ORMONDE (1917)

Service dates: 1918-1952

Official number: 141866

Shipping lines: ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD.; ANDERSON, GREEN & COMPANY; ORIENT LINE

Ship type:

• Passenger Ship

Passenger Liner.

Career

21.10.1913

Keel laid.

08.1914

Building halted when War broke out.

1917

Construction resumed when demand for troopships grew.

10.02.1917

Launched. Completed with spartan trooping quarters.

10.1917

Requisitioned as a troop transport under Liner Requisition Scheme.

03.11.1917

Delivered as Ormonde for Orient Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

05.12.1917

Registered.

19.11.1917

Sailed from Glasgow to Australia, and then trooped to Egypt, the Gulf and back to Egypt.

1918/1919

Trooping in fast Mediterranean convoys. Carried over 30,000 troops up to March 1919, and attacked by U-boats at least three times.

08.04.1919

Last Government voyage repatriating wives and families of serviceman from India.

14.06.1919

Returned to her builders at Clydebank for a refit.

15.11.1919

First commercial voyage, London to Brisbane. She gained a reputation for strength and ease of handling, both on the Australian service and on cruises.

02.04.1920

Struck the bank in the Suez Canal damaging two blades of the port propeller. She was able to make Colombo at a reduced speed and was dry-docked there where her propeller was changed.

1922

First programme of cruises to Norway.

04.1923

Refitted to burn oil fuel and converted to First and Third class passengers only.

1933

Converted to 770 Tourist class passengers only.

23.09.1936

Caught fire between Melbourne and Sydney and put in to the old whaling anchorage at Twofold Bay. Continued to Sydney the following day.

11.1939

Requisitioned as a troop transport with 1,560 berths.

30.05.1940

Despatched to help withdrawal from Narvik.

16.06.1940

Embarked elements of British Expeditionary Force from St Nazaire.

07.1940

Landed garrison in Iceland.

1941/1942

Trooping to South Africa, Egypt and India, and invasion exercises.

11.1942

Landed troops in Algiers, Oran and Bone during Operation Torch.

07.1943

Landed troops in Sicily.

1945

Landed troops in Malaya and then repatriated prisoners-of-war from Burma.

1947

Refitted by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead at cost of £270,000.

11.1947

Inaugurated government-supported emigrant voyages to Australia carrying up to 1,052 passengers; on north-bound trips she took tourist class passengers on her owners’ account.

05.1950

Chartered to Dutch government to help evacuate their nationals from Indonesia.

21.08.1952

Last sailing to Australia.

19.11.1952

Arrived at Tilbury for the last time, after 17 emigrant voyages, and sold to the British Iron & Steel Corporation.

01.12.1952

Left Tilbury.

05.12.1952

Delivered to W H Arnott, Young & Co for partial demolition at Dalmuir.

25.05.1953

Demolition completed at Troon by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd.

Ship technical details (PDF)