ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian,
Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
P&O Line
RMS Strathaird

Strathaird
was built with three funnels. Her forward and aft dummy funnels were removed
after the war
She
is seen here after her 1947 refit
RMS Strathaird (later TSS Strathaird) and her sister RMS Strathnaver were
built by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, in Barrow-in-Furness, England.
Strathaird was launched on July 18 1931, and completed on January 10, 1932.
During her trials, Strathaird attained a respectable 23 knots. Both ships were
built with three funnels; the first and the third funnel were dummies, and were
removed after a refit after the war. Strathaird and her sister were the first of
the P&O liners to receive a white hull and yellow funnels. This colour
scheme was to be applied to all future P&O ships.

P&O postcard of the Strathaird with her three
funnels
Specifications.
Tonnage: 22,544 GRT (Gross
Registered Tons). Length: 202.4m (664ft). Breadth: 24.4m (80.1ft). Engines:
Turbo electric steam turbine motors. Screws: Twin. Service speed 20 knots.
Passengers: 498 First Class, 668 Tourist. Crew: 490.
RMS Strathaird departed Tilbury on her maiden voyage on February 12 1932,
bound for Sydney Australia via the Suez
Canal, a service she would remain on until the war.

Arriving
in Sydney
On December
23 1932, Strathaird became the first P&O liner to undertake a
cruise. This cruise five day cruise to Norfolk
Island was the forerunner of P&O Cruises Australia
which now operates three ships cruising Downunder. Ever since 1932, Australians
(and New Zealanders) have had an ongoing love affair cruising with P&O
until this day.

The Strathaird is seen here departing on her first
Australian cruise on December 23, 1932
Also, in December 1932, the
Orient Line Oronsay operated a cruise from Sydney. Although the main
deployment was the Mail service from the UK to Australia, both the
Strathaird and her sister would operate occasional cruises out of Britain
throughout the 30’s. In 1935 and 1937, the third and fourth of the famous
“Strath” sisters, Strathmore and Stratheden, joined the Strathaird
and Strathnaver on the Australian run. P&O decided that these slightly
larger sisters would be built with just one funnel.

Troopship Strathaird is seen here departing
Wellington New Zealand
January 5, 1940
In September 1939, Strathaird and Strathnaver were requisitioned as troop
she and her sister were dispatched to familiar waters as they headed Downunder
once again and commenced transporting troops to the Middle East. Strathaird sailed on two convoys, before returning to Liverpool to undergo a refit. However, before
completion, she was sent to Brest
to evacuate 6000 civilians and troops, returning them to Plymouth,
after which the refit was completed and she returned to her wartime duties.
Having carried some 128,961 persons and covered 387,745 miles, Strathaird was
handed back to P&O at the end of 1946.

A fine stern view of the RMS
Straithaird
During her 1947 refit, she received a total overhaul at the Vickers-Armstrong
yard, which was completed in January 1948. During this
refit she was painted white once again and her dummy
funnels were removed whilst her remaining funnel was lengthened, giving her a
more streamlined look. The now TSS Strathaird accommodated 573 First Class and
496 Tourist class passengers, whilst her tonnage was listed as 22,568 GRT.

She is seen here in Melbourne
in the 1950’s
Departing Tilbury on January 5, 1948, Strathaird returned to the
Australian Mail service. Both ships continued to operate occasional cruises.
In 1954, Strathaird was converted and became a one-class liner
accommodating 1,252 passengers, with her first voyage departing Tilbury on
April 8, 1954. With the two latter “Strath” ships and new builds Arcadia and Iberia
all operating on the Australian Mail service, the Strathaird and Strathnaver
were now the oldest ships of the fleet. Strathaird began to suffer a rage of
mechanical problems which meant delays and even having to return to port.
P&O decided to construct one large ship to replace the old
“Strath” twins, this would be the Canberra.
Strathaird departed Tilbury for Australia on March 28,
1961, and then departed Sydney
on May 9 for what would be the final voyage back to Britain.
Upon return, she was sold to Hong
Kong breakers. She departed Tilbury on June 17, 1961,
arriving at the Shun Fung Iron Works in Hong Kong on July 24 and was handed over for
demolition. She was the first of the “Strath” sisters to be broken
up.

TSS Strathaird seen departing on her final voyage,
with her long service pendant flying from her aft mast
Special request: Ex passenger Libby Urbahn is looking for passengers who
departed Tilbury on RMS Strathaird 14 February 1952 (or Southampton) for Australia
to communicate with. Libby intends writing a historical novel that
will include the voyage and she needs further details and information s she was
rather young at the time. Required is information of ports of call and other
details re the voyage, etc. Your assistance would greatly appreciated!
Email Libby at: libbyandpete@bigpond.com.
Enter the Strathaird Photo Album
Also Visit my articles on the following Orient
Lines/P&O Ships
Orient Lines: RMS
Orcades – SS Oronsay
- SS Oriana
- RMS Orion
P&O: RMS
Strathaird - SS
Iberia - SS Canberra
“Orient Line – A Fleet
History”
Is available for £23.50 plus
p&p from “Ships in Focus”
email: sales@shipsinfocus.co.uk
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