RMS ''Strathaird'', later TSS ''Strathaird'', was an
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).
C ...
of the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
P&O (in full, The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) is a British shipping and logistics company dating from the early 19th century. Formerly a public company, it was sold to DP World in March 2006 for £3.9 billion. DP World c ...
(P&O).
She was the second of five
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
s in what came to be called the "Strath" class. All previous P&O steamships had black-painted hulls and funnels but ''Strathaird'' and her sisters were painted with white hulls and buff funnels, which earned them the nickname "The Beautiful White Sisters"
[ or just "The White Sisters". ''Strathaird'' and her sister ship were ]Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer), usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail. The designation dates back to 1840. Any vessel d ...
s that worked P&O's regular liner route between Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...
in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, England and 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 Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia.[ In 1935, they were joined by the third ship of the class, .][
''Strathaird'' remained in service for almost 30 years, being scrapped in 1961.
]
Building
The Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 202 ...
built all five "Strath" class liners.[ ''Strathaird'' was launched on 18 July 1931,][ completed in January 1932,][ and left Tilbury on her maiden voyage on 12 February 1932.][
In 1929, P&O had introduced its first large ]turbo-electric
A turbo-electric transmission uses electric generators to convert the mechanical energy of a turbine (steam or gas) into electric energy, which then powers electric motors and converts back into mechanical energy that power the driveshafts.
Tur ...
liner, . The company chose the same propulsion system for ''Strathnaver'' and ''Strathaird'', but the "Straths" were slightly larger ships, their turbo-electric equipment was much more powerful[ and they were about faster than ''Viceroy of India''.
''Strathaird'' was very similar to ''Strathnaver''. Each had four ]water-tube boilers
A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-gene ...
and two auxiliary boilers.[ The boilers had a combined heating surface of and supplied steam at 425 lbf/in2 to two ]turbo generator
A turbo generator is an electric generator connected to the shaft of a steam turbine or gas turbine for the generation of electric power. Large steam-powered turbo generators provide the majority of the world's electricity and are also used b ...
s.[ These supplied current to two electric motors with a combined rating of 6,315 ]NHP
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
[ or 28,000 ]shp SHP or shp may refer to:
* Saint Helena pound, currency
* Sacred Heart Preparatory (Atherton, California), a US school
* Seton Hall Preparatory School, West Orange, New Jersey, US
* Shaft horsepower
* Shapefile, for GIS software
* Shek Pai stop ( ...
.[ ]British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston (BTH) was a British engineering and heavy industry, heavy industrial company, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England, and founded as a subsidiary of the General Electric Company (GE) of Schenectady, New York, United States ...
of Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...
built the turbo-generators and motors.[ The motors drove a pair of inward-rotating][ screw propellers.][ Like ''Strathnaver'', ''Strathaird'' had three funnels but only the middle one served as a smoke stack: the first and third funnels were dummies.][
''Strathaird'' and ''Strathnaver'' were each equipped with ]direction finding
Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), isin accordance with International Telecommunication Union (ITU)defined as radio location that uses the reception of radio waves to determine the direction in which a radio stat ...
equipment, an echo sounding
Echo sounding or depth sounding is the use of sonar for ranging, normally to determine the depth of water (bathymetry). It involves transmitting acoustic waves into water and recording the time interval between emission and return of a pulse; ...
device and a gyrocompass
A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which is based on a fast-spinning disc and the rotation of the Earth (or another planetary body if used elsewhere in the universe) to find geographical direction automatically. The use of a gyroc ...
[ As built, ''Strathaird'' had accommodation for 498 first class and 668 tourist class passengers.][
]
Service
''Strathaird'' joined ''Strathnaver'' on the Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...
— 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 ...
route ''via'' the Suez Canal. However, in December 1932, ''Strathaird'' became the first P&O ship to work a cruise, when she took a five-day excursion from Sydney to Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together w ...
. Later in the 1930s, she made occasional cruises from UK ports.[
In 1939][ or 1940,][ the two sisters were requisitioned as ]troop ships
A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop R ...
. ''Strathaird'' made two convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...
voyages taking troops from Australasia to the Middle East Theatre of the Second World War and then went to Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
for a refit. This was interrupted in June 1940 when ''Strathaird'' was ordered to take part in Operation Aerial
Operation Aerial was the evacuation of Allied forces and civilians from ports in western France from 15 to 25 June 1940 during the Second World War. The evacuation followed the Allied military collapse in the Battle of France against Nazi Germ ...
to evacuate British and Allied personnel from western France. ''Strathaird'' evacuated 6,000 civilians and troops from the port of Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
** Brest Region
** Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
*Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
*Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
**Arrondissement of Brest
** Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Bre ...
.[ In 1941, she supported the transfer of the first unit of Foresters from British Honduras (Belize) to Trinidad before transporting 114 Foresters to Greenock, Scotland. She remained a troop ship until the end of 1946 when she was returned to P&O.][
P&O had Vickers-Armstrong refit and overhaul ''Strathaird'', starting in 1947 and completing work in January 1948. Her capacity for first class passengers was increased to 573 and her tourist class accommodation was reduced to 496.][ This reduced her total passenger capacity from 1,166 to 1,069. Her dummy first and third funnels were removed,][ which made ''Strathaird'' look more like her later sisters ''Stratheden'', ''Strathallan'' and ''Strathmore''.
In 1954, P&O had ''Strathaird'' refitted again.][ First class was abolished and all accommodation was made tourist class, which increased total passenger capacity from 1,069 to 1,252.][ ''Strathaird'' made her first departure from Tilbury in her new form on 8 April 1954.][
At the beginning of the 1960s, ''Strathnaver'' and ''Strathaird'' were almost three decades old and no longer reliable enough for mail and passenger service, so P&O replaced both ships with .][ P&O sold ''Strathnaver'' and ''Strathaird'' for scrap to Shun Fung Ironworks of Hong Kong.][ ''Strathaird'' left Tilbury on 17 June 1961 for Hong Kong, where she became the first of the "Strath" class liners to be scrapped.][ ''Strathnaver'' followed her to the breakers in 1962.][
]
Notable passengers
Egon Kisch
In November 1934, the Czechoslovak
Czechoslovak may refer to:
*A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93)
**First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38)
**Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39)
**Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60)
**Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...
Communist writer, journalist and opponent of Nazism Egon Kisch
Egon Erwin Kisch (29 April 1885 – 31 March 1948) was an Austrian and Czechoslovak writer and journalist, who wrote in German. He styled himself ''Der Rasende Reporter'' (The Raging Reporter) for his countless travels to the far corners of the ...
sailed on ''Strathaird'' to Australia to speak at a conference organised by the communist Movement Against War and Fascism
The Movement Against War and Fascism (MAWF) was founded in Australia in 1933, as an Australian chapter of the World Movement Against War established in 1932 by the Comintern. The international movement was instigated by Willi Münzenberg the Ger ...
to mark the Centenary of Melbourne. When the ship called at Fremantle Harbour
Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and nava ...
on 6 November, Federal authorities boarded her, told Kisch that he would be excluded from Australia under the Immigration Restriction Act 1901
The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 was an Act of the Parliament of Australia which limited immigration to Australia and formed the basis of the White Australia policy which sought to exclude all non-Europeans from Australia. The law granted i ...
, and placed him in the custody of ''Strathaird''s master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
, Captain Carter.
On 12 November, ''Strathaird'' reached 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 me ...
, where a barrister for the Communist International Labor Defense
The International Labor Defense (ILD) (1925–1947) was a legal advocacy organization established in 1925 in the United States as the American section of the Comintern's International Red Aid network. The ILD defended Sacco and Vanzetti, was acti ...
organisation boarded her and served Captain Carter with a writ of ''habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...
'' to allow Kisch ashore to make his case for entry to the country. Australian authorities still did not allow Kisch ashore, so on 13 November, as ''Strathaird'' was leaving Melbourne, he leapt from the deck and landed on Station Pier
Station Pier is a historic Australian pier on Port Phillip, in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Opened in 1854, the pier is Melbourne's primary passenger terminal, servicing interstate ferries and cruise ships, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage R ...
, breaking his right leg. Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian state of Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''.
, Victoria Police had over 22,300 staff, comprising over 16,700 ...
detained him and put him back aboard, but as ''Strathaird'' continued to Sydney Harbour Kisch's supporters took his case to the High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Australia's Constitution.
The High Court was established following passage of the ''Judiciary Act 1903''. It ...
, which ruled his exclusion from the country to be invalid.
On 16 November, ''Strathaird'' reached Sydney Harbour, where Federal authorities tried to use the Immigration Restriction Act dictation test to exclude him. NSW police
The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands ...
took Kisch into custody but released him on bail and, after further legal process, he remained in Australia speaking to public meetings until March 1935.
Cricket teams
''Strathaird'' carried the 1948 Australian cricket team, nicknamed "The Invincibles", to England.
In September–October 1960, ''Strathaird'' carried members of the West Indies cricket team, who had been playing league cricket in England, from Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...
to 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 ...
and took them back in February–March 1961.
David Hill
Australian public administrator and businessman David Hill migrated to Australia together with two brothers aboard the ''Strathaird'' in April 1959.
Notes
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strathaird
1931 ships
Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness
Cruise ships
Ocean liners of the United Kingdom
Ships of P&O (company)
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Troop ships of the United Kingdom
Turbo-electric steamships