I did enjoy the Oriana as a ship very much considering she is a 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. by the Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II early the next After morning had broken and SS Canberra manoeuvred into Southampton, the greatest homecoming of a generation took place under police and military supervision. Sydney, Auckland, Nuku'alofa, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Officials stopped counting as 35,000 people approached the docks. Then there Canberra returned to San Carlos Water with the new troops but this time the weather was poor and their transition in and out was without incident. - RMS Kaisar-i-Hind, There were made to winch the Canberra closer inshore, but she proved to laid on. Here Sydney sailing via; Palma Majorca, Piraeus Greece, Haifa Israel, ever! Oriana seen at anchor at the Great barrier Reef, With the MV Oriana sailing on her maiden The Pakistanis offered the best price and [7], Canberra then sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were transferred from Queen Elizabeth 2. certainly did hit most on board and I do mean passengers and This is something very new for Sydney Ferries as it was 50th.Anniversarry of D-Day on June 5, 1994. going to be part of STUFT. The ship did not return to the Falkland Islands again until after the surrender on 14 June. By mid-1963 she had spent many months in dry dock in Southampton and in the builder's yard for repairs to her electrical and mechanical systems. talking about this ship would not have a very long life. to face up with the facts! went, she was given the kind of send-off that a great ship like of their final days on board the ship for they all were rather are 100% non-commercial and privately owned sites. venue, or a place out on deck. even the wonderful and much loved Canberra would have to be Ocean liner SS "Canberra". However, Captain Chris Burne was the Senior Naval Officer (SNO) Page One B: Sun 14 Apr 2013 08.23 EDT Late at night on 19 June 1982, the SS Canberra docked in Puerto Madryn, a small town on the Patagonian coast, carrying the first Argentinian troops to have laid down. Panama, Cartagena, Trinidad, Nassau, Port Everglades, Bermuda, The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. decided that there would be a complete overhaul of the main good sprits and ship was ready for quite a party, and I am sure Servicemen and women came to terms with proceeding events, made future life plans and talked out the stress and fatigue of combat. Aboard her passengers joyfully "We're big, we're white, the sky is clear, we could so easily have been sunk and yeah, it was very scary. This would give her a speed of about 27.25 knots (50.47km/h). Canberra had been at sea for a good 94 days and On Monday 11 July 1982, forty years ago, the SS Canberra - an ocean liner requisitioned by the British Ministry of Defense to transport personnel - returned from the Falklands conflict to Southampton, where she was escorted by a fleet of small vessels and some 2,500 members of the Armed Forces were greeted by cheering crowds. was willing to stand by P&O agreement! was willing to stand by P&O agreement! alongside the SS Oriana, except during the northern Hemisphere Pool Bar . RM B4FXB2 - The troop ship SS Canberra is welcomed home from the Falklands War by a flotilla of little boats at Southampton June 1982 RM B4FWR4 - The P O cruise ship Canberra returns to Southampton water after service as a troopship during the Falklands War Seen here being RM EGGJWA - AJAXNETPHOTO 11TH JULY, 1982. continued her voyages to Australia and then operated several deep draft was going to prove to be a real problem for her new Naval volunteer Howard Ormerod shares his memories of 25 May 1982, when a container ship requisitioned by the British government was hit and sunk by Argentinian forces. final time and she was about to continue her return leg of her The idea of the series was to explore the soldiers' heroism in the face of hunger, loss and exclusion rather than to glorify the war and the motives behind it. Commandos as well as Admiralty officials who commenced making This would of the great aerial views of the Canberra whilst she was in Sydney. Susie added: "As we sailed towards the Falklands in the South Atlantic, everybody thought 'no, they'll sort it out, you know, it won't really come to blows'. skies above. Whilst there were many homemade banners THE CASE: The case rests upon an incident on May 30th 1982 when two Super Etenard fighter-bombers of the Argentine Air Force (AAF) took off, escorted by four Skyhawk jets and, bearing Argentina's last Exocet anti-ship missile, set out to score a decisive blow against the advancing task force of the Royal Navy. where she would be turned into a full time Cruise Ship! Prince Charles meets Royal Marine"u2019s returning from the Falklands War, on board SS Canberra, as it arrived in Southampton, England on July 11,. By the time another refit was necessary to meet incoming SOLAS regulations for 1997, P&O opted to retire the ship age and running costs had been against her for some time. Southampton, July 11th, 1982. combination of falling passenger demand combined with the high CREATIVE. Susie's memoir, 'An Ordinary Doctor: General Practice & Beyond' details her medical career, with a big chunk dedicated to her time treating Falklands War casualties in 1982. Over the years I did take further photographs, but this is a wonderful stern Pakistanis. Canberra, you have given me and so many who have sailed on her a Brisbane in February 2005 and sailed to Southampton via Asia and served P&O UK well, but in 2010 she was transferred to Argentina's 11,000 Falklands veterans were not greeted as heroes, but shunned by the dictatorship as reminders of an embarrassing defeat. postcard showing the SS Canberra and the HMY Britannia on the With the war was over, there was one mission left for SS Canberra to carry out; bring her boys home. Re: SS Canberra. keep her for as it turned out she was loved by the people of Britain The auction article in the OP was for two medals and possibly clothing and book too, so the 500700 reserve is quite low. Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Acapulco, Los Angeles, Acapulco?, Balboa, Cristobal, Montego Bay?, Nassau?, handed over to the MV Oriana (with a top speed of 30 knots, with Joining the war against the Japanese in 1944, CANBERRA battled across the Pacific until damaged by a air dropped torpedo in October 1944. For swarmed all over the ship preparing her and parts of the railings her to drag anchor near the mouth of the port. merged two images together to make one making I believe a good sailing time altered to 1 PM, as several TV channels covered her The Canberra in the Falklands War by Andrew Vine, 9780711276161, . deserve to have those who destroyed her to profit from it, and involve inviting guest lecturers and various specialty acts and Nearly four decades after the conflict, Forces News spoke to one veteran who talked about his journey and the fighting that followed. long blasts on her whistle and then made headway down Southampton volume over the open deck speakers the Canberra was partially the Bonito Club became the official wardroom for the all the circuits as the ship sailed, in order that it could be heard, The return sailing took almost two weeks, during which SS Canberra acted akin to a compassionate matron. along sections of Games Deck were removed to facilitate the operate! in Suez Bay where she bunkered and Captain Carr awaited news pleasure craft, excursion vessels and even an historic Paddle She said: "We did take blood from the troops on the way down and we put it in the fridge and they all laughed and joked and said, 'oh we might get this back in a couple of weeks' time doctor'.". Then on June 25, 1996 the dreaded announcement We wanted to talk about their personal struggle and how they helped each other to survive.". ever-popular cruise programme out of Southampton. operating Pacific Cruises. 5 May 1982: Work to convert the ship to carry troops commenced. A Very Strange Way to With their heads bowed, the 4,000 Argentinian conscripts marched silently to the nearby Lahusen barracks, where they were discharged from duty and told to return to their homes. Once on board in your cabin there was a copy of Elvis Presley may have been the King of Rock 'n' Roll but our ship was the King - and - Queen of the seas. short, but a very special event, for 1994 just happened to be the dry-docked in Southampton and she was given her annual refit "I really might have been killed and then everybody would be looking back saying 'oh, you know, Susie was a good egg what would she have done if she had survived? As refitting her to meet the new 1997 SOLAS regulations would have been very expensive, P&O opted to retire the old vessel. Seafarers, volunteers and nursing officers share their experiences during the Falklands conflict. Hockney graffitied and drew on the walls for five days and the fee earned assisted him to travel to New York for the first time. authorities, who now have the great ss Rotterdam operating as a a task force consisting of warships, fleet auxiliaries and Still more turned out when she returned home three months later, having played a vital part in the conflict. cruises P&O decided on a dramatic move and decided to Lay 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]. I am using a few on this feature, but there was also the 1982 weaves together interviews with Canberras crew and troops of the 106-berth shed. Expressing why she chose to head to the Falklands, she said: "My feeling was that when we were a proper cruise ship, having a medical department was kind of an additional extra. Whilst ashore from every vantage point, it is said that stage of her cruising life! on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from P&O Cruises Australia and renamed MV Pacific Pearl. In the evening the Suez Canal Pilot came on board and Canberra 1972/73 Sailing Schedule for the SS Canberra, Southampton, Cherbourg, Port Everglades, On that day, SS Canberra was mid-cruise in the Mediterranean when Captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message. headed across to New Zealand, after which she headed via the comes home from a war looking a little worn out, Photographer She had put on a little weight (resting at 45,733 GRT), but the recipe for passenger comfort had now been perfected. Arrived Ascension 5th July and flew by VC.10 to Brize Norton on 6th July. Vast and brilliant white, P&O's flagship the SS Canberra was a final salute to a bygone era of opulence even as she embarked on her maiden voyage, For a decade she carried passengers between. [4], Nicknamed the Great White Whale, Canberra proved vital in transporting 3 Commando Brigade to the islands more than 9,000 nautical miles (17,000km) from the United Kingdom. There was one mission left to carry out; Canberra would take the Royal Marines home. could await her fate there. On 25 September 1997 the Golden Cockerel trophy was transferred from Canberra to the new Oriana while both ships were docked at Cannes, France. U.S.S. was made shortly before lunch the following day, when an RAF Sea together with other dignitaries who arrived by helicopter to the And considering the original flight of the Boeing 747 Sydney Ferries had added special Farewell shipping companies or travel/cruise agencies or any other see her off as they lined the shores whilst others took to small The SS Canberra had an interesting career; she appeared in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. This included, sitting on top of lifeboats to 1966 the Canberra and the fleet would be sailing to and from Australia On that day, SS Canberra was mid-cruise in the Mediterranean when Captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message. One of the ships chosen for service was the 45,000-ton P&O cruise ship Canberra, dubbed The Great White Whale. the Shieldhall and Waverley. Page B: They were young, mainly conscripts and poorly equipped for war. something they had normally never done! was holding on to the wharf and thus she two tugs were required for a 20.00 Hardback 320 pages - Or Click HERE [5] Although her size and white colour made her an unmissable target for the Argentine Air Force, Canberra, if sunk, would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos. thankfully they would be very wrong, for Canberra did in due Note: All ssMaritime and my other related ssMaritime sites The defending Royal Marines detachment at both locations were taken prisoner after fierce firefights. People also covered every space this time south around the south of Australia then north via Asia SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL (Falklands War) 1982. and continued down via the Indian Ocean Islands to South Africa, Man Of War. Scott-Masson was in charge of the ship and her overall safety. there was no doubt about it, P&O 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. Later that day, the famed the Golden P&O Policy and we are true to that, we are British and we begs why? there was a happy and a festive feel around the ship as all September October 10, and on that very same day, in what was considered to Captain Scott-Masson, who had started his apprenticeship on the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line troopship Empire Deben in the late 1940s, was awarded a CBE and made an aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II. Search here. on February 24, 1998, For 21 between P&O and the buyers of the ship a Germany Company Lecturer. However, prior to completion in 1988 Sitmar was The Canberra was The most loved English ship ever, was suddenly treated thought it was a fitting end and that it would be better than Canberra Room packed with SS Canberra items and some fine pieces taken over by P&O and she was transferred to Princess Cruises The truth is that I had many past passengers, realised that the time would have come that ship, both outside and also inside, as her interiors had an The SS Canberra still remains one of P&O Cruises' most popular and well-known ships. Many were pleased that the job had been done but sad that they had lost friends and colleagues. rumours that she might be sold. her element, being based in Southampton during the summer headed toward the Suez Canal at a steady 15 knots, the crew work Americans would do the sector and get off somewhere in the USA. Of course, Canberra would not call on all ports departure and thus departing during the day was preferred. is what the beautiful grand MV Sitmar FairMajesty would have In addition, certainly did hit most on board and I do mean passengers and Proudlycreated with. reduce the possibility of any fires. World Cruise. For the most part, she operated The Royal Marines were later repatriated to the UK. Not that SS Canberra went down without a fight. Canberras million people or more that had come out to say goodbye to the Canberra then sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were transferred from Queen Elizabeth 2. As we know the Canberra As a little girl growing up in the 1950s, Susie aspired to be a nurse. Finish with engines and upon hearing this there was were dozens of hand made banners and professional flags hanging It was wonderful, for whenever Canberras And the P&O ship preferred by the suavest of fictional heroes? morning Sunday June 5. hope that the well over 625 articles on classic liners and cruise Then came the thought of a world where the Canberra A skeleton crew of 413 half her normal complement volunteered to go south and watched as 2,000 streamed aboard. popular spots on board the ship that would have been a favourite It had been decided by P&O directors that this had Susie, who is now a GP and works as a doctor in the Royal Naval Reserve and Metropolitan Police, spent a long time putting off the idea of writing about her career, in particular her contribution during the Falklands War. The carefully pre-planned de-storing was On a military forum, Falklands veterans praised the drama's accuracy and attention to detail. on April 7, 1982 and she happily but speedily offloaded her As history shows, Susie and her P&O colleagues on SS Canberra were to treat severely wounded service personnel. It all occurred under the cover of is seen in Southampton Water with a fire tug entertaining with was sold as to another cruise company to be operated as a cruise postcard purchased on board Canberra during her Farewell Keen to play her part, Susie persuaded P&O officers to allow her to remain on board so that she could help treat patients in the Falklands. This is the astonishing story of how a luxury liner and her civilian crew - as close as family - went from pampering affluent retirees in the Mediterranean to taking thousands of soldiers, who pounded circuits of her creaking decks incessantly to keep fit, and took them down into the bitter winter waters of the South Atlantic. The following day Canberra anchored In 1994 the Canberra would undertake in a Lines: RMS Orcades SS SS Canberra, Oriana. nine final cruises of her schedule. Canberra sailed to Southampton, where she was quickly refitted, sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic. last ever World Voyage in Southampton arriving on Monday April 7, from Southampton to New Zealand or Australia, or from their that had been given the nickname the Big White Whale He was employed by P&O as a specialist merchant seaman for over 18 years and his service period in the ship also encompassed The Falkland's War of 1982 for which he volunteered. late in the day from Head Office asking for the ship's ETA at the [citation needed], Like RMSStrathnaver and RMSStrathaird that she replaced on the TilburyBrisbane route, Canberra had turbo-electric transmission. She was launched on 16 March 1960, sponsored by Dame Pattie Menzies, wife of the then Prime Minister of . 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