several hundred English children aged between about 6 and 14. In charge of the children, called evacuees, were a number of adult ladies who were known as Escorts, each of whom were responsible for some 10 children who occupied the lower deck cabins 鈥攑robably 3rd class.

Most of the children were going out to Australia to stay for 鈥淭he duration鈥� with either family or relations or friends. Some were destined to be billeted with volunteer families who had offered to take the child into their own family as a kind of 鈥淲ar Effort鈥� and not least from their kindness.

The ship, The Batory, was probably the smallest and slowest in the convoy which was escorted by a RN Cruiser. The convoy speed was about 15 knots to match the Batory鈥檚 normal cruising rate. There were some other large passenger Liners in the convoy, notably some ships from the P & O Line and the Orient line. These still wore their peace time colours which readily identified their origins. Probably any survivors would have been repainted with the war time plain grey paint later on. The Batory had in peace time been one of a number of Liners that plied between Gdynia in Poland and America (New York) Hence it was known as the GA Line.

Not far out into the North Atlantic Ocean the convoy ran into some heavy weather and mountainous seas which predictably caused much sea sickness in the passengers, who were barred from the open decks due to the huge curtains of spray that swept over the bows and the decks.

The ship carried a mixed complement of passengers including some private passengers who were mainly in the 1 st Class sections and bound for South Africa. Also aboard was a contingent of RAF staff who were bound for Freetown in Sierrra Leone. These RAF lads were kept apart from the rest of the passengers and no contact with them was permitted.

The food provided was quite adequate and plentiful but some of the Polish dishes were greeted with some disdain by the children who took a dislike to anything they were unused to, especially stewed beetroot.

The initial part of the journey was on the normal route towards New York but varied by constant zig-zagging to outwit any U- Boats that might have been lurking in these shipping lanes. Before approaching the US coast, the convoy split up and the Batory was part of a smaller group who turned south and soon entered warmer seas. By then most aboard had recovered from their sea sickness and were able to enjoy life on deck to look at flying fish, dolphins and sea birds. Eventually the ship took a more easterly course and arrived at Free Town. Here the RAF contingent left the ship and did so one night in the midst of a spectacular tropical storm which lit the night sky with constant flashes of lightning.
Next day the ship continued its way south and after a week came to Cape Town where the children were allowed ashore. That day a party was held at Government house for them and this was presided over by the then Governor, General Smuts. The day was fine and hot and the children revelled in the freedom of being away from the confines of the ship. I have no record of the dates of these ports of call but due to the slow speed of the Batory, the weeks sped by regularly.

After leaving Cape Town the ship proceeded around the southern coast of South Africa and then turned north, finally arriving at Bombay after some weeks of steaming through the tropics which made made sleep very difficult due to the poor ventilation down to the 3rd class cabins. The Batory was built for the North Atlantic and its cold weather and therefore it was poorly suited to spend much time in tropical waters. It was noted that when the ship was rounding the coast of South Africa we ran into a period of very large ocean swells which hit the ship side on producing a prodigious roll. In the dining room the stewards had to dampen the table cloths to stop the dishes and plates from sliding about.
Eventually, calmer waters were met and we enjoyed a brief stopover in Bombay- as it was called then. Memories of Bombay are few and are largely those of strange smells and beggars who constantly badgered any passengers who ventured ashore.

It was then only a brief journey down the coast of India to call at Colombo which was then called the Capital of Ceylon. Some passengers made the day trip up to Kandy, in the Hills, but we remained aboard and watched the fruit sellers and souvenir sellers plying their trade from small boats moored alongside. Small boys dived for coins thrown by some passengers, as the ship was moored out in the deep water of the harbour and so did not berth alongside any wharf.

Eventually, the ship left Colombo and headed across the bay of Bengal and finally came to Singapore. Here more passengers disembarked and we wondered later what became of them after the Japanese invaded the Malay Peninsular and Singapore over a year after our visit. A small trip ashore was organised to let the children see the Island State and to stretch their legs after so many weeks at sea.

After leaving Singapore the Batory steamed down the coast of Java and passed through a Straight that separates Java from Bali. The seas here were remarkably flat and smooth, looking quite glassy and even oily.
Once free from the enclosing Islands the Batory resumed its normal rolling and pitching but by then most of those aboard had become quite used to the motion of the ship and suffered no ill affects. The Lady Escorts did a great job in keeping the children in order and providing daily lessons and entertainment to pass the time and prepare them for the eventual resumption of normal schooling鈥� now judged to be not too far away in time. We had now almost reached Australia !!!鈥攁t long last.

The next port of call was Fremantle which turned out to be very hot and sunny and the West Australians gave a great welcome to all. We did not see Perth, but by then we all felt it would be great to get to either Melbourne or Sydney and to leave the ship which had become our home for well over two months. The Great Australian Bight lived up to its name by turning on some heavy seas but as the trip from Fremantle to Melbourne is not long it passed by quite quickly. But our pleasure at reaching Melbourne was marked by a delay as the ship somehow missed the main shipping channel and was stranded on a mud flat for some hours until the next high tide lifted us off with the aid of a tug. We saw a little of Melbourne and its gardens but by then the numbers were thinning and we had many goodbyes to say to those leaving the ship.. It was then only a couple of days cruising up the coast of NSW to arrive early one morning entering Sydney Harbour through the Heads and making our way down the Harbour to Circular Quay. First impressions of Sydney were excellent seeing the Manly Ferries scuttling up the harbour every half hour and then seeing the famous bridge as the ship rounded Bradley鈥檚 Head for the final run up to Circular Quay where it tied up at 鈥攆or us- journey鈥檚 end. Those who had family of friends to go to, quickly left the ship while those who had to be placed with 鈥淔oster parents鈥� waited a day and then were transported to accommodation at the North Head Quarantine Station. It was great to have real fresh food at last and no more strange Polish dishes that we never really got used to. Above all we relished the good Aussie Milk shakes which we thought marvellous.

Over the next 10 days children were interviewd by Officers of the Child Welfare Dept ( Part of the Education Dept) and by some other specialists who turned out later to be school Teachers who assessed the educational standard reached by each child.
After some 10 days I went into the city of Sydney to the Offices of the Child Welfare dept and was introduced to a gentleman who was a Pharmaceutical chemist with a shop at Milsons Point near the Rail Station. Milsons Point is that stretch of the Harbour shore where the northern end of the famous Bridge ends. This Pharmacist had a lovely wife and a little girl aged four years and they lived in a fairly new house right on the harbour in a bay called Careening Cove,. From the house one could view the harbour stretching away to the east towards Bradley鈥檚 Head and Rose Bay beyond. They gave me a room overlooking this marvellous vista and it was fitted out to resemble a ships cabin. Just off the adjoining shore was a 35 foot cabin cruiser that had both motor and sail and it was used at weekends and holidays to cruise the Harbour and Coast. The School I was sent to was about some 20 minutes walk up to North Sydney, the next suburb/ To my astonishment the English Teacher there turned out to be the same Officer who had interviewed me at the North Head Quarantine Station. He was a very perceptive person who had placed me in surely one of the best possible homes and situations. He was of a very gifted teacher who commanded great respect from his pupils and who was one of the most effective teachers I had ever met. My stay with the family at Milsons Point ended after one year when the mother had another baby and my room was needed for the new arrival.. At that point I moved to another suburb in Sydney called Chatswood. Here I was given a home with a Scottish couple who came from Aberdeen. He was a Doctor and they had no children of their own, but they had a beautiful home and they gave me every possible care and encouragement. We kept in touch for many years later after I had left them to work in the Country and to serve in the Army. My relations with the first family came to a premature and sudden halt when the Pharmacist had a heart attack and died at the early age of 46. His daughter Jill now aged about 69 resides in Melbourne but we have lost touch. Both the Doctor and his wife died some 20 years ago.
But some memories linger on of the sea trip and early days in Sydney,
So the trip in the MV Batory ended after about 11 weeks on the ship.

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