Dad Crosses the Ocean

USS Monticello (AP-61)      This is the USS Monticello, the ship my Dad was aboard for the trip to India.  It left New York on 25 December 1942 for India via California.  Dad met it in Wilmington, California (Los Angeles Port of Embarkation) after traveling from Fort Devens, Massachusetts by train.  It sailed for India at 0800 on 20 January 1943 and made 3-day stops at Wellington, New Zealand (0810 on 6 February) and Fremantle, Australia (1100 on 17 February) before reaching Bombay at 1400 on 3 March 1943 after a voyage of 14,177 miles and almost six weeks at sea.  The ship was berthed at Ballard Pier at 1330 on 4 March and troops debarked the following day. Read a Diary of the crossing or more about life aboard a World War II Troop Transport. Monticello underway on 15 September 1942 following refitting at Philadelphia Navy Yard Unknown ship in Harbor at Wellington New Zealand Unknown ship at pier in Fremantle, Austrralia Monticello underway on 15 December 1943 near San Francisco    Shown here before and after the war, USS Monticello was originally and ultimately the Italian liner Conte Grande. Commissioned USS Monticello (AP-61), 16 April 1942 (Dad's 21st Birthday)    Approximate route Dad traveled aboard USS Monticello from Wilmington, California to Bombay, India The International Date Line was crossed on 3 February. Total sailing time was 42 days.              Crossing The Equator         Crossing the Equator 26 January 1943. Read about the Neptunus Rex ceremony.        Arrival in India and the trip to Assam    The arrival of the Monticello was documented in photos by CBI Roundup and a story published in the April 8, 1943 issue. Censorship prevented details from being disclosed, but another soldier on board recounted the journey: Monticello Arrives in Bombay. Previous Page  |  HOME  |  Next Page