Difference between revisions of "SS Canberra"

SS Canberra
History
Name	SS Canberra
Owner	Australian Steamships Ltd. - Howard Smith & Co. Ltd., Melbourne
Builder	Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd., Govan
Yard number	452
Launched	9 Nov 1912
Completed	1913
In service	17 Mar 1913
Out of service	Nov 1959
Fate	broken up
General characteristics
Type	Passenger ship
Tonnage	7,707 tons
Length	410 0 ft (124.97m)
Beam	57.2 ft (17.42m)
Depth	38.4 ft (11.68m)
Propulsion	twin screw
Speed	15 knots (27.78 km/h)
Capacity	1913 - 170 x 1st; 180 x 2nd; 60 x 3rd class. 1,080 troops
	v; t; e;

Latest revision as of 20:28, 1 July 2024

Remarks

Owned by the Australian Steamships Ltd (Howard Smith), Melbourne and used on the Melbourne - north Queensland run. Requisitioned in October 1917 as a troopship, on 15 Nov 1917 she embarked 723 “Australian Imperial Force” (AIF) personnel; two Medical Officers, Dental Details, six miscellaneous, two Red Cross workers, 56 Nurses and two Chaplains.

Returned to her owners unscathed on 27 Apr 1920 she was refitted and resumed sailing between east coast ports until 1925 when a fire aboard during an industrial dispute took the life of a steward and caused extensive damage that took almost a year to make good.

SS Canberra was requisitioned for WW2 service in July 1941, and with some exceptions when she carried up to 650 troops, she continued with her coastal route. In March 1943 while travelling from Townsville to Port Moresby she was heavily straffed by Japanese aircraft near Cape York, escaping with only minor damage. A coal burner she was named "hungry-mary" by her stokers. SS Canberra was returned to her owners on 18 Aug 1947.

During 1947 she was sold for £100,000 to Goulandris Bros of Greece and employed on trans Atlantic migrant trade, and with one journey to Australia with Greek emigrants before she resumed her Europe to USA route. Renamed Espana when sold in October 1954 to the Dominican Republic's Navy Department. Scrapped in October 1959.

Soldiers carried

World War I

Fremantle to Port Tewfik, Egypt 24 November 1917 - 21 December 1917

John James Thorpe
Thomas Charles Howard z
Grace Lauritta Lauritz disembarked 11 December 1917 in Bombay
Aubrey Turner

Word War II

Port Moresby to Brisbane 7 - 9 February 1943

Edmond Hepple Brown MID

Townsville to Port Moresby 2 - 5 August 1943

Port Moresby to Townsville 15 -18 February 1944

Townsville to Port Moresby 10 - 13 March 1944

Hubert Laurence Batt

Port Moresby to Townsville 13 - 17 March 1944

Brisbane to Rabaul 12 - 29 March 1946

Frederick Thomas Carlisle

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 | shiptype =	Passenger ship
 | shiptonnage =  7,707 tons
-| shiplength = 410 0 ft
+| shiplength = 410 0 ft (124.97m)
-| shipbeam = 57.2 ft
+| shipbeam = 57.2 ft (17.42m)
-| shipdepth = 38.4 ft
+| shipdepth = 38.4 ft (11.68m)
 | shippropulsion = twin screw
 | shipspeed =	15 knots (27.78 km/h)
-| shipcapacity = 1913 - 170 x 1st; 180 x 2nd; 60 x 3rd class
+| shipcapacity = 1913 - 170 x 1st; 180 x 2nd; 60 x 3rd class. 1,080 troops
 }}
 ==Remarks==
-Owned by the Australian Steamships Ltd (Howard Smith), Melbourne and used on the Melbourne - north Queensland run.  Requisitioned in 1917 as a troopship.
+Owned by the Australian Steamships Ltd (Howard Smith), Melbourne and used on the Melbourne - north Queensland run.  Requisitioned in October 1917 as a troopship, on 15 Nov 1917 she embarked 723 “Australian Imperial Force” (AIF) personnel; two Medical Officers, Dental Details, six  miscellaneous, two Red Cross workers, 56 Nurses and two Chaplains.
-Returned to her owners in 1920 before again being requisitioned 1941 - 1947.  A coal burner she was named "hungry-mary" by her stokers. In March 1943 she was heavily strafed by Japanese aircraft when off Cape York.
-During 1947 she was sold to Goulandris Bros of Greece and employed on trans Atlantic migrant trade. Renamed ''Espana'' when sold to the Dominican Republic' Navy Department.  Scrapped in October 1959.
+Returned to her owners unscathed on 27 Apr 1920 she was refitted and resumed sailing between east coast ports until 1925 when a fire aboard during an industrial dispute took the life of a steward and caused extensive damage that took almost a year to make good.
+''SS Canberra'' was requisitioned for WW2 service in July 1941, and with some exceptions when she carried up to 650 troops, she continued with her coastal route. In March 1943 while travelling from Townsville to Port Moresby she was heavily straffed by Japanese aircraft near Cape York, escaping with only minor damage. A coal burner she was named "hungry-mary" by her stokers. ''SS Canberra'' was returned to her owners on 18 Aug 1947.
+During 1947 she was sold for £100,000 to Goulandris Bros of Greece and employed on trans Atlantic migrant trade, and with one journey to Australia with Greek emigrants before she resumed her Europe to USA route. Renamed ''Espana'' when sold in October 1954 to the Dominican Republic's Navy Department.  Scrapped in October 1959.
 ==Soldiers carried==
 ===World War I===
-===Fremantle to Southport 24 November 1917 - 30 January 1918===
-* [[John James Thorpe]]
+===Fremantle to Port Tewfik, Egypt 24 November 1917 - 21 December 1917===
-* [[Thomas Charles Howard]] disembarked 21 December 1917 in Port Suez
+* [[John James Thorpe]]
+* [[Thomas Charles Howard]] z
 * [[Grace Lauritta Lauritz]] disembarked 11 December 1917 in Bombay
-* [[Aubrey Turner]] disembarked Port Said 21 December 1917
+* [[Aubrey Turner]]
+===Word War II===
-===Word War II===
+===Port Moresby to Brisbane 7 - 9 February 1943===
+* [[Edmond Hepple Brown MID]]
 ===Townsville to Port Moresby 2 - 5 August 1943===
@@ Line 53: / Line 61: @@
 * [[Eric Anderson]]
 * [[Ralph Godfrey]]
+* [[John Patrick Whitaker]]
+===Townsville to Port Moresby 10 - 13 March 1944===
+* [[Hubert Laurence Batt]]
 ===Port Moresby to Townsville 13 - 17 March 1944===
 * [[Harold Herman Hilbert]]
 * [[John William Alexander]]
+===Brisbane to Rabaul 12 - 29 March 1946===
+* [[Frederick Thomas Carlisle]]
 [[Category:Ships]]