RMS ''Orontes'' was a
steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
of the
Orient Steam Navigation Company
The Orient Steam Navigation Company, also known as the Orient Line, was a British shipping company with roots going back to the late 18th century. From the early 20th century onwards, an association began with P&O which became 51% shareholde ...
that was launched in 1902 and scrapped in 1925.
''Orontes'' was a
troop ship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In 1922 she was sold for conversion into an exhibition ship, but the venture fell through so Orient Line repossessed her. ''Orontes'' was scrapped in 1925.
This was the first of two Orient Line ships called ''Orontes''. The second was the
turbine steamship SS Orontes that was launched in 1929 and scrapped in 1962.
Building
The
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of
Govan
Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
launched ''Orontes'' on 10 May 1902 and completed her that September.
At she was Orient Line's largest ship until and her
sisters entered service in 1909.
Orient Line registered her at Glasgow. Her UK
official number
Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...
was 115707 and her
code letters
Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...
were TPWN.
Service
''Orontes'' began her maiden voyage on 24 October 1902, taking mail and passengers from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
via the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
to
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. This was her regular route.
By 1913 ''Orontes'' was equipped for
wireless telegraphy, operating on the 300 and 600 metre wavelengths. Her
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
was MOZ.
In 1914, between the 11th and the 21st of July, two Polish passengers, Mr. B. Malinowski, anthropologist, and Mr. St. I. Witkiewicz, artist, travel in RMS Orontes from Colombo, Ceylon, to Fremantle, Australia. Mr. Witkiewicz takes part in a scientific expedition to New Guinea. Mr. Witkiewicz soon abandoned the expedition and returned to Europe, to sign up for military service during the First World War.
After the First World War began, ''Orontes'' remained in service on her regular route until October 1916, when the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
* Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
*Admiralty, Tr ...
requisitioned her. She was converted into the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
troop ship HMAT ''Orontes''. HMAT stands for "His Majesty's Australian Transport". She made two more voyages from Britain to Australia, before spending some time on the Africa run.
In 1917, the Admiralty released her to her owners, as her refrigerated hold made her more useful for taking dairy products and meat from Australia to Britain.
In 1919 ''Orontes'' resumed her Australia service with calls at
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
,
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
,
Port Said
Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...
,
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
,
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
,
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, Melbourne, Sydney and an extension to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
In 1921 ''Orontes'' was laid up in the Thames. In 1922 British World Trade Expeditions Ltd bought her with the intent of converting her to an exhibition vessel. She was to be renamed ''British Trade'', but it is not clear whether her change of name was ever registered. Orient Line repossessed the ship.
[
]
Fate
In 1925 ''Orontes'' was sold for scrap to Thos. W. Ward. She arrived at Inverkeithing on 22 October that year to be broken up.[
The upper part of ''Orontes'' ]smoking room
A smoking room (or smoking lounge) is a room which is specifically provided and furnished for smoking, generally in buildings where smoking is otherwise prohibited.
Locations and facilities
Smoking rooms can be found in public buildings such ...
was salvaged and installed in the Woodside Hotel, Aberdour. It includes a stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
ceiling and expertly turned ornamental woodwork. This remnant of the ship still survives, and the hotel is now a Category B listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orontes, RMS
1902 ships
Maritime history of Australia
Ocean liners of the United Kingdom
Ships built on the River Clyde
Ships of the Orient Line
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Troop ships of the United Kingdom
World War I passenger ships of the United Kingdom