HMT Ausonia
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMT Ausonia |
| Owner | Cairns, Young & Noble - Cairn Line |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter & Wighan Richardson, Wallsend |
| Yard number | 837 |
| Launched | 18 Aug 1909 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger ship |
| Tonnage | 7,907 tons |
| Length | 450 ft 6 in (137.31m) |
| Beam | 54 ft 2 in (16.52m) |
| Depth | (8.9m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 14 knots (25.93 km/h) |
| Capacity | 37 x 1st class & 1,000 x 3rd class |
Contents
Remarks
Originally named Tortona, she was owned by the Thompson Line and used on the Canadian route with accommodation for 37 first class and 1,000 third class passengers. Sold in 1911 to the Cunard Steam Ship Line for £120,001 and renamed Ausonia. Cunard used her on their Trans Atlantic route to Canada until WW1.
Used during WW1 as a troopship, primarily in the Mediterranean. On 30 May 1918, Ausonia, on a voyage from Montreal to Avonmouth with general cargo, was torpedoed and then sunk by gunfire from U-Boat U-55', 620 miles west of Fastnet Rock. 44 persons were lost. She had one previous scrape with a U Boat, on 11 Jun 1917 when she was torpedoed off southern Ireland, but was able to reach port.
Note
Individual soldiers records show the name of the ship as ANSONIA. However, there is no record of a ship by that name, and the AUSONIA was in the Mediterranean acting as a troop ship at the time. All records that mention SS or HMT Ansonia are therefore listed against the HMT Ausonia.
Soldiers carried
Mudros to Alexandria 6 - 10 Jan 1916
- † William Barge
- † Charles Barnett
- † Frederick James Bishop
- Edward Briggs
- Arthur Percy Thomas Boyle
- † Oswald Chorlton
- Charles Glyn Firns
- Walter Hayward
- † John Hobbs
- Henry Richard Keefe
- † Harry Pickard
- Henry George Price
- Reginald Grove Sexty MID
- Arnold Thorp
- † Hubert Harris Thorp
Alexandria to Marseilles 28 April - 5 May 1916
3rd Mining Company