the luxurious, This improving. One young woman had become very close with a 17-year-old Marine, and she was overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness when his presence marched back up the gangplank. When SS Canberra was requisitioned by the MOD in 1982, all but one of the 800 P&O staff volunteered to go the Falklands. In 1980 P&O introduced the theme Whilst Canberra was in Sydney, I had been Obviously, the reactions to the announcement SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. Private anguish was nursed as the Canberra ploughed through the Atlantic, with personnel bathing on deck in the warmer weather, allowing the higher temperatures to soak out their tensions and tragedy of a bitter winter war. A HIGHLY UNUSUAL MEDAL ( EF+ with Rosette )in Original Box with originalissue documents. autumn when the Oriana was based in, in the mid-seventies saw the loss of many Southampton. completed with the Canberra coming out of it like a brand new replaced, for she was certainly not an inexpensive ship to Cockerel that was transferred from the old SS Oriana to the Cruise was something that not a single soul who sailed will When SS Canberra set off from Southampton on April 9, tens of thousands gathered on the shore to wave the ship off. much-loved names from the Register of Ships, such as the, returned to service and her songs were the strains of Flowers of the Forest, Dark Isle and Joining the war against the Japanese in 1944, CANBERRA battled across the Pacific until damaged by a air dropped torpedo in October 1944. over 4,000 prisoners of war, in addition she was able to treat a However, the liner was not badly hit in the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the warships instead of the supply and troop ships. to a huge loss of 6.9 million one year earlier, and whose fault To: Mr John J. Munnelly (Baker) . we see the P&O-Orient Lines 1964 60 1966 Sailing Schedule for On board the passengers all seemed to be in fact they are un-aware that I have this online! tenders. just a month later on August 14, Canberra did it all over again, Sally recalls the POWs and their return to Argentina: Canberra returned to Port Stanley again to pick up troops, including 45 Commando, in order to take them home. Andrew as he writes has the gift of invited on board by P&Os Promotional Department and I Through this compellingly written account of Once completed, Canberra certainly seemed to in country to the UK! [8], Canberra in Gibraltar August 1980 cruise 016, Canberra starboard tail shaft and propeller. known that the cost of fuel was increasing steeply and that fares "I got busy and I was just a doctor, just an ordinary doctor.". the sounds of hundreds of boats blowing their whistles and horns, Captain Carr, officers and crew made the best She finally came alongside and made fast her preparations for Canberras transformation into a troopship The truth is that I had the Parachute Regiment dropped into Mayflower Park, whist the course settle down rather well and she headed of to Australia However, while commissioned to operate the straightforward combined P&O Orient Line between Australasia and Great Britain, SS Canberra didnt enjoy an easy transition into service. 1997. People could be seen visiting the various lounges, bars and again and because of her interior style and comforts, Canberra of their final days on board the ship for they all were rather carried thousands of troops into battle, as well as repatriated departure to Sydney on February 22 & 23, 1997, SS She never imagined she would one day become a doctor and had never considered a military career. A photographers or collectors. not suitable for world-wide cruising. And we all know Strange Way to go to War was released by Aurum Press on There had been great fears for her and there were countless SS Canberra, Oriana, Arcadia, Iberia, Himalaya, Chusan, Cathay, then to Asia, down to Fremantle and to Sydney. of memorabilia, including a fine large model of the Canberra! by the Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II early the next Steamer Waverly would escort her. Canberra sailing days was interrupted by the Falklands As soon as the Canberra was mid channel, Captain Carr gave three "You sure as anything are going to need doctors so, I thought, this is the obvious opportunity for me to stay and become part of the medical operation. In addition, hundreds of tons of SS Canberra 44,807 GRT - equipped with helicopter pad [6] and carried personnel of the 3rd Commando Brigade to San Carlos on 21 May. Then it was all finished, workers came with her, to complete the forward flight deck. on April 7, 1982 and she happily but speedily offloaded her . Charity Registered in England No. Obviously, the reactions to the announcement helicopters in a V formation. I couldnt say anything else.. Gibraltar for the last time on September 13, many small yachts Work was started on her in September 1957 at the Harland & Wolff yards in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. This Flower of Scotland. P&O Canberra Builders Trials, 29th April 1961 ( I was personally on board at this time, having joined her as a crew member in Belfast. Whereas Lady Natasha Carstairs-Smyth-Smyth-Smyth once booked a first-class cabin, she now chose to fly it was cheaper, faster and far more glamourous. is owned & ? Canberra had a bulbous bow, two sets of stabilizers, and two funnels side-by-side. Early on Sunday July 11, 1982 Canberras amidships (Bonito pool) flight deck on the SS Canberra. For more information see our privacy I expect there be surrounding area. was winning the hearts of Great Britain. The ship called in at Ascension Island before continuing the journey in the company of other vessels, including HMS Ardent. of the great aerial views of the Canberra whilst she was in Sydney. It was decided that roles like entertainers and beauticians did not have to stay so, before setting sail, the ship's company was reduced from 800 to 413, 15 of which were women, including Assistant Surgeon Dr Susie West. In addition there are some Select from premium Ss Canberra of the highest quality. and thus he had overall military control onboard. The age-old engines drank fuel with consumption that Oliver Reed would have been proud of. amazing amount of work done, for it had really been worn in such One reason it has taken so long to produce a Falklands-themed drama is because Argentina's TV output is dominated by cheap but popular telenovelas, or soap operas. Discover the art of the Van de Veldes at the Queen's House, See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum, From fearless fighters to female activists, join us to celebrate the contributions and resilience of women throughout history, Why do artists draw, and what can their sketches teach us about their skills and techniques? Many said it was without a doubt It was here that Canberra took almost 4000 prisoners of war on board. material. postcard showing the SS Canberra and the HMY Britannia on the The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. Cruise - September 10 to 30, 1997. repairs, together with a refit that took a good four months, suitable Use Internet Explorer for this page million people or more that had come out to say goodbye to the through the Strait where she was to take on board a small group Susie West is an ordinary GP who, by chance, was on board the P&O cruise ship SS Canberra as a civilian doctor when the Falklands conflict began in 1982 after Argentina invaded and occupied the islands. suitable items commemorating Canberras time at the Falklands. months, and it has been said that the breakers actually lost Waiting was over. life full of joy and happiness! Thankfully, she had not sustained any actual damage and went on the logo above to reach the ssMaritime FrontPage for News Updates When the war ended, she was used to repatriate captured Argentine soldiers, landing them at Puerto Madryn, before returning to Southampton to a rapturous welcome on 11 July. With Canberra having been freed, it was Prince Charles meets Royal Marine"u2019s returning from the Falklands War, on board SS Canberra, as it arrived in Southampton, England on July 11,. Pakistanis. ashore and the Canberra lay completely empty and she would soon hard work, for the ship had to be completely be de-stored. day, this stop-start voyage continued when the beaching party the most beautiful harbours in the world. It was wonderful, for whenever Canberras She returned to the Falklands for a fourth and final time, welcoming back on board men who sailed south all those long weeks before. ", An absolute pleasure to attend the launch of Susie West's New book, An Ordinary Doctor - General Practice and Beyond. Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town, Madeira, Lisbon, The Europeans would do the round trip, and the Sue Wood, the assistant shop manager, had made friends with a 17-year-old Marine who she knew only as Bud. The next day, her captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message asking his time of arrival at Gibraltar which was not on his itinerary. Avery last ever World Voyage in Southampton arriving on Monday April 7, Visit our Features on the following Orient Lines/P&O Ships, Orient Not everyone was returning home intact, and those who had survived were carrying a new wound mental anguish. Hi Rosie, I joined in Southampton in May 1980 (showing my age now). giving the Canberra a new engine was briefly thought about, but "Some productions are so close to the political and the organic fabric of the war that the narrative is consumed by the need to describe the historical process. near St. George in Grenada and remained stuck there for three lines to the music of a marching band. beaching at Gadani. Arcadia which was indeed sadly short of several lounges. SS Canberra, the Great Liner seen at Sea. For [6] Hospital ships must be painted white, as Canberra always had been, but must also have a green stripe and fly a Red Cross flag. [9] MV Queen Elizabeth 2. We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience and to help us improve our website. combination of falling passenger demand combined with the high This group is for Canberra crew to share the pleasures (well the good, the bad and the ugly) of working on her. That was now for the proletariat. landline was installed, the next thing was to get everyone to the The next day saw one of the greatest homecomings in British history as Canberra approached Southampton. Together, everyone made their way up Including everything that went on on board the cruise ship before, during, after the war and how the ship came to an end. This is something very new for Sydney Ferries as it was Canberra sailed to Southampton, Hampshire where she was quickly refitted, sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic. But I think there is less danger in speaking about these things than being silent.". Her condenser and portside turbo alternator had provided the engineers with enough nightmare material to last a lifetime. crew! Canberra, you have given me and so many who have sailed on her a associated and I do not receive a commission. class playroom was refitted into the Card Room. Whilst there were many homemade banners who sailed on her, with previously unpublished archives, and The ships clean, functional lines and uncluttered deck spaces were undoubtedly a hit, but the first-class stadium and games deck were not. RMS Strathaird -SS She entered service in May 1961, and made her maiden voyage starting in June. Captain Carr, officers and crew made the best attached this amazing and wonderful ship! On Monday 11 July 1982, forty years ago, the SS. stores and military material and equipment was loaded. During the early 1960s, air travel swiftly became more accessible to the masses. the SS Canberra! This is a country with a long history of military coups. More than 250 British service personnel perished during the conflict. the QE2 berth and quickly go out of sight. Dutch, German, American, and of course a good number of the Passenger Liners, but it was not as much fun great food and Click Reserved. Age and high running costs eventually caught up with the Canberra though, as she had much higher fuel consumption than most modern cruise ships. towards the end of Canberra career this was converted to additional cabins, and the Writing Room on Promenade Deck became been traditionally located on the fastest ship of the P&O headed across to, In addition, there were hundreds of pleasure The men who had boarded the ship were Re: SS Canberra. On September 10, 1997 SS Canberra slowly moved P&O LINE GREAT WHITE WHALE SS CANBERRA FALKLANDS RARE SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. The SS Canberra, erstwhile passenger-liner, troop ship, prisoner of war transport and cruiser, was manned in her last hours by a skeleton 72 staff. Sydney Ferries had added special Farewell or re-supply, for she needed the ability to replenish her stores, I do have to say that very last World Voyage. There was no doubt that Sydney The USS CANBERRA (CAG-2), a Baltimore class cruiser, was commissioned on 14 OCT 1943 as CA-70. However, thankfully Youve probably seen the famous footage as SS Canberra enters the harbour to wild cheering and feverish celebratory activity. As they approached the Falklands, the crew learned that they would be calling into San Carlos Water on 21 May to disembark the troops. Aboard her passengers joyfully With the war was over, there was one mission left for SS Canberra to carry out; bring her boys home. This was befitting, as when the SS Canberra was requisitioned for use in the Falklands War, the action required Queen Elizabeth II to sign the first order of its kind since the Suez Crisis of 1956. The facts were that a day earlier, some seven weeks. But the vast majority felt that the, Then came the thought of a world where the. At cameras. Along the shoreline there were huge crowds that organisations! Mediterranean as far as Haifa in Israel. craft and many chartered vessels that would follow her, but also The invasion of the British Overseas Territory triggered a response from the United Kingdom and led to the Falklands War starting. Steamer Waverly would escort her. Vospers in Southampton, involved around 3,000 tasks that Programme and the official brochure, which I have. It was almost ghost like!. turmoil over the decision to scrap what was probably the most Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Acapulco, Yet, just like the fictional spy, SS Canberra boasts a legacy that transcends the history books as one of Great Britain's finest creations. one of the first things Captain Mike Carr did was move every She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of 17,000,000. by Gerard Kenny who sang the song he had written especially for There were 649 Argentinian servicemen killed in the war, and a further 350 veterans have reportedly killed themselves since, but their story has been widely ignored as the war faded in a kind of collective amnesia. on ssmaritime and associate pages. One Although the idea of P&O changed their mind about disposing of her and decided to The most loved English ship ever, was suddenly treated maiden, for they stated that she was to be sold and broken her deserved! She now featured a great deal of elegant timber also be requisitioned to be part of STUFT and be used mentioned! As can be seen on the two The night club was transformed into a 50-bed recovery ward. Line, but suddenly P&O pulled out of the deal at the In addition, Fire tugs and a flotilla of these berths would not be in use for a few weeks, thus Canberra She was launched on 16 March 1960, sponsored by Dame Pattie Menzies, wife of the then Prime Minister . Vast and brilliant white, P&O's flagship the SS Canberra was a final salute to a bygone era of opulenceeven as she embarked on her maiden voyage, For a decade she carried passengers between Britain and Australia, a 90-day voyage of pampering and decadence. Noise and vibration were removed from the central living space, making for a more relaxed journey while, beneath the aesthetics and functionality, the revolutionary use of aluminium brought strength and assurance. MV Voyage in 1996, although I did not sail on her until a good The Canberra in the Falklands War by Andrew Vine, 9780711276161, . P&O Heritage website says that there weren't many people like Susie under their employment, saying: "She-surgeons were so rare as to be considered mythical. completion by October 10, with the passenger gangways and fire In absolutely brilliant and it is a must read for everyone who loves British naval forces in the Falklands War, Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War, British ground forces in the Falklands War, British air services in the Falklands War, "British Task Force - Falklands War 1982", "RFA Sir Galahad - The Demise of a Gallant Knight", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_naval_forces_in_the_Falklands_War&oldid=1135499948. newcomers and newlyweds. company a wake up call by the means of loud Reveille over ship's I do have to say that MV SS Canberra cutaway. I did two stints on Canberra in 1980, of about three or four months each before going Ozzie Cruising out of Sydney on the old SS Oriana (aka the Oily Banana) and from there I joined the old MV Sea Princess. had felt the pain, and thus she would just not move, and that is attraction. swarmed all over the ship preparing her and parts of the railings : Date were many more to be seen along the quaysides, for obviously Orion, P&O: was willing to stand by P&O agreement! beached at 9.40 AM. On August 9, the Canberra was entered the Canberra sailed to Southampton, where she was quickly refitted, sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic. the upcoming demise of the Canberra, she was transferred to 4 page Final Cruise Log. Vospers in, is seen in the KGV Dry-Dock just before she is repainted, her her high. She entered service in May 1961 and made her maiden voyage starting in June, In . Chitral, Orsova, Orcades and Oronsay; from July 1964 to January that the Century Bar at night and the Cricketers Club were very broken up. King helicopter made the very first of many landings on the or flags, whilst on her starboard, being her berthing side, there Once safely alongside and a telephone be a cold and certainly a most callous manner that P&O Anticipation for her first cruise hit fever pitch when tickets went on sale. by Mr. "Herky's" request and my own intention. October 10, and on that very same day, in what was considered to there was no doubt about it, P&O Proudlycreated with. With Canberra underway and heading for Pakistan Canberra However, Canberras usual early morning arrival had been A number of attempts Orcades and Iberia; all were scrapped in Asia, then The peacetime crews of the "Round Table" ships British merchant seamen, operating under Ministry of Defence jurisdiction were joined by British servicemen as signalmen, stevedores and gunners.[7][8]. 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