HMHS Formosa
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMHS Formosa |
| Owner | Soc. Generale de Transports Maritimes a Vapeur, Marseille |
| Builder | London & Glasgow Shipbuilding Co, Glasgow, |
| Yard number | 324 |
| Launched | 31 May 1906 |
| Completed | August 1906 |
| In service | 1906 |
| Out of service | 1929 |
| Fate | Broken up in 1929 at La Spezia, Italy |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger / Cargo Refrigerated |
| Tonnage | 4,508 tons |
| Length | 408 ft (124.35m) |
| Beam | 47.4 ft (14.44m) |
| Depth | 29.5 ft (8.99m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 14 knots (25.93 km/h) |
| Capacity | 57 x 1st, 70 x 2nd, 44 x 3rd class |
Contents
Remarks
The French liner "Formosa" was built for Societe General de Transports Maritimes, Marseilles to carry 57 first class passengers, 70 second class, and 44 third class for the South America service.
Hired by the British Admiralty, she was commissioned as a Hospital Ship on 23 Jun 1915 with accommodation for 417 patients, and by August 1915 was operating between Mudros and Egypt. She served until 7 Jul 1919, after which she was returned to Société Général de Transports Maritimes and resumed her commercial career. Medical staff numbered 63, including 10 Medical officers and 13 Nurses, some of whom were Australian. She could cater for 15 Officer patients, 112 enlisted men in cots and 290 in berths.
On 25 Oct 1927 the Formosa went to the assistance of the Italian liner Princepessa Mafad which sank with the loss of 314 lives off the coast of Brazil.
Soldiers carried
HMHS Formosa had made at least one earlier trip, perhaps from Mudros (but as it had British casualties on board, it may have been direct from the Cape Helles landing) to Egypt in August 1915.