SS Strathmore
From Our Contribution
 courtesy South Australian Maritime Museum | |
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Strathmore |
| Owner | The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company |
| Builder | Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Yard number | 698 |
| Launched | 4 Apr 1935 |
| Completed | 18 Sep 1935 |
| In service | 27 Sep 1935 |
| Out of service | 1963 |
| Fate | scrapped 1969 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger Liner |
| Tonnage | 23,428 tons |
| Length | 195.09m (640.3ft) |
| Beam | 25.08m (82.3ft) |
| Depth | 14.50m (47.6ft) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 20 knots (37.04 km/h) |
| Capacity | 445 x 1st; 665 x Tourist class; 503 crew |
Remarks
Built for Peninsula & Oriental Steam Navigation Co, London and used on the Australia - London express service. On 8 Sep 1936 she was caught between two Portuguese naval ships that had mutinied, and shore batteries. On 22 Apr 1937 she damaged her bow in Bombay, colliding with the pier. From 1940 - 45 she served as a troopship having been requisitioned by the Ministry of Shipping on 31 Mar 1940. On 24 Mar 1941 she was part of the largest every convoy that sailed from the UK to Suez with 80,000 troops. Post war she returned New Zealand troops to their home along with released Australian POWs returned to Tasmania.
Returned to her owners on 15 May 1948 she was reconditioned in 1949 and returned to her earlier service via Bombay. She collided with a Norwegian cargo ship the Baalbek off Gravesend. Originally a two class ship, in 1961 she was converted to a single class ship for direct service London - Australian ports. Withdrawn from service on 27 Oct 1963 she was sold for use on the Karachi - Mecca pilgrimage service, and as a hotel ship at Jeddah. Renamed in 1966 to Henrietta Latsi, on 18 Apr 1967 she was laid up at Eleusis in Greece. Broken up for scrap in Italy during 1969.