SS Oxfordshire
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Oxfordshire |
| Owner | Orient Steam Navigation Co Ltd |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Launched | 15 Jun 1912 |
| Completed | 17 Sep 1912 |
| In service | 1912 |
| Out of service | 1958 |
| Fate | scrapped at Karachi |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger liner |
| Tonnage | 8,648 tons |
| Length | 474ft 6in (144.63m) |
| Beam | 55 ft (16.76m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 15.5 knots |
| Capacity | 562 patients |
Contents
Remarks
Two days prior to the outbreak of WW1 (2 Aug 1914) while enroute from Liverpool to London, the Oxfordshire was requisitioned for war service and was diverted into Tilbury to be converted to become (Naval Hospital Ship No 1). Following tasks nearer to the UK, she was sent in April 1915 to Mudros Harbour to act as a Base Hospital Ship, remaining in the region until after the evacuation of Gallipoli.
She carried 6 Medical Officers, 13 Nurses and 41 other medical staff to serve accommodation for 22 wounded Officers, 216 other ranks in cots, and 324 in berths. During WW1 she carried in excess of 50,000 wounded to their destinations utilising 6 Medical Officers, 13 Nurses and 41 other personnel. She was capable of caring for 22 Officer casualties, 216 in cots and 324 in berths. On 24 Mar 1919 she was returned to her owners and after being converted to oil burning propulsion she resumed commercial service.
On 3 Sep 1939 with the outbreak of ww2 she was requisitioned as a Hospital Ship ,and serving in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Pacific including Okinawa. At the conclusion of the war she was used to repatriate the wounded to the UK from Hong Kong.
In April 1949 she made the first trip for the International Refugee Organisation, carring the first refugees from Europe to Australia. In 1950 she reverted to troop carrying, finishing in February 1951 before finally being sold for charter work and then broken up at Karachi in 1958.