Bill,
I've found this a useful reference:
http://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/wwii-merchant-ship-movement-records-australiaIt contains scans of the Australian WWII Merchant Ship Movement Records cards. I have been through most of these, looking specifically vessels for which the listed owner is W R Carpenter & Co, or a subsidiary. You might like to download File 37
Lake Ormoc to Loatta and view the cards for Carpenter's vessel LANSING (two cards).
This ship arrived in Suva Port in the evening of 6th August 1945 - a significant day in the war, as any Hiroshima schoolkid would tell you. The next day, the 7th August 1945, the WPHC reportedly asked Carpenter's to pick up Gallagher's trunks of belongings. As I can't locate any other Carpenter's vessel anywhere near Fiji at the time, I remain convinced that the WPHC intended for the shipment to leave on the Lansing.
So where did the Lansing go, and when? Sadly, Lansing's arrival in Suva is the last movement in the record set for that vessel. I can demonstrate from other sources that the Lansing went to Vancouver. But I don't know when, or if she went directly, or via other ports (eg San Francisco and San Pedro, both copra trading ports in the US, feature in Lansing's trans-pacific movement history).
This site has some history on the Lansing (launched as the British Queen in 1890).
http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/B-Ships/britishqueen1890.htmlFor those wondering what WWII Merchant Ship Movement Records cards are, they are the product of a wartime initiative to protect British and allied merchant shipping from prying enemy eyes. I don't really know how it worked, but basically ships did not carry (among other records) information regarding their movement history. So ship movement records were kept at home. These are Australia's records. The UK has theirs digitised (pay to view). New Zealand still keeps their cards, with some content available on an internet database. Canada had a set, but destroyed them intentionally in the 1950s or thereabouts, citing national security concerns.
I have brought the Lansing to the attention of Tighar HQ quite some time ago, but as I've heard nothing further, I assume there was nothing further to be made of it.