On the topic of troopships, is anyone an expert or got a good book?

Most British troopers operated by the MOT and managed by the individual shipping lines over 10,000 grt are listed in Arnold Kludas's series of books on "Great Passenger Ships". They also include U.S troopers Operated by M.S.T.S.

"Liners in Battle Dress" I seem to be remember came out some years ago but alas I don't have a copy or any details of it. It may have been confined to war time operations anyway.

If there is a specific question you wish to ask, fire away, someone may have the answer.

May I also suggest, given your obvious interest in all Liner related topics that you join Yahoo Group "Liners List". Its a great board with many knowledgable members, a good place for questions such as this.

[ 07-23-2002: Message edited by: Ðraikar ]

ÐRAIKAR

[ 07-23-2002: Message edited by: Ðraikar ]

[ 07-23-2002: Message edited by: Ðraikar ]

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Originally posted by philcheese2001:
Arnold Kludas's series of books on "Great Passenger Ships". They also include U.S troopers Operated by M.S.T.S.

snip
If there is a specific question you wish to ask, fire away, someone may have the answer.

May I also suggest, given your obvious interest in all Liner related topics that you join Yahoo Group "Liners List". Its a great board with many knowledgable members, a good place for questions such as this.

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He returned from Bombay on Georgic in Oct '45 and I was looking for a better picture of her, that someone would let me use on the page. There's only a small 2 funnel p/c there at present which was done long before he sailed on her.

My main query re the troopships, is that he has forgotten the name of the ship he sailed to Bombay in. The clues are that he wrote a letter home 21Aug43 from before Gib, and arrived Bombay before 16Sep43, the next letter. Several days after Gib, while in the Med one of the convoy was torpedoed, which he relates and recalls well. It had a single funnel [his ship].

This chap feels sure he would recognise the name if a list was put to him. But over the last 3years or so while I was putting the site together he has contacted the RN, RAF and every place possible to see if anyone knows, even his service records don't show it.

No-one even seems to be able to find a list of convoys for this time period. I thought the ship going down may lead to something, but endless searching of every topical site doesn't appear to show a ship being torpedoed/lost during the timescale either. I have a bee in my bonnet about finding out for some reason. All his letters home were kept, so the date and info. have come from these. He has lots of photos during his time in India/Burma & training in Canada etc, but none aboard ship either way. An omission of interest to me He had an interesting life, but I sometimes wish I never embarked on this project!

I did join the Liners List once, stopped accepting my password once, so I left it, 2 or 3 years ago though.

Sorry to go on a bit!

from: http://www.greatships.net/georgic2.html

Best regards,

Take a look at the following link maybe this is a picture of the Georgic you are looking fore.
It’s a picture of her during the WW II as a troop ship.

GEORGIC

The picture is from the following site www.greatships.net and perhaps you could ask the webmaster if you could use the photo.

Draiker & Gohaze, would you mind if I also used your photos? With acknowledgements of course.

This ship's history is very interesting... Bill Miller has a great piece about here in The Last Atlantic Liners.

I agree Cruiseny the Georgic is very interesting, here is what I had wrote about her in my old page...

The M.V. Georgic was the last ship built for White Star, she was launched on November, 12 1931 and was the second sister of two. Like her Sister Britannic, Georgic was the same length of 683 feet by 82 feet wide, but there similarities would stop there. Georgic's tonnage was more then Britannic's tonnage, Georgic tonnage was at 27,759, Britannic's tonnage was 26,943. Georgic was more modern externally and internally, for example Britannic had the "box like front" (similar to ships like Titanic) and Georgic had a "rap around front" (like Britannic but without corners). White Star planed to build more ships with the new popular Georgic designee, but could not raise the money due to the depression. Its a shame that when White Star started to build there most modern and elegant ships (witch they haven't done since Titanic) that there two last ships Britannic and Georgic would be there last. Georgic made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on June 25, 1932, and just like her sister Britannic, Georgic cruised out of New York during the winter months. The M.V. Georgic was host to the first of a number annual charity banquets at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool in September 1932. It look like the Georgic had a good future ahead of her. January 11, 1933 Georgic began to sail the Southampton to New York route, while the famous reliable R.M.S. Olympic went thought an overhaul.

May 10, 1934 after The White Star line accepted an agreement with the British government to merge with Cunard line for a loan of L9,5 million to finish building Cunard's super liner Queen Mary and a similar size sister ship. Sadly White Star never got to finish building there super liner Oceanic (it would have looked a lot like Britannic or Georgic). Georgic and her sister became part of the new Cunard-White Star fleet, but because of the sur plus many ship's like White Star's Olympic and Cunard's Mauretania were later scrapped, Cunard wanted to keep Olympic as a full time cruise ship show, but with the low nummbers takeing cruises Cunard had to sell her (this is debated a lot but records show Cunard had her sea certificate renewed). After a minor fire the Georgic joined her sister on the London, Southampton, New York route. In August 1939 the Georgic returned to the Liverpool to New York route, only made five round trips because it was then that she would be needed for WW2.

April 1940 Georgic sailed to the Clyde and work began to convert her into a troopship for 3,000 men. Then In May 1940 Georgic assisted in the evacuation of British troops from Andersfjord and Narvik, in Norway, landing them at the Clyde. Soon after that she assisted in the evacuation of troops from Brest and St.Nazaire. The rest of the year Georgic was transporting Canadian soldiers and carrying troops to the Middle East. 1941 In a convoy that had been left almost unprotected during the hunt for the German War ship Bismarck, the convoy arrived at Port Tewfik in the Gulf of Suez to awaiting Italian internees. July 14, 1941 the Georgic was bombed by German bombers repeatedly and set on fire, as fires continued to burn and ammunition exploded, wrecking the stern area, The gutted out Georgic was beached on a reef to prevent her from sinking July 16.

September 14, 1941 it was decided to try and salvage the half submerged, burnt out ship. In October the hulk of Georgic was raised, then towed to Port Sudan so that temporary repairs could be carried out to make Georgic seaworthy. In March 29, 1942 she was towed to Karachi where skilled British shipyard workers supervise the repairs with four hundred local workers, the job done in terrible conditions was completed in nine months. January 20,1943 further cleaning and repairs were done at Bombay. March 1, 1943 the Georgic arrived at Liverpool, then she returned to Harland & Wolff and was rebuilt for use as a troopship, latter nicked name supper trooper, and referred to being one the best serving ships under the British flag next to the Queen's.

When the Georgic's refit was complete, her tonnage was reduced to 27,268 tons and she now had only one funnel and one mast, Georgic's was never quite the same. In 1945 she carried troops to Italy, the Middle East and India and in December 25, 1945 Georgic arrived at Liverpool with troops from the Far East including General Sir William, the commander in charge of South East Asia.

July 1948 Georgic arrived at Tyneside for refitting by Palmers Hebburn so that she could be painted in the White Star livery color but was owned by the British Goverment. She served on the Australian and New Zealand emigrant service under P&O management Georgic made her first voyage on this rout in January 1949, at Liverpool, Suez, Freemantle, Melbourne and Sydney.

In May 1950 the Georgic returned to the Liverpool to New York rout for Cunard during the heavy summer months as a one class tourist ship, her conditions was terrible and Georgic was not certified for winter ocean travel, You could also still see scared bulkheads that were painted over. In the summer of 1951 she sailed on the Southampton to New York route until October 19, 1954 when the Georgic made her last voyage for Cunard.

The Georgic arrived in Liverpool with troops from Japan in April 1955, it was then that Georgic was offered for sale. In May she was chartered to the Australian Government. The M.V. Georgic made her final voyage on November 19, 1955 from Hong Kong to Liverpool with 800 troops on board. December 1955 she was laid up at Kames Bay, by February 1956 the M.V. Georgic was scrapped at Faslane.

The Georgic had a good future until she was bombed repeatedly in WW2. She was never the same as she was before, only broken, half of what she was before. Don't get me wrong she still was a grand ship after the fire, so many emigrant have very fond memories of the ship that took them to a new and better life. She was White Star's most elegant looking ship, its a shame that when White Star started to build better ships, it would turn out to be there last.

This was my old story i made about 3 years ago and i hope to update it soon.

Best regards,

Anyone ever see a ship with an unusually large funnel ?
I ask since I see funnels too small but never too big ?

Well the funnel of the Potsdam of the Holland America Line was made higher due to the smoke fallout on the aft decks. After this the proportions of the ship where distorted, but I must say for the best. Before with the normal funnel she was average but with the funnel that is almost as tall as the masts and almost twice as high as the ship was from the waterline above. It’s not that it is ugly but you do notice the imbalance especially in a front or back view of the Potsdam.

Best from Holland, Onno

[ 07-30-2002: Message edited by: Onno ]

Most passengers were disgruntled Brits - contrary to expectations, they'd found that Canada's streets were not paved with gold - like anywhere else in the world, you had to work (and darned hard) to make a living!

The ocean was like a millpond - not a wave in sight. The only excitement of the entire voyage was when the luggage net broke in Greenock. Standing on deck, I'd spotted my parents and my cabin trunk - midway between the ship and the dock something slipped - everything ended up in the River Clyde. Grappling hooks appeared - luggage was rescued - my stuff was only slightly damp!

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Originally posted by Ðraikar:
I was thinking a funnel like on 1940's Caronia but that would be too big looking ?
Odd that Georgic was only 3 feet shorter, Georgic was 712 feet Caronia 715 feet.

Anyone ever see a ship with an unusually large funnel ?
I ask since I see funnels too small but never too big ?

Ðraikar

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yep,
"glory days cunard" book by David Williams talks about that and at time was the largest funnel on a ship.

Ð.O.V.A - Cunard Line

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Originally posted by gohaze:
Is that colouring correct. I seem to recall that the "Chlorophyl Queen" was painted in a graduated green from darker at the waterline to lightest at the top of the accomomdation.
...peter

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From what I have heard the entire ship was green with the exception of the funnel. The rest was in four different shades I believe.

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Originally posted by gohaze:
Malcolm....I'm afraid your memory is going.
Here's one you are after.
...peter

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What is he after?