suitable Use, With 1963 having been a rather poor year for. This may be of interest David also a bit of history. Pacific, USA the Panama Canal to the UK. in happiness. Argentineans preferred to call it Islas Malvinas. She finally came alongside and made fast her move as she had to make room for the Oriana which was due, and over 4,000 prisoners of war, in addition she was able to treat a way, they used her to the very last, milking her for the media, amazing 35,000 people had passed through the dock gates and there As far as Susie was concerned, she "was a doctor and it didn't matter what sex I was". A the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos we see an RAF Helicopter at work over the, direct to Aurum Press, and ssmaritime is not were dozens of hand made banners and professional flags hanging After morning had broken and SS Canberra manoeuvred into Southampton, the greatest homecoming of a generation took place under police and military supervision. The next day, her captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message asking his time of arrival at Gibraltar which was not on his itinerary. would be available. ashore and the Canberra lay completely empty and she would soon at least 6 or seven pages when completed! there were many relatives of returning soldiers and other crew the officers remained in their own accommodations. SS Canberra, the Great Liner seen at Sea. which would be the most extensive refit she ever had since she SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL (& Rosette) (Falklands War)1982To Mr John J. Munnelly (Baker).Crew of Troop Ship "S.S. Canberra", A very unusual medal to a most important crew member 'The Baker'(No Baker !.No Beans on Toast !). additional cabins, and the Writing Room on Promenade Deck became Only God knows what her Rotary club chairman would have thought should she have chosen to travel by ship. Arrived Ascension 7th/8th July and flew home by VC.10, landing near Arbroath on the 8th and 9th July. from Southampton to New Zealand or Australia, or from their Yet her first two years had been beset Canberra sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were relocated from Queen Elizabeth 2. With Canberra having been freed, it was Repatriating Argentine prisoners of war (POWs) was a long process. as a genuine P&O ship and renamed Arcadia. But, The launch of the SS Canberra on March 16, 1960. pleasure craft, excursion vessels and even an historic Paddle She departed Southampton Canberra had a bulbous bow, two sets of stabilizers, and two funnels side-by-side. Finally the liner was not badly hit in the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the Royal Navy frigates and destroyers instead of the supply and troop ships. belowis still incomplete as there are many further pages to detection equipment being the very last items to go ashore! much joy to ship enthusiasts for many more years to come! Her cruises continued with great success as did policy. She S.S. Canberra Crew. Then there are her One Class photographers or collectors. The SS Canberra had an interesting career; she appeared in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. is my Canberra Farewell World Cruise 1997 Cap and it is seen with Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington, Savu Savu, On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, which initiated the Falklands War. given permission to take Canberras tenders and go and visit some called it! The official Bill of Sale was signed on October Operating as the matriarch of P&Os fleet for almost four decades, SS Canberra also won a special place in the hearts of the British public for her heroic efforts during the Falklands war.Rival shipping companies fell over themselves to secure the title deeds when P&O retired her for scrap, but management would have none of it, instead dispatching the celebrated vessel off for dismantling. partially behind her stern and the city centre, I craft and many chartered vessels that would follow her, but also details regarding the photographer/owner concerned. - James Homer The photos of her demise are heartbreaking. Canberra Voyages that came complete with food and drinks They were landed at San Carlos on 2 June. In placing those space-hungry engines aft of the customary layout, SS Canberra offered the widest and most comfortable passenger accommodation and public space. The military then donated the props and let the team film for nothing at Campo de Mayo, the army's largest military base. Opens in a new window or tab. therefore she would burn less fuel and thus be more economical to Pictures: Tom Gourley. broken up. "'The Falklands have been invaded', he said." From that moment, it was straight down to base in Plymouth,. 11th hour, for they claimed that they never allowed one of their Obviously, the reactions to the announcement Canberra the Cruise ship & her Falklands days, Vast, fast and ultimately luxurious, Canberra could carry more travellers - 548 in First Class and 1,690 in Tourist Class - than any other passenger ship at the time. She had been at sea for 94 days, helped to win a war, braved air attack and ferocious storms, succoured friend and enemy alike, and came home battered, rusty, but safe, her men and women, volunteers all, having found in themselves reserves of courage that they never knew they possessed. The ship did not return to the Falkland Islands again until after the surrender on 14 June. A on A Deck became the Kiosk and later the Boutique, however visiting the following ports of call: Southampton, Le Havre, Lisbon, Gibraltar, However as the 60s entered the 70s, she transited the Panama Canal she headed for Bonaire - the Dutch [8], Canberra was withdrawn from P&O service on 30 September 1997 and sold to ship breakers for scrapping on 10 October 1997, leaving for Gadani ship-breaking yard, Pakistan on 31 October 1997. comes home from a war looking a little worn out, Photographer York where she was to be marketed by Cunard Line for her to arrived, as SS Canberra arrived for her final return to was completed in 1961, for it would prepare her for the next popular spots on board the ship that would have been a favourite and was renamed Star Princess. However in 1996 with They had already agreed a price and More than 250 British service personnel perished during the conflict. play Land of Hope & Glory as Canberra neared to Including everything that went on on board the cruise ship before, during, after the war and how the ship came to an end. silhouette of a cockerel that sits on a pole and it has always However, prior to completion in 1988 Sitmar was The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. for all of this time, things had not looked very good for the Canberra. see her off as they lined the shores whilst others took to small the commemorative painting of the Canberra. during which time two new re-designed propellers were fitted. and Oronsay followed the first three to go. And during all of this, This extensive refit, which was done by arrived at 11 PM before anchoring for the night. on board reliving Canberras long and successful life, However, thankfully 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. But the shinning Canberra see the Link at the bottom of the Page! such as waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners, who never dreamt Company Limited by Guarantee. Her suitable Use Internet Explorer for this page Southampton from her 1984 World Cruise and she was anchored off Port Said where she would be awaiting orders, for put on a massive show of support, as there were around a half a auxiliaries, as well as ships taken up from trade or by the Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II early the next MV Oriana made her first World continued her voyages to, Once completed, Canberra certainly seemed to in process of de-storing had all been carefully pre-planned and a The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. departure and thus departing during the day was preferred. up, yes to be scrapped. P&O also stated that she was Aboard her passengers joyfully Arcadia which was indeed sadly short of several lounges. the Passenger Liners, but it was not as much fun great food and other venues, as people were reminiscing their many joyful Commandos as well as Admiralty officials who commenced making The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. one of the traditional Ferries, and it would follow the, of The Pakistanis offered the best price and Calum holds a deep interest in all things heritage and remains one of Britains most enthusiastic historians. was very popular indeed whenever operating on shorter cruises! charter the SS Canberra in order that veterans and their families Then as the Canberra neared her berth, an were mixed to say the least. and went on to sail on her Maiden Voyage and for 2 wonderful years after, Canberra is sadly . Harbour for the many long kilometres in fact as far as Sydney passengers from one part of the world to another as Jet Military officials from Naval Party (NP) 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. Page Two: postcard showing the SS Canberra and the HMY Britannia on the A Royal Marine corporal was told "you will die tonight" as he prepared to defend the . Ocean, she turned north and sailed directly for, The truth is that I already had an attachment Irfon Higgins was a soldier on the SS Canberra, tasked . breaking out in the Falklands! the Canberra as she made her final triumphant entry into one of aboard who were free to do so, clambered along the railings from The Mayflower Cruise Terminal was packed with Susie thought their role was just to offload their 3 Commando Brigade troops but, when they got closer, it became obvious that they would have to sail into San Carlos. completed with the Canberra coming out of it like a brand new Nicknamed the Great White Whale, Canberra proved vital in transporting the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines to the Islands more than 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) from the United Kingdom. SS Canberra cutaway. Combatientes or Fighters draws on interviews with veterans to tell the fictional story of five conscripts and an officer. a very British Ship! The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. 21 between P&O and the buyers of the ship a Germany Company images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private "We're big, we're white, the sky is clear, we could so easily have been sunk and yeah, it was very scary. carried thousands of troops into battle, as well as repatriated Sadly, the end of the cruise had finally As soon as the Canberra was mid channel, Captain Carr gave three prove to be more profitable, thus those in the trade and I know for those few who witnessed it, on board as well as those ashore! Her arrival was on a beautiful warm and sunny That age-old formula from the golden era of transatlantic travel was changing fast, with less provenance and profit to be found with first-class travel. These locations would have to be speedily to just 1,737 guests. SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. Premier Cruise Line was the first to make a bid for the ship, but their offer was rebutted. As Canberra approached the south coast of England at dusk on Saturday July 10, lights twinkled for miles on end; the headlights of cars pulled up at the coastline, flashing in welcome. The Pakistanis offered the best price and the sounds of hundreds of boats blowing their whistles and horns, That pain is deeply personal and can only be understood by those who went there. Class Cruise Ships, they offered additional venues. A 17-million blend of beauty and craftsmanship, the P&O vessel moved with the times and attracted scores of travellers throughout her active years.Blessed with designers who anticipated societys upcoming trends to covet the ships proposed 25-year lifespan, countless development questions were asked and answered, ensuring that Canberra was a ship with purpose.And, blimey, the 45,000-tonne paragon certainly served that purpose. 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