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CHILKA (1910)

Service dates: 1914-1917

Official number: 129520

Shipping lines: BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD.

Ship type:


Passenger/Cargo Ship.


Career

28.03.1910
Launched.
04.10.1910
Delivered as Chilka for British India Steam Navigation Company at a cost of £75,500. She was the sister of Coconada.
24.06.1914
Takeover of British India Steam Navigation Company by The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company agreed.
1914
Taken up as an Indian Expeditionary Force transport.
10.1914
Participated in the great BI convoy from Bombay to Marseilles.
12.1914
Moved into Australian transport service for eight months.
09.1915
Spent the autumn trooping in the Middle East.
11.1915
Fouled one of her propellers on the boom at Alexandria.
09.1916
Once again taken up as an Indian Expeditionary Force transport.
05.1917
Came under the Liner Requisition Scheme.
01.07.1917
Returning to her original trade, she had a fire in her No.3 and No.4 holds while at anchor off Baruva, near Gopalpur on her way from Madras to Rangoon. She had 15 cabin passengers and 1,600 deck passengers on board. To save their lives, the Master decided to beach Chilka but in the confusion 81 of the passengers and cargo coolies were lost, mainly by jumping overboard and drowning. The fire damaged the ship enough that she had to be abandoned as a total loss.
03.1920
The remainder of the ship was sold for Rs 11,300 for demolition.


Ship technical details (PDF)