Gallery No 40 - Troopships

ABA / GLENAPP / MATRONA 1918

The ABA was a 7,937 gross ton passenger ship, 450ft x 55.8ft, twin screw motor ship, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 225-1st, 70-2nd and 70-3rd class passengers. Laid down in 1916 by Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow for the Imperial Russian Government, work was suspended when the October Revolution occurred and she was taken over by the Shipping Controller. Completed Sep.1918 as a funnelless, four masted cargo ship and named GLENAPP for the Glen Line (McGregor, Gow & Holland). 1920 purchased by the British & African Steam Nav. Co. (Elder Dempster & Co.), she was rebuilt with one funnel, fitted with passenger accommodation and renamed ABA. In Nov.1921 she commenced Liverpool - West Africa sailings. Dec.1929 damaged in heavy weather off Kinsale and towed to Queenstown after her steering gear failed. Jun.1931 grounded at Lagos but refloated and Nov.1931 laid up at Dartmouth. Apr.1933 back in service for Elder Lines Ltd and in Sep.1939 was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a Naval Hospital Ship. Mar.1940 transferred to the Army and took part in the evacuation from Norway and was then transferred to Alexandria. May 1941 bombed and damaged off Crete and then used variously on Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East - South Africa services. Mar.1944 clearly marked as a hospital ship, she was again bombed at Naples. After repair, she was used on the North Atlantic and after D-Day was used on the Southampton - Cherbourg service. Decommissioned in Jan.1947 and returned to Elder Dempster & Co., she was too old to be worth reconditioning and was sold to Bawtry SS Co., Liverpool and renamed MATRONA for conversion to an emigrant carrier. However, when her ballast was removed, she fell onto her side in Bidston Dock Eventually righted in Jun.1948 by seven locomotives on specially built tracks, she was towed to Barrow-In-Furness where she was scrapped. [Merchant Fleets, vol.20 by Duncan Haws]

MV ASTURIAS (1)

IN HER ROLE AS A HOSPITAL SHIP - Prior to being sold to Japan after WW1

SS. Almanzora

Built 1915 - 1915-1919 Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1939-1945 troopship, 1945-1947 Government emigration ship, 1948 scrapped. 16,034

Memory of - Ernest Graham Rutherford

National Service number 1908762 Ernest Graham Rutherford DOB 6th April 1923 (now living at 13 Walton place, Chesterton, Newcastle, Staffs, ST5 4QY) - Was transferred from KOYLI in 1947 to DLI

1947 Set sail from Southampton in the June on SS Almanzora , an old troupe ship had hammocks in), destination to Port Said Egypt to Suez Canal (10day) in transit camp then moved to bottom of Suez Canal. Then on train to top of Suez awaiting for ship to Thessaloniki Greece, stayed there till 1948 transferred back on SS Sithier(??spelling) arrived back Liverpool and de-mobbed at York. April/May 1948.

Submitted by: Mrs K Chatterton (daughter of Mr Rutherford)

Andes (1)

1913 1915-1919 Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1929 renamed Atlantis cruise ship, 1939-1946 Hospital Ship, 1948-1952 Australia / NZ emigrant ship, 1952 scrapped. 15,620 tons

 

SS. Aragon

Leaving Durban Harbour 1917 Aragon (1) 1905 1917 torpedoed and sunk off Alexandria while trooping; loss of 610 lives. 9,588tons

RMS Aquitania in The Mersey at Liverpool

Owner: Cunard Line - Liverpool, England - Builder: John Brown & Co. Ltd. Clydebank, Scotland

Year Built: 1914 - Scrapped at Faslane, Scotland 1950. Dimensions and machinery

Length: 901ft Engines: 4 Parsons direct drive steam turbines by John Brown Beam: 97'
Tons: 45,647 tons

Lusitania and Mauretania are sometimes viewed as sister ships but these were much
smaller in size and tonnage. Aquitania was designed by Leonard Peskett, the designer of the Mauretania, and was based on the Mauretania design.

Over 100,000 people attended the launch ceremony. During World War 1 Aquitania transported over 25,000 wounded.
In World War 2 Aquitania sailed over 500,000 miles transporting over 400,000 people. The only liner to serve in both world wars. Sailed a total of over 3,000,000 miles during her career carrying over 1.2 million
passengers.

Made 443 transatlantic voyages.
The last liner with four funnels in service.
(The Arundel Castle was the last of the four funnel liners in service but, two funnels had been removed in 1937.)

MV. Britannic ( Leslie W. Youdell)

The Britannic (3) - 1930 to 1960 Specifications:

Length: 712 feet (217.5 m)
Beam: 82 feet (25 m)
Tonnage: 26,943 gross tons
Engines: Burmeister & Wein diesels powering two propellers.
Service speed: 18 knots
Passengers: 1,553 people

For a lot more information on this ship: Click here

First page of Passenger List (Karlz Glover)

A lovely colour aerial photograph of the third Britannic. (Picture courtesy of Kevin R. Tam)

SS Canberra

SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was launched on March 16, 1960. The ship was named after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra, and entered service in May 1961.

Tonnage: 1961: 45,270 gross tons
1962: 45,733
1968: 44,807
1994: 49,073
Length: 249.9 m (818 ft)
Beam: 31.2 m (102 ft)
Draft: 9.97 m (32.7 ft)
Height: 55.9 m (183.5 ft) keel to funnel
Power: 85,000 horsepower
Propulsion: Two British Thompson Houston (AEI) synchronous three-phase, 6,000 volt air-cooled electric motors; power supplied by two 32,200 kW steam turbine driven alternators; twin screw
Auxiliary Power: Four auxiliary steam turbines, each driving a 1,500 kW, 440 V, 3 Phase, 60 Hz alternator and a tandem driven 300 kW exciter for the propulsion alternators
Speed: Trials: 29.27 knots (54.3 km/h)
1961-1973: 27.5 knots (51 km/h)
1973-1997: 23.50 knots (43.5 km/h)
Complement: 1961-1973: 548 First class, 1,690 Tourist class, 960 officers and crew
1973-1997: 1,737 passengers, 795 officers and crew
Cost: UK £15 million

After the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, which initiated the Falklands War, the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the Canberra as use as a troopship. Nicknamed the Great White Whale, the Canberra proved vital in transporting the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines to the islands more than 9,000 miles (14,000 km) from the UK. Whilst Queen Elizabeth 2 was held to be too vulnerable to enter the war zone, Canberra was sent to the heart of the conflict.

Canberra anchored in San Carlos Water on [[May 21]] as part of the landings by British forces to retake the islands. Although her size and white colour made her an unmissable target for the Argentine Air Force, the Canberra, if sunk, would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos. However, the liner was not badly hit during the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the Royal Navy frigates and destroyers instead of the supply and troop ships. After the war, Argentine pilots claimed they were told not to hit the Canberra.

When the war ended, Canberra was used to repatriate the Argentine Army, before returning to Southampton to a rapturous welcome. After a lengthy refit, Canberra returned to civilian service as a cruise ship. Her role in the Falklands War made her very popular with the British public, and ticket sales after her return were elevated for many years as a result. Age and high running costs eventually caught up with her though, as she had much higher fuel consumption than most modern cruise ships. She was withdrawn from service in September 1997 and sold for scrapping, leaving for Gadani Beach, Pakistan the next month. She did not give up without a fight however; her deep draft meant that she could not be beached as far as most ships, and due to her solid construction the scrapping process took nearly a year instead of the estimated three months.

TSS. Cameronia

Later renamed SS. Empire Clyde - 7515tons built 1925 Passenger ship.
1925 LEONARDO DA VINCI, Transatlantica Italiana Soc.di Nav, Genoa.
1937 Lloyd Triestino, Trieste.
14.2.41 Captured by R.N at Kismayu, Italian Somaliland.
1941 MOWT managed by Ellerman Lines.
1943 EMPIRE CLYDE (1), managed by Ellerman City Line - Hospital Ship.
1948 MAINE, The Admiralty. Hospital Ship.
1954 Scrapped Hong Kong.

Cheshire (F 18) - Type: Armed merchant cruiser - Tonnage: 10.552 tons

Completed: 1927 - Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Glasgow
Owner: The Admiralty , Homeport: Liverpool , Date of attack: 18 Aug, 1942 Nationality: British

History: On 29 Aug, 1939, the motor passenger ship Cheshire from Bibby Brothers & Co, Liverpool was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as armed merchant cruiser and became HMS Cheshire (F 18)
At 21.28 hours on 14 Oct, 1940, the HMS Cheshire (F 18) was struck by one torpedo from U-137 (Wohlfarth) northwest of Ireland (Grid AM 4561). She reached Liverpool but had to be laid up for repairs for six months.

On 9 Jun, 1943 the ship was returned to the owner and then used by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as troop transport. Used as repatriation ship in 1945 and on 5 Oct, 1948 finally returned to the owner.

SS. Dilwara - Launched 1935:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow,
Yard No 654
Engines by Barclay Curle & Co Glasgow/ Doxford
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Name: KUALA LUMPUR Port of Registry: Hong Kong Propulsion: 2 x Diesel
Launched: Thursday, 17 October 1935
Built: 1936 Ship Type: TroopShip
Tonnage: 12598 grt | 7512 nrt | 3435 dwt Length: 517 feet Breadth: 65 feet Draught: 25 feet
Owner History: British India Steam Nav Co - China Nav Co Hong Kong
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 01/12/1971

SS. Dominion Monarch in 1939

One of Shaw Savill Line's principal ships for many years was Dominion Monarch, which lived up to her regal status by having only first- class accommodation for 523 passengers.Built by Swan Hunters in the late 1930s, the 26,500-ton liner was designed for a new service from Southampton to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.Dominion Monarch had the distinction of being the last really big British motor liner. A quadruple-screw vessel 650ft long, with an 85ft beam, she set a new fashion by having a single mast set well forward, while her two funnels were aft of midships.The ship had only just begun her career when the Second World War broke out and she was taken over for troopship duties. When peace returned Dominion Monarch was welcomed back to Southampton when she brought in valuable food from New Zealand.By the 1960s Shaw Savill, worried about rising fuel costs, decided to have her broken up.The last commercial voyage started from Southampton on December 30, 1961, returning the following April when all the ships in port saluted her on their whistles.

Dunera in 1937

The 12,615-ton Dunera made her maiden voyage from Southampton to China in September 1937.She was closely associated with the port, first as a troopship for 24 years and then as a pioneering educational cruise liner for seven years.

The ship was ordered by the British India Steam Navigation Company from the Barclay Curle shipyard in Glasgow and when completed was chartered by the government to carry troops.She and her sister ship, Dilwara, represented considerable advance on the older troopships. During the Second World War the ships took part in the evacuation from Singapore and landings at Madagascar, Sicily and southern France.

Modernisation and refit work in 1950 at Glasgow cost nearly £1m and Dunera continued in service until trooping by sea finished. She still had plenty of life left in her and British India embarked on a bold experiment.The company decided she should continue in service as Britain's first permanent schools cruise liner. During the first year in her new role, she carried more than 10,000 youngsters.

Her achievements paved the way for the introduction of other retired troopships into cruising operations.Sadly, Dunera was finally broken up for scrap in Spain in 1967.

MEMORIES "SNIPPETS" OF A RAMC MEDICAL ORDERLY, HMT DUNERA 1958

The send off from Southampton was always a nostalgic occasion with military bands, flag waiving with lots of tears from wive's and girl friends. Sailing down Southampton Water for the first time I wondered if I would ever see England again. little did I know than in 39 years I would be doing this again on the liner Oriana.
Very few of the young men on board had been abroad before, like me, for most overseas was crossing the Menia bridge to Anglesey or the ferry to the Isle Of White. The bay of Biscay was always rough; we gave out sick pills but I don't think they were any good.
When ever we past another troop ship (it would be announced on the ships tannoy) there was always lots of waving and if the other ship was homeward bound shouting of "You lucky Bas-----ds", (not that they could hear.")
Everyone knew about the sinking of the Windrush so life boat drill was actually taken seriously, Gibraltar was always the first port of call (or the last), outward bound no shore leave was permitted to prevent troops going AWOL and disappearing across the border into Spain.
The weekly FFI (free from infection) inspections were an undignified procedure with personnel lined up in four rows in PT shorts, the shorts would be dropped while we inspected hair and pubic hair, the penis and other areas. If anything abnormal was found or suspected the poor initial would be refered to the MO, officers were examined by the MO and women QA.'s.
The MOD issue French letters (now called condoms) were the thickness of bicycle innertubes and inverably thrown away"

 

 

TSMV Dorsetshire

Built Belfast Harland and Wolff 1920 450 feet long, 57.0 feet wide, 34.4 draft, 2-6 cyl 4SC SA
Burmeinster and Wain diesel engine, 7,450 tons, but 9,345 tons as trooper. Cargo liner from 1920 -1927, Trooper from 1927. Hospital ship WWII Trooper post war,. Migrant service. 1952 hostel, Little Aden Oil refinery. BROKEN UP 1954

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I have just seen your web site and saw a picture of the old HMT Dorsetshire, in which I sailed to Egypt in in April 1938. I have a postcard of her with some specifics about her which might be of interest to you.

Printed below the photo (picture) are the following ponts: 9,647 tons Length 466ft. Breadth 57ft Speed 12 knots

I recall vividly my surprise to find the `Bay' very smooth, however a few hours after dropping a few members at Gibraltar, we ran into a very bad storm and we seemed to have lost the use of a `Screw' so had to return to Gib. in order to correct the situation. That storm resulted in more than 95% being Seasick. A far from pleasant experience, especially on a Troopship. However I also recall acting as a steward in our (RCofS) Sgt's. Mess and having to collect and hang the Hammocks for them before collecting my own. But what a wonderful experience awaited me when actually sleeping in a Hammock.
Strange how memories are recalled after so long and now at the age of 88 I am completing my memoires as far as possible and at the end I have a picture gallery including the picture of the old Dorsetshire..

Now a Canadian Citizen and belonging to several `Old Comrades Groups' I still wear uniform at special functions. - Ernie Huntley

 

Eastern Prince later to be Empire Medway

Passenger ship.
1929 EASTERN PRINCE, Furness Withy & Co.
1940 Troopship.
1946 MOWT managed by Furness Withy & Co..
1950 EMPIRE MEDWAY (2), MOWT managed by Furness Withy & Co.
1953 Scrapped Faslane.

Empire Dynasty - Eastern - Dori.

EmpireDynasty 9905gross tons, 475length, 64beam, 24draft, built1944 MOWT managed by Lamport & Holt Line.
1946 EASTERN, Eastern & Australian SS Co, London.
1964 DORI, Eddie SS Co, Taiwan.
1969 Scrapped Taiwan.

 

HMT. Empire Trooper

The EMPIRE TROOPER, ex CAPE NORTE ex SIERRA SALVADORE, was an ex German 13,942 gross ton passenger steamer built in 1922, by Stettiner Maschinbau AG Vulcan of Hamburg. When built there was capacity for 2,886 passengers. On the 3rd of September 1939, while attempting to return to Germany, and in a position just off Peenambuco, Iceland, the vessel was captured by H.M.S Belfast. During the capture the German crew managed to sabotage the ships engines. Scrapped in 1955

 

 

HMT. Empire Halladale - Operating life: 1922 - 1956

Tonnage: 13,589 - Passengers: 1,886 - Constructed: Vulcan, HamburgThe Empire Halladale was formerly known as the Antonio Delfino. She was built for the Hamburg South American Line and sailed on the Hamburg to River Plate route until 1932. During the war she performed various duties and was captured together with Pretoria in Copenhagen in May 1945. She trooped under the management of the Anchor Line until her break-up in 1956.

In 1946 to 1950 this was Empire Helford

Built 1915 - 6598tons 440length 53beam 1Passenger Ship.
1915 CZARITZA, Russian American Line.
1917 The Shipping controller managed by Ellerman's Wilson Line.
1917 The Shipping controller managed by Cunard SS Co.
1920 LITUANIA, Baltic American Line.
1930 KOSCIUSZKO, Gdynia America Line, Poland.
1939 GDYNIA, Polish Navy.
1945 KOSCIUSZKO, Polish Navy.
1946 EMPIRE HELFORD, MOWT managed by Lamport & Holt Line, Liverpool.
1950 Scrapped Blyth

 

HMT. Empire Ken

9523tons, built 1928 Passenger ship.
1928 UBENA, German East Africa Line.
1939 German Navy, U-Boat depot ship.
1945 German hopital ship.
1945 Seized by Allies at Travemunde.
1945 EMPIRE KEN, MOWT troopship.
1957 Scrapped Dalmuir

Jim MacDonald has submitted this image: His Bedding Card for the trip from Malta to Southampton aboard Empire Ken in 1953.

HMT. Empire Ken

9523tons, built 1928 Passenger ship.
1928 UBENA, German East Africa Line.
1939 German Navy, U-Boat depot ship.
1945 German hopital ship.
1945 Seized by Allies at Travemunde.
1945 EMPIRE KEN, MOWT troopship.
1957 Scrapped Dalmuir

EMPIRE TEST / THYSVILLE 1922 - picture supplied by Ron Flood - The Empire Test at Trieste Docks Italy, in 1952 with The South Lancashire Regiment aboard who were heading for the Middle East.
8,300 gross tons, length 459ft x beam 57ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 14 knots. Accommodation for 178-1st and 136-2nd class passengers. Built by John Cockerill, Hoboken for Cie Belge Maritime du Congo, she was launched as the THYSVILLE and commenced her maiden voyage from Antwerp to the Belgian Congo on 2nd Oct.1922. In 1930 the company was merged into Cie Maritime Belge (Lloyd Royal) and in 1940 on the invasion of Belgium by the Germans, she was operated by the Belgian Government on charter to the Allies. Acquired by the Ministry of Defence in 1947 for relief trooping, she was renamed EMPIRE TEST, and was painted white with a blue band round her hull, yellow funnel and cream masts. There was capacity for 800 passengers/troops. Her final trooping voyage was in Oct.1952 and arrived at Faslane on 19th June 1953 for scrapping.

 

 

Charlton Star - This ship was later to become the Empire Bure.

Stanley Embling writes: I sailed on the troopship Empire Bure to Jamaica in late February 1949 from Liverpool.... I returned from Jamaica on the Empire Test I do believe in the early part of 1953

Lineage of the ship see below.

Elizabethville/HMT. Empire Bure/Charlton Star ( Details supplied by James Ignis)

History SS Charlton Star, Built by John Cockerill Shipyards,Hoeboken,Belgium
8178 Gross Tons, 439 Feet long

57 Feet wide Steam quadrepal expansion engines,twin screw
Service Speed 14 Knots
700 one class passengers
1921 Elizabethville, Cie Belge-Maritime Du Congo,Antwerp
1930 Cie. Maritime Belge,Antwerp
1940 MOWT Troopship, Managed by Lamport & Holt, Liverpool
1946 Cie Maritime Belge
1947 Empire Bure MOWT managed by Lamport & Holt Line, Liverpool
1950 SS Charlton Star,Charlton SS Co London (CHANDRIS)
1958 Maristrella AJ & DJ Chandris, Liberia
1960 Scrapped at Osaka

 

SS Empire Star.

Built: Harland-Wolffs, Belfast - Dimensions: 524.2 x 70.4 x 32.3 feet
Tonnage: Gross: 11093 Net: 6810
Propulsion: Two 6-Cyl. 2 S.C.D.A. Burmeister & Wain oil engines by shipbuilder driving twin screws
Type: Refrigerated Cargo Liner
Launched: 26/9/1935 ( Yard No.957) as Empire Star for Frederick Leyland & Co. Ltd. (Blue Star Line managers) - Completed: 12/1935
Bombed: 12/02/1942 and damaged by Japanese aircraft in the Durian Strait, during the evacuation of Singapore. She received three direct hits and repairs were later carried out at Fremantle and Sydney, Australia. Fourteen military personnel and two civilian refugees were killed
Torpedoed: 23/10/1942 and sunk by the German Submarine U-615, north of the Azores in position 48.14N 26.22W [20]. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to East London, South Africa with 10,555 tons of general cargo and Government stores. Twenty crew , six gunners and six passengers were lost.

Sister Ships: Imperial Star (1) , New Zealand Star (1) , Sydney Star (1) , Australia Star (1) , Melbourne Star (1) , Brisbane Star (1), Wellington Star (1), Auckland Star (1), Adelaide Star (1) , Empire Star (3) , Imperial Star (2) & Melbourne Star (2)

SS. Empire Wansbeck

Built 1943 ex- Linz, (North German Lloyd), war prize, 1946 renamed Empire Wansbeck, Harwich-Hook of Holland, 1961 sold to Greece, renamed Esperos. 3,508tons

MEMORIES "SNIPPETS" OF A RAMC MEDICAL ORDERLY - Graham Hibbert.

There are two troop ships that you hear very little about, they were Empire Parkston and the Wansbeck, these were known as ST's (sick tubs).
They operated a a night crossing several times a week from Harwich to the Hook of Holland (for onward rail transport to Germany) and return.
Medical staff consisted of two RAMC lance-corporals only, provided by Netley on secondment to movement control Parkston Quay Harwich, I spent several winter months on these ships; we had a small medical room and were always busy. For serious incidents we were totally reliant on any doctors and QA's in transit and radio advice.
Unfortunately I do not have any photos, at the time these ships did not have the since of adventure and excitement as deep sea trooping. - Graham Hibbert.

HMT. Empire Fowey (Picture supplied by Mike Smith)

Operating life: 1935 - 1976
Tonnage: 17,528 - Passengers: 286 - Constructed: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Empire Fowey was originally called the Potsdam and was seized by the Allies in Flensburg in 1945. She sailed for one year as the Empire Jewel before taking the name of Empire Fowey in 1946 under the management of P&O. In 1960 she was sold to Pakistan and became the Safina-e-Hujjaj. She was scrapped in Karachi in 1976.

 

 

HMT. Empire Pride

9248tons, built 1941 Troop Transport.
MOWT managed by Bibby Bros & Co.
1954 CHARLTON PRIDE, Chandris Ltd, London, converted to cargo liner.
1956 CALGARIA, Donaldson Line, Glasgow.
1963 EMBASSY, Cia Nav.Fortaleza, Panama.
1963 Scrapped Hong Kong

Empress of Australia

Built as TIRPITZ for Hamburg-Amerika Line by Vulcanwerke, A.G at Stettin, Germany
21,861 GRT - 615 x 75 feet - Twin screw, turbines - 17 knots
370 First class, 190 Second Class, 415 Third Class, 1,000 Steerage

In 1938 she went to Harland & Wolff at Southampton for an overhaul returning for the 1939 season, but after only three cruisesshe was selected to act as the Royal Yacht to take King George VI and the Queen to Canada. She sailed from Portsmouth May 6, 1939and arrived two days late in Quebec due to dense fog. She continued on the Quebec run until the outbreak of War whereupon she became a troopship.It was in this role that she would remain for the next 13 years. EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA worked world wide in trooping in every theatre of war. In 1946 while anchoring off Liverpool her anchor tangled with that of a cargo liner DEBRETT, the two ships collided and seven tugs were needed to separate them. In December of 1946 she was altered for peace-time trooping, offering better accommodations, however she was never repainted from the wartime grey. She continiued to carry troops up to another overhaul in Liverpool in 1951. The following year after her 70th trooping voyage she was sold. Bought for scrap, she sailed from the Mersey to Inverkeithing, May 8, 1952.

 

 

Empress of Britain

On the 25th Sept 1939, she was officially requisitioned to be used as a troop transport. Once she had been converted into such, she made two trooping crossings from Halifax to Clyde, each time escorted by destroyers.
In March 1940, the Empress was sent to Australia and New Zealand to transport troops to Europe. On May 12th she left Freemantle in a troop convoy
The Empress of Britain burning after having been attacked by German aircraft.
together with the Empress of Canada, Queen Mary, Aquitania, Mauretania and Royal Mail’s Andes.
In the autumn of 1940, the Empress of Britain was on trooping mission between England and Suez via the Cape. On her way back, she called at Cape Town. Leaving with 643 people on board, no one knew that this was to be her last voyage. On October 26th, when the Empress of Britain was off the West Coast of Ireland, she was suddenly attacked by a German long-range Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft. The ship was set on fire in the attack, and it did not take long before the crew had lost control of the raging blaze. The Captain ordered abandon ship, but a skeleton crew remained in an effort to save the ship.
The Polish destroyer Burza and the two tugs Marauder and Thames managed to take the burning vessel in tow, and headed for safe waters. But the German aircraft had reported the ship’s position via radio, and soon the German U-boat U-32 was on the Empress’ tails. The U-boat stalked its prey for almost 24 hours before, on October 28th, she was able to fire three torpedoes against the Empress of Britain. One of the torpedoes detonated prematurely, but the other two found its target, and mortally wounded her. The Empress of Britain went down, the casualties being counted to 49, most of whom had been killed in the air attack. Two days later, the U-32 was sunk by the destroyer Harvester.
Five years later, when the bloody conflict of World War II came to an end, no larger liner than the Empress of Britain had been sunk. She was the greatest loss for the Allied forces during the entire war.

 

 

HMT. Empire Clyde (Harry Furr)

TSS. Cameronia - later renamed SS. Empire Clyde - 7515tons built 1925 Passenger ship.
1925 LEONARDO DA VINCI, Transatlantica Italiana Soc.di Nav, Genoa.
1937 Lloyd Triestino, Trieste.
14.2.41 Captured by R.N at Kismayu, Italian Somaliland.
1941 MOWT managed by Ellerman Lines.
1943 EMPIRE CLYDE (1), managed by Ellerman City Line - Hospital Ship.
1948 MAINE, The Admiralty. Hospital Ship.
Empire Clyde was sold for breaking up at Newport, Monmouthshire, in September 1957.

Memory by Derek Lovemore

My own experience was on the Empire Clyde in February 1954 outbound from Liverpool to Bermuda carrying the 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. The Irish Sea was at its most turbulent for many years and the decks were literally awash with vomit for many days, until the ship sailed well out into the North Atlantic. How sweet the smell and scents of Bermuda after 8 days.

 

 

HMT. Empire Orwell - Operating life: 1936 - 1987 - Tonnage: 16,662 - Passengers: 490
Constructed: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

Empire Orwell started her life as the Pretoria. During the war she became a hospital ship and was used for the evacuation of the Eastern territories in early 1945. Taken as a war prize in Copenhagen in May 1945 she served as the Empire Doon under Orient Line management until 1950 when she underwent a major refit and became the Empire Orwell. She was sold to the Blue Funnel Line in 1958 and became the Gunung Djati pilgrim ship sailing between Indonesia and DJeddah. In 1979 she was sold again to the Indonesian navy and spent her last years trooping as the Tanjung Pandan. She was scrapped in Taiwan in 1987.

Georgic (II) 1932 - 1956

Length: 712 feet (217.5 m) Beam: 82.5 feet (25.2 m) Tonnage: 27,759 gross tons

The Second World War began in 1939, and the Georgic was requisitioned for British trooping duties. Earlier the same year the Georgic had been transferred back to the Liverpool-New York service and made five voyages back and forth. The actual converting into a trooping-vessel did not occur until April 1940, on the Clyde. The Georgic was now able to carry 3,000 soldiers. The first use that was made of the Georgic was to have British troops evacuated from Andesfjord and Narvik in Norway and landing them at the Clyde. The next assignment was to evacuate British soldiers from Brest and S:t Nazarie. She also carried Canadian troops across the Atlantic to the Middle East via the way around Africa.

In 1941, the Georgic was sailing in a convoy that had left the Clyde on May 22. This convoy was the very convoy, which hunted and sank the famous German battleship Bismarck. After having been left almost unprotected by the attacking British war-ships, the Georgic anyway managed to reach her destination: Port Tewfik in the Gulf of Suez on July 7. When she was at anchor here, German aircraft spotted the British trooper and bombed her. The Georgic was hit twice, and the stern of the ship was set afire by the bombs. The fire reached the ship’s fuel, and the ammunition carried on board exploded, thus wrecking the entire stern area. The ship was beached by her captain, and when evacuated the half-submerged Georgic was left to be burned out.

Even though the vessel was almost totally destroyed, it was decided that she should be salvaged on September 14. In October the Georgic was raised, and two months later the plugging of the hull was completed. She was towed, stern first, to Port Sudan where she was made seaworthy. A year later she had arrived at Bombay and finished hull cleaning and further reparations. In January 1943, she left Bombay at 16 knots for Liverpool where she arrived on March 1. Her next port of call was Belfast. There she would undergo a complete refit, which took 17 months. When completed in December 1944, her exterior was much different from what she had once looked like. The main changes was that her fore funnel and aft mast had been removed and the forward mast been shortened. Now every possible difficulty in separating Georgic from her sister Britannic had been reduced. On December 16, she was returned to her managers. During the last year of the war, the Georgic made some trooping to Italy, the Middle East and India. The last war duties continued until 1948.

The Georgic was offered for sale in 1955, and in May she was chartered by the Australian Government. The last voyage ever completed in service for the Georgic was on November 19, when she carried 800 troops between Hong Kong and Liverpool. In December she was laid up at Kames Bay at Isle of Bute, and in January 1956 she was sold to the Shipbreaking Industries Ltd. at Faslane where she arrived one month later. The last of the ships built for the White Star Line had finally come to rest.

 

Highland Monarch - 14,139tons - Built at Harland & Wolff, Belfast - 1932-1960 - Steel Screw motorship

Highland Monarch was built for Nelson Line in 1928. She passed to Royal Mail in 1932, with the take over of Nelson Line. Highland Monarch was scrapped in 1960.

 

 

Highland Princess 14,100 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 1932-1959 Steel Screw motorship

Highland Princess was built for Nelson Line in 1929. She passed to Royal Mail in 1932, with the take over of Nelson Line. In 1959 Highland Princess was sold to John Latsis, Piraeus, and renamed Marianna

Highland Chieftain
(Royal Mail: 1932-1958 - 14,131gt)

Highland Chieftain was built by Harland and Wolf of Belfast for Nelson Line in 1928, the first of the five "Highland" Class. Sister ships were Highland Brigade, Highland Monarch and Highland Princess. Her maiden voyage on the London to River Plate service, on the 21st of February and later transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. She commenced wartime trooping duties in 1939, but was damaged on the 11th of October, 1940, during a bombing raid on Liverpool.She ran aground in 1946. In 1959 Highland Chieftain was sold to Calpe Shipping Co, Gibraltar, and renamed Calpean Star.

The Fate of this Ship.

As you come up the River Plate to Montevideo you can see the mast of the Highland Chieftain sticking out of the water from miles away. The un-initiated on the ship thought that this was the remains of the Graff Spee. No such luck as she lies broken up underwater some 3 miles away. After the war she did not resume her commercial operations until 1948 on the River Plate service, and was sold out of the fleet in January of 1959 to the Calpe Shipping Company of Gibraltar and converted for use in the whaling industry,and renamed Calpean Star.

In March of 1960 she suffered rudder damage when off Montevideo, and after leaving under tow she suffered a boiler room explosion which resulted in her being abandoned.The wreck wasn't cut up for scrap until 1965.

She took webmasters brother Charles Petvin (RAF) to North Africa in 1943

With thanks to Andrew Faulkner

SS. Imperator - Launched 05-23-1912, Vulcan Shipyards, Hamburg

Gross Tonnage - 52,226, Dimensions - 269.09 x 29.96m ,Number of funnels - 3Number of masts - 2, Builder - A.G.Vulcan, Hamburg, Commisioned 05-24-1913Size: 52.117 gross tons (European); 15,000 tons., Length over all: 277.06 m (269.07 registered), Width: 29.87 m, Depth: 19.20 m, Machines: 4 turbines AEG-Vulcan, Speed: 23 knots normal, 24 knots maximum, Capacity: 714+194 first class, 401+205 second class, 962+1772 third class passengers, 1180 crew. 1938 sold for scrap

As the cost of renovation would be so high it was decided to withdraw the Berengaria from service altogether, on 23 March 1938. For the next few months she lay idle in Southampton dock until 19 October when it was decided to dispose of her. Sir John Jarvis MP bought the ship for demolition on the Tyne at Jarrow for £108,000. The ship sailed from Southampton on December. The furniture and fittings were auctioned in January 1939 and over 200 Jarrow men were employed in breaking up the old ship. The outbreak of war, however, meant that the men were required elsewhere so it was not until 1946 that the remains of the hull were towed to Rosyth for the final process of dismantling. By this time few people were interested in the remains of an old liner that had been built in the Imperial Germany of 1913.

Ile De France

The ship was involved in extensive trooping during World War II. Returned to the French Line in 1947, she underwent a massive two-year reconstruction which modified her profile with the removal of one funnel, giving her a more modern appearance. She was also given some of the furnishings of the Normandie, which had been destroyed by fire in 1942.

 

SS. Lancastria - sunk at St Nazaire 17th June 1940 -

The commemoration on June 17, 2005 the 65-th anniversary of the tragedy of the Troopship "Lancastria"

The Sinking of SS. Lancastria by Alfred Lockyer

 

HMT. Lancashire (2)

Built 1914 for Bibby Line, in 1930 converted to permanent troopship, scrapped at Barrow in 1956. Length 502 ft. Breadth 57 ft. Depth 35 ft. 10 ins. Tonnage 9,543 tons, H.P. 6,000.

Lancashire took my father to Malta in April 1934. They appeared to have arrived at Malta on 22/04/1934. He was posted to RAF Flying Boat base at Calafrna, attached to 202(FB) Squadron. Lancashire seems to have taken service personnel as far as India and was out in the far east at the fall of Singapore. I also have heard it was still in far east service (pos.
Hong Kong) as late as 1956. (Roy Haskett)

Another view of HMT. Lancashire - supplied by B J Jayne.

I sailed on the last voyage of the Lancashire, Embarking with the HQ Ist guards Brigade at Port Said at the end of March 1956 arriving in Liverpool approx 14 days later, she suffered a minor engine problem resulting in a short stay in Grand harbour Malta, She left Liverpool to go to the Breakers Yard.

Regards B J Jayne Welsh Guards (ret)

 

 

HMT. Nevasa

Built to celebrate the company's centenary in 1956, SS Nevasa spent her first few years trooping. However, as National Service came to an end and air transport became more efficient, the ship was made redundant and laid up in the River Fal in 1962 for two years. SS Nevasa was converted to B.I.'s third and largest educational cruise ship at Falmouth in 1964/5. Her powerful machinery gave her a greater range than the other educational cruise ships and her anti-roll stabilisers provided greater comfort. She ran alongside the SS Uganda between 1968 and 1974. However the SS Nevasa was suddenly withdrawn in January 1975 and sent to breakers in Taiwan, a victim of the 1970's oil crisis.

HMT Nevasa

The earlier Nevasa which operated in WW2, see picture below

Nevasa (2) 1913, scrapped at Barrow in Furness in 1948. 9,071tons, length 480 ft, breadth 48.1ft

 

I had found a tiny (6x4cm) photo in my father’s effects, with the wording on the reverse - Ron Flood

“Convoy through porthole HMT Nevasa, Red Sea 1940”

 

Monterosa, later to become HMT Windrush.

New Australia

Leaving Singapore for the UK 1954. The SS New Australia rose from the charred remains of a burnt out wreck which had been written off and destined for scrap. She became a migrant ship, transporting thousands of British settlers and their families to a new life in Australia and also, as a troopship, played an important role in Australian military action in the Korean and Malayan conflicts.

S.S./H.M.T. Neuralia

Built in 1912 in Glasgow as a passenger liner for the British India Line. At the outbreak of World War I she was quickly converted for service as a troopship, as the prefix H.M.T. suggests. She undertook passenger duties and educational cruises between the wars but returned to troopship duties in World War II. She survived several U-boat attacks, but was finally sunk by an Italian mine on May 1st, 1945 with the loss of 4 lives.

Taking 27,000 troops to the beaches
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Friday 4th Jun 2004. - ALLAN WOODHEAD was a Sergeant pharmacist of No 3 Coy, Royal Army Medical Corp, the sea-going company, which provided medical staff for hospital and troop ships. On June 2, 1944, Mr Woodhead, from Quarlton Drive, Hawkshaw, joined HMT Neuralia in King George V Dock in London

Neuralia embarked 1,800 troops and sailed on June 6. In line ahead, the convoy rounded North Foreland into the Dover Straits, with all troops below deck, and the ship at "Action Stations". We had to pass the German guns on the French coast in Pas de Calais. As it turned out they were strangely silent. This was fortunate, as at 12 knots we would have been in range for an hour or so. Later we found that the guns had set on fire and sunk SS Sambut which had sailed earlier.

Neuralia was delayed in the Solent and travelled overnight to disembark troops off Gold Beach by scrambling nets over the side into landing craff. The ship then returned to the Solent to embark for the next trip. This went on all summer, mostly taking American troops to Omaha beach -- 27,000 troops in all.

Archive Home

From the Bolton Evening News
http://www.boltoneveningnews.co.uk
© Newsquest Media Group 2004

HMT Neuralia seen on Whangpoo River off Shanghai November 8th 1929 — Shanghai is not on the River Yangtsze as is generally thought, but on its tributary, the Whangpoo

.1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (1922 to 1938)

Bombay to Shanghai and home again (1929 to 1931)

The 1st Battalion embarked in H.M.T. Neuralia at Bombay on the 22nd of October, 1929, and all enjoyed the 17 days voyage to Shanghai. There were few troops on board besides the Battalion, and they had plenty of accomodatjon and deck room.

SS.Ormonde

Orient Steam Navigation Company - 1917 14,982 tons - "Ormonde" was built by Orient Lines in 1917 as a troopship. She served the UK - Suez - Australia route between the wars. Converted to one-class in 1933. Troop carrier in WWII. Returned to commercial service in 1947, again on the Europe - Australia route. She was scrapped in Dalmuir in 1952.

SS. Orbita

Built by Harland and Wolff at Belfast, launched Jul 7th 1914, 15495tons, sister ship to Orduna. Troopship from 1941 to being broken up in 1950 by Thos. W. Ward at Newport, Monmouthshire.

Chris Madden writes: As a small boy, my family travelled to join my Army Father, from Liverpool to Singapore on HMT ORBITA leaving UK in December 1949, and arriving in Singapore in Jan 1950. The voyage took 6 weeks, with one of the four engines u/s throughout, and one other working intermittently. The ship was certaily on its last legs and I think was scrapped soon afterward. It was not painted in normal HMT colours, but retained the black hull, white superstructure, and yellow funnel.

SS. Orontes (Orient Line)

Usually on Capetown run. approx 20,000tons - Operating life: 1929 -1962
Tonnage: 19,970 - Passengers: 1,612 - Constructed: Vickers, Barrow

The last of the five 20,000 tonne sisters, Orontes was distiguished by her curved and more modern bow. She too served during the war as a troop ship and was refitted by Thorneycroft in 1947 prior to resuming her commercial service.

HMT. Oxfordshire

Leaving Gibraltar - built by Fairfield Govan,
Yard No 775
Engines by Fairfield SB&E Co Ltd Glasgow
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Name: RIPA, Previous Names: FAIRSTAR
Port of Registry: Liverpool
Propulsion: 4 Steam turbines geared to 2 sc shafts 18000shp 20 knots
Launched: Thursday, 15 December 1955, Built: 1957
Ship Type: Troopship, Ship's Role: Cruising latterly
Tonnage: 23180 grt, Length: 609 feet 5, Breadth: 78 feet 3, Draught: 267 feet 7t
Owner History:
Bibby Line Liverpool.latterly SITMAR
Status: Scrapped - 10/04/1997 Alang India

 

HMT Oxfordshire

Operating life: 1957 - 1997 - Tonnage: 20,586 - Passengers: 500
Constructed: Fairfield, Glasgow

The Oxfordshire was built by the Bibby Line and the Ministry of Transport as a troop carrier. In 1962 she was released to the Bibby Line who sold her on to the Sitmar corporation in 1964. Renamed the Fairstar, she commenced sailing between the UK and Australia carrying 1,870 passengers in one class. In 1973, she was stationed in Sydney and commenced a new life cruising between the Antipodes, South Pacific and South-East Asia. Nicknamed the "FunShip", she provided many with memorable holidays in the tropical sun. She was refitted and repainted following P&O's takeover of Sitmar cruises and sailed for another eight years before escalating maintenance costs took their toll and she was depatched to the breakers in India.

 

 

SS. Otranto

Tonnage: 20,032tons - Length: 200,6 m - Beam: 22,9 m - Speed: 20 kn - Operating life: 1929 - 1957 Orient Line. - Built: 1929 Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness, England - Passengers: 1,686 - She was built for London - Brisbane line.
In 1939 she became a troopship for the Ministry of War Transport, London.
In 1949 she resumed passenger service on the route London - Sydney. In 1957 she was scrapped at Faslane, Scotland.
Otranto was one of five liners of 20,000 tonnes built to replace tonnage lost during the first world war. She survived the second conflict serving as a troop ship, although three of her sister ships, Orama, Orford and Oronsay were lost.

 

 

SS. Otranto

 

RMS. Orduna - (Leslie Youdell)

Built : 1914 :Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Tonnage : 15,507g, 1941 : Taken over as troopship 1946 : Government trooping service. Boat deck derrick posts removed prior to this. 1950 : Nov : Decommissioned and laid up
1951 : Broken up at Dalmuir after 37 years exemplary service

 

Another view of RMS Orduna - (Peter Smith)

Peter Smith writes: In 1949 my mother and I sailed to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to join my father who was in the RAF. I notice that the photo in your gallery is not of a too high standard and I attach one that may be of interest. The picture was taken by my father, flying a Douglas DC3, of the RMS Orduna when she was 150 miles out from Colombo. We returned to the UK as a family arriving December 24th 1951 on the Empire Trooper.

 

 

SS. Oronsay

20,000tons Torpedoed 9th October 1942 - This ship picked up many survivors from Lancastria sinking and returned to England.

 

OSMANIEH - 123890

Owner -Khedivial Mail S.S. & Graving Dock Company - 1906.
Date launched - Wednesday - 09th May, 1906.
Builder - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Yard 761., 4,041 tons, 360-2x45-2x24-3. 650n.h.p, 17 knots. Quadruple-Expansion Engines. The liner Osmanieh, Lieutenant Commander D. R. Mason, was taken over for service as a fleet auxiliary during the First World War. On Monday - 31st December, 1917, she was carrying troops and medical staff to Alexandria when she struck a mine laid by UC 34 under the command of Oberleutnant zue See Horst Obermuller at the entrance to the harbour. She sank very quickly taking with her: Lieutenant Commander D.R. Mason. (Commemorated - Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery) Two other officers. 21 of its crew. One military officer. 166 other ranks.Eight nurses.

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2

Gross Tonnage: 70,327 (originally 69,053) - Net Tonnage: 37,182 (originally 36,038)
Deadweight Tonnage: 11,649
Dimensions - Length: 963 ft (293.52m) - Breadth: 105 ft (32.07m)
Draft: 32 ft
Machinery
9 MAN B&W Diesel Engines - 10,625 kW at 400 rpm
2 propellers - 22 ft diameter, 42 tons - 2 bow thrusters - 1,000 hp, variable pitch
4 Brown Brothers stabilizers - 12 ft length, 70 sq ft area each
Rudder - 75 tons
Capacity - Passengers: 1,900 - Crew: 1,015 - Total: 2,915

QE2 requisitioned for Falklands War as a troop tansport. On 12 May 1982 she set sail for St Georgia with 3000 troops aboard. QE2 arrived safely back in Southampton on 11 June 1982.

QTEV. Queen of Bermuda - (Leslie W. Youdell)

Queen of Bermuda, completed in 1933, was slightly larger at 22,575 gross tons and a foot longer at 580 feet than her sister ship Monarch of Bermuda. Service speed for both ships was 19 knots. She had capacity of 731 first and 31 second class passengers.

RMS Queen Elizabeth

Gross Tonnage - 83,673 tons - Dimensions - 300.94 x 36.14m (987.4 x 118.6ft)
Number of funnels - 2 - Number of masts - 2 - Construction - Steel
Propulsion - Quadruple screw - Engines - Single reduction steam turbines
Service speed - 29 knots - Builder - John Brown & Co Ltd, Glasgow
Launch date - 27 September 1938
Passenger accommodation - 823 1st class, 662 cabin class, 798 tourist class

In 1942 the Admiralty drew up plans to convert the two Queens into aircraft carriers but these were later abandoned as it was considered that their troop carrying role was too important. In April 1942 the Queen Elizabeth relocated from Sydney to New York. Here the troop accommodation was altered to make its capacity 10,000. In June 1942 it began to make voyages from New York to Gourock and then to Suez, via Cape Town. In August it began a shuttle service between New York and Gourock. Despite the ever present threat of U-boats the ship continued its service unscathed, although the German press stated that a U-boat had hit the vessel with a torpedo on 11 November.

By the end of the war in Europe the Queens had brought over a million troops to the war zone. The ship's next duty was to repatriate these troops and redeploy troops for the war against Japan. The repatriation of American troops continued until October 1945 when the Queen Elizabeth was released from US service and allocated to the repatriation of Canadian troops. On 6 March 1946 it arrived back in Southampton and was released from Government service as the need for troop movements had diminished. During the war it had carried over 750,000 troops and travelled 500,000 miles.

RMS Queen Mary

Cunard Line (then Cunard White Star Line) ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. Built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, she was designed to be the first of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to New York, in answer to the mainland European superliners of the late twenties and early thirties. Queen Mary and her slightly larger and younger running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth commenced this two-ship service after their release from World War II troop transport duties and continued it for two decades until Queen Mary's retirement in 1967.

Tonnage: 81,237 gross tons
Displacement: 81,961 tonnes
Length: 1,019.4 ft (311 m) oa; 965 ft B.P.
Beam: 118.5ft (36.1 m)
Draft: 39 ft (12,00 m)
Height: 181 ft (55.17 m)
Main Engines: 160,000 shaft hp (119 MW) Parsons double reduction steam turbines; max. 200,000 shaft hp (149 MW) steam turbines, 4 shafts
Speed: approximately 30 knots (56 km/h) - 29.5 knots (55 km/h) cruising in service; maximum sustained speed was 32.6 knots (60 km/h)
Passenger Capacity: 2139: 776 first (cabin) class, 784 tourist class, 579 third class)
Crew: 1101

RMS Queen Mary together the Queen Elizabeth, were the largest and fastest troopships involved in the war, often carrying as many as 15,000 men in a single voyage, and often travelling out of convoy and without escort. During this period, because of their wartime grey camouflage livery and elusiveness, both Queens received the nickname "The Grey Ghost". Because of their size and prestige their sinking was such a high priority for Germany that Adolf Hitler offered the equivalent of $250,000.00 and the Iron Cross to the U-boat commander who could sink them. However, their high speed meant that it was virtually impossible for U-Boats to catch them. Once, Germany was nearly successful; whilst The Queen Mary was in South American waters, a radio signal was intercepted which indicated that spies had reported her last refuelling stop and a U-Boat was waiting on her line of voyage. After being alerted, The Queen Mary changed course and escaped.

On 2 October 1942 Queen Mary accidentally sank one of her escorts, slicing through the light cruiser HMS Curacoa (D41), with the loss of 338 lives.

In December 1942, the Queen Mary was carrying nearly 15,000 American troops from New York to Great Britain. While 700 miles from Scotland during a gale, she was suddenly hit broadside by a rogue wave that may have reached a height of 28 meters (92 feet).

 

HMT. Rajula

Built 1926 - 1973 sold to Shipping Corporation of India, renamed Rangat. 8,478tons

 

 

RMS. Rohna

8400tons, clearing Madras Harbour in the cyclone of November 1927

 

SS. Saga

Built 1946 Gothenburg-London, 1956 sold to French Line, renamed Ville de Bordeaux. 6,458tons

 

SS. Tairea

Built 1924 - in 1952 scrapped UK. 7,934tons

 

 

SS. Talamba

Shown here as a Hospital Ship - bombed and sunk off Sicily while operating as hospital ship; loss of 5 lives. 8,018 tons

Built: 1924 by R&W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Ltd. Hebburn.
Tonnage: 8,018 g, 3,844 nt, 8,100 dwt.
Engines: Twin screw, 2 x Triple expansion four cylinder,, 8,000 IHP, 16.5 knots by Builder.
Passengers: 56 1st Class, 72 2nd Class, 2,777 Deck and Crew of 175.
Launched 16th July 1924, completed 2nd October 1924, Yard No. 533.

Talamba is a town near Multan in the Punjab, now Pakistan.

 

 

SS. Taliwa

Built 1924 - in 1945 stranded and burnt out Nicobar Islands. 7,936 tons

 

 

SS. Talma

Built 1923 - in 1949 scrapped in UK. 10,000 tons

SS. TRANSYLVANIA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
built by Scotts Greenock,
Yard No 451 - Port of Registry: Glasgow
Propulsion: steam, turbines, 17.5 knots
Launched: Saturday, 23 May 1914
Built: 1914
Ship Type: Passenger Vessel
Tonnage: 14348 grt
Length: 548.3 feet
Breadth: 66.6 feet
Draught: 42 feet
Owner History:
Anchor Line
Status: Torpedoed & Sunk - 04/05/1917 - Remarks: Commissioned as a troopship in May 1915 with accommodation for 200 officers and 2860 men. On 04/05/1917 torpedoed off Cape Noli (40 miles from Genoa) sank with heavy loss of life.
Photo supplied by The Book of the Anchor Line 1931

SS. Vienna

Built 1929 in 1941 purchased from London & North Eastern Railway, troop and hospital ship, 1945 Harwich-Hook of Holland, 1960 scrapped. 4,227tons

 

HMT. Empire Windrush

14651tons, 1930 Passenger Ship.
1930 MONTE ROSA, Hamburg South America Line.
1940 German Navy barracks and troopship.
1945 Seized by Allies at Kiel.
1946 EMPIRE WINDRUSH, MOT managed by New Zealand Shipping Co.
30.3.54 Sank off Algeria in tow after engine room explosion.

 

Another view of MV Windrush in Hong Kong harbour ( David Armstrong ex - Royal Signals Ist Commonwealth Div Korea)

 

HMT Empire Windrush - on fire off the coast of Algeria, March 1954.

Empire Ships

The images available in this section has been supplied by "Photoship Pictures Website"

To view an image of any of the following ships go to Old ship picture gallery, click on the image to enlarge and open in new window.

To view detailed information on each ship in this section go to THE 'EMPIRE' SHIPS - Compiled by Ted Finch.

Empire Ace - Empire Admiral - Empire Aid - Empire Baltic - Empire Battleaxe -Empire Cavalier - Empire Cedric - Empire Celtic (2) - Empire Celtic - Empire Chub - Empire Clyde (2).

Empire Clyde - Empire Curlew - Empire Deben - Empire Doric - Empire Fitzroy - Empire Fowey (2) - - Empire Fowey (3) - Empire Fowey - Empire Fred - Empire Fulmar - Empire Gaelic L3507 - Empire Gaelic - Empire Grebe - Empire Guillemot (2) - Empire Guillemot - Empire Gull L3513
Empire Gull - Empire Halladale - Empire Ken (2) - Empire Ken - Empire Kittewake -

Empire Netta - Empire Nordic - Empire Orwell (2) Empire Orwell - Empire Parkeston (2) - Empire Parkeston - Empire Petrel - Empire Plane - Empire Pride (2) - Empire Pride -

Empire Roach - Empire Rosa - Empire Shearwater - Empire Star - Empire Taw - Empire Teak
Empire Tern - Empire Test

To view an image of any of the above ships go to Old ship picture gallery, click on the image to enlarge and open in new window.

Empire Ship Name Changes (Martin Young)

Name changes of the "Empire" troopships might be of interest. The "Empire" name is in capitals, with earlier names in lower case in front of that name, and subsequent names in lower case after that name.

Letitia BRENT Captain Cook	Elizabethville BURE Charlton Star	Cameronia CLYDE
York Castle COMFORT	Thuringia General San Martin DEBEN	Potsdam Empire Jewel FOWEY Safina-E-Hujjaj
Antonoi Delfino Sierra Nevada HALLADALE	Ubena KEN	Maiden Castle LIFEGUARD
Dimboola Hong Siang LONGFORD	Eastern Prince MEDWAY	Pretoria Empire Doon ORWELL Gunung Djati Tanjung Panda
Prince Henry North Star PARKESTON	nPRIDE Charlton Pride Embassy	Scarborough Castle PEACEMAKER
Rayleigh Castle REST	Barnard Castle SHELTER	Thysville TEST
Cap Norte Sierra Salvada TROOPER	Linz WANSBECK Esperos	Milwaukee WAVENEY
Patria WELLAND Rossia	Monte Rosa WINDRUSH	Princesa Victoria, DUNNOTTAR CASTLE, Victoria - The Victoria