The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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227948 Harry Hunn HMHS Aba Please can anyone help? My dear grandad, Harry Hunn, was on a hospital ship called the `Aba'. He boarded the ship in 1940 and travelled to many places around the world. He gave me a wonderful book he wrote about his time on the Aba. I also have many photos of his travels while he was on the ship. My question is: does anyone know who else was aboard or what happened to the ship? Before war service it was used as a banana boat near Africa. I am unable to track its whereabouts now. Update Try this website, www.barrbram.demon.co.uk. There is a section called `What the eye sees'. If you make a request there about the history of the ship you are looking for, this guy may be able to help you and may even come up with a picture. - Stan Update Fancy, of all things, seeing your posting on this site. I thought I must be the last person in the world to know about this ship. I was in the Naval hospital at Bighi in Malta in 1944. The war was drawing to a close and I was a `walking' patient being sent back to the UK. I have to say in all honesty that it was not a very nice ship. It was a very old Army hospital ship. When the weather was fine, I used to love to be outside during the day. (It took us quite a time to reach Portsmouth.) We were somewhere near Italy and a man came up to me, he said `good morning' and we had a chat, then suddenly he stood up, said cheerio, and just went straight off the back of the ship. I did not see him surface, they did stop the ship to have a look for him, but found nobody. Another time we pulled into the harbour at Naples. There were some wounded Italian soldiers to be repatriated. The harbour front was empty and fog swirled all round, it was quite eerie. These soldiers went down the gangway into the harbour and the last I saw of them were vague shapes disappearing through the fog. I know they had been our enemy, but they were local lads going home and there was not a soul there to meet them. I have one or two other tales but mainly that is my memory for what it's worth, of Hospital Ship Aba. - Ralph Lucy Ellicott Add to this record.  Related Content: HMHS Aba Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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