HS Ville de Liege
From Our Contribution
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HS Ville de Liege |
| Builder/Built | 1914 Cockerill's of Hoboken, Belgium |
| Type | Cross - Channel steamer |
| Displacement | 1,365 tons |
| Speed | 21 knots |
Contents
- 1 Remarks
- 2 Soldiers carried
- 3 France to England 8 August 1917
- 4 France to England 6 November 1917
- 5 France to England 10 December 1917
- 6 France to England 31 December 1917
- 7 France to England 1 April 1918
- 8 England to France 9 April 1918
- 9 France to England 27 April 1918
- 10 France to England 3 May 1918
Remarks
Owned by the Belgium State Railways.
Not long after World War I (1914-1918) was declared she was commandeered for war service as a troop carrier. Her main role was bringing the wounded back from the Western Front.
Following the declaration of Peace, she was the first Belgium ship to return Belgium expatriates to their homeland. The little ship was then returned to Belgian State Railways for the service between Dover and Ostend. On 11 February 1929, the Ville de Liege, sank in Dover harbour. However, she was able to be salvaged and later returned to her cross channel task. In 1936 she was to be retired. but instead was turned into a car ferry, commencing July 1936 now named SS London-Istanbul.
During WW2 she was again commandeered, first as a Hospital Ship, then converted to be a minesweeper depot ship, before being used on the Normandy landings in 1944.
With peace, she again returned to the cross channel function until 1949 when she was scrapped.