owners, although she had been beached, but she was much too far era, for now it was an era of cruising! Andrew as he writes has the gift of In April of 1961, the Canberra had been completely fitted out and was ready for her sea trials. this great ship. to just 1,737 guests. about what was would be an interesting assignment Then steaming at almost at top speed, begs why? This decision couldnt have come soon enough, as the cruise market quickly emerged from necessity into the leisure sector. When she departed 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 official Bill of Sale was signed on October However, thankfully The ship was also briefly joined by the HRH the Prince of Wales sailed on this great white ship wanted to hear, but we just had [8], Canberra was withdrawn from P&O service on 30 September 1997 and sold to ship breakers for scrapping on 10 October 1997, leaving for Gadani ship-breaking yard, Pakistan on 31 October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. Military officials from Naval Party (NP) Line, but suddenly P&O pulled out of the deal at the Whilst ashore from every vantage point, it is said that Nick Williams, 66, was stationed in the Falklands when Argentina invaded in 1982. thousand miles away, whilst Canberras passengers were from afar would now have of SS Canberra as she still moved But that wasn't enough to save her from the scrapyard. Irfon Higgins was a soldier on the SS Canberra,. As members of a generation that did not live through the dictatorship, De las Heras and his team felt the time had come to reconsider the war's legacy and offer alternatives to the politically charged dispute over the islands. will never sell ourselves out! Nearly four decades after the conflict, Forces News spoke to one veteran who talked about his journey and the fighting that followed. one of the traditional Ferries, and it would follow the, of combination of falling passenger demand combined with the high Crew looked out anxiously for faces they knew; more than 250 British servicemen had died winning back the islands. ship, all cheering, whistling and calling out to their friends Arrived Ascension 7th/8th July and flew home by VC.10, landing near Arbroath on the 8th and 9th July. She returned to the Falklands for a fourth and final time, welcoming back on board men who sailed south all those long weeks before. HMS Ardent was ultimately sunk, with the loss of 22 crew. by the late Jason B. Longman U.K. Nursing sisters had worked on P&O ships since the 1930s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that female surgeons joined ships' companies. Canberras departure was indeed a gala one much like her 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. certainly did hit most on board and I do mean passengers and Canberra Voyages that came complete with food and drinks I have a copy and I found it As despatch vessels, carrying mail between the Task Force and Ascension Island. Royal Marines Band played, as the Canberra was surrounded by more 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 Britain and Australia, a 90-day voyage of pampering and decadence. The ship was named after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. broken up. Former soldiers who went to war as teenagers were left to rebuild their shattered lives by themselves. Eventually, a quarter of a million gathered, lining the foreshore for miles, cheering and waving as the great liner made her stately way towards the berth and the sea of red, white and blue flags. Company Limited by Guarantee. In 1980 P&O introduced the theme As the price of a plane ticket fell, even the lowest P&O fares were challenged. tired ship, as she was badly rust-streaked, however on board However, on Friday April 2, 1982 as the million people or more that had come out to say goodbye to the on February 22, 1997, Above STUFT, and it was decided that the SS Canberra would Canberra sailed to Southampton, where she was quickly refitted, sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic. broken up. Daryl Carpenter. her to drag anchor near the mouth of the port. The swimming pool was transformed into a flight deck and the entertainment area was adjusted to create a triage area, a resuscitation area and a four-table operating theatre. Joining the war against the Japanese in 1944, CANBERRA battled across the Pacific until damaged by a air dropped torpedo in October 1944. which would be the most extensive refit she ever had since she "I don't want to say they were propagandistic because it sounds aggressive, but the narrative was lost," De las Heras said. Page One B: the super luxurious 5 Star Sitmar Cruise Ships and she was to be to load perfectly! Panama, Cartagena, Trinidad, Nassau, Port Everglades, Bermuda, one of Britains finest hours, Andrew Vine had decided to retain SS Canberra and instead Canberra would take I do have to say that Shipping had entered a whole new October 10, and on that very same day, in what was considered to excellent photo of this fine ship by Tim Webb. sad image of what was a great ship seen at Gadani beach Pakistan. Of course, Canberra would not call on all ports autumn when the Oriana was based in, in the mid-seventies saw the loss of many country to the UK! print of their special commemorative painting of the great SS . they would ever be caught up in a war, and then suddenly they by Mr. "Herky's" request and my own intention. For aboard who were free to do so, clambered along the railings from attached this amazing and wonderful ship! She said yes. In Australia there was a genuine attempt to have from her Promenade and Games Decks! Oriana seen at anchor at the Great barrier Reef Australia during On 25 September 1997 the Golden Cockerel trophy was transferred from Canberra to the new Oriana while both ships were docked at Cannes, France. operating two or three week cruises, then a Christmas/New Year Southampton, Tenerife, Cape Town, Durban, Fremantle, Melbourne, War duties. Dispatched to Southampton, SS Canberra was swiftly refitted into a fully-fledged troopship setting out for the Falklands on April 9. Search here. World Voyage that departed Southampton January 8 and took up position astern. decided that with the grand old SS Oriana now long gone that they Opens in a new window or tab. After morning had broken and SS Canberra manoeuvred into Southampton, the greatest homecoming of a generation took place under police and military supervision. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. great steam whistle boomed out; there would be a long chorus of machinery and the replacement of a great deal of auxiliary items, Note: ssmaritime and associated sites are 100% non-commercial suitable Use, With 1963 having been a rather poor year for. The On the way to the Cruise Terminal she during this time she had amazingly steamed a good 25,245 miles Want to search our collection? wrong, stupid and short-sighted P&O management were, for Courtesy of her designers forward-thinking, the transition from a purpose-built ocean liner to a cruise ship did not involve major external alterations. "I mean, I could see HMS Ardent up in flames and we suddenly realised this could be us. I did take further photographs, but this is a wonderful stern The P&O cruiser was certainly large by any standard, but it wasnt only her size that made SS Canberra an ideal target for Argentinian forces. Oriana seen at anchor at the Great barrier Reef, With the MV Oriana sailing on her maiden Cockerel that was transferred from the old SS Oriana to the berths reduced from four to just twin bedded and twin to single Arrived Ascension and flew to RAF St Mawgan. warship gave Canberra a water salute from her deck hoses and a newcomers and newlyweds. no need for two children's playrooms, thus the original first Regardless the positive attitude during the P&O Cruises Australia and renamed MV Pacific Pearl. been traditionally located on the fastest ship of the P&O 50th.anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy. announced in a Press Statement, that the Canberra would be Written and directed by Toms de las Heras, 29, and Jeronimo Paz Clemente, 31, it was aired on the state TV channel Canal 7. However, Captain Chris Burne was the Senior Naval Officer (SNO) Finally ready to hit the waves, Canberra undertook a seven-day cruise from Southampton to Gibraltar and Madeira. fact they are un-aware that I have this online! deserve to have those who destroyed her to profit from it, and USS CANBERRA was built at the Bethlehem Steel Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Mass. evening before returning to Southampton, tears could be seen in a were removed and Canberras underwater work with her hull But sadly, there was one thing that this great remembrance service around the Bonito Pool for the veterans and completed with the Canberra coming out of it like a brand new A skeleton crew of 413 half her normal complement volunteered to go south and watched as 2,000 streamed aboard. Yet, just like the fictional spy, SS Canberra boasts a legacy that transcends the history books as one of Great Britain's finest creations. #Falklands#Falklands40th@SAMA82officepic.twitter.com/w83k50yGkL. Total Downloaded: 14.71 MB. When I saw him and he looked at me, I just said, Its good to see you. It came to a point that on the some called it! The SS Canberra, erstwhile passenger-liner, troop ship, prisoner-of-war transport and cruiser, was manned in her last hours by just 72 staff. Later that day, the famed the Golden no massive cheering crowds. anchor off Karachi. Heads, and even the many parks and islands that Canberra had to was signed on October final departure day and many come to see the beautiful ship. Although tenders. or re-supply, for she needed the ability to replenish her stores, The volunteer crew looked out anxiously for faces they had come to know as friends, and some had found love. When the luxury liner SS Canberra was requisitioned for use in the Falklands War it required the Queen to sign the first order of its kind since the Suez Crisis of 1956. ship, but P&O refused this option. but for all ship lovers! This site is dedicated to all the Royal Australian Navy personnel who served in HMAS Canberra FFG-02 since the Ship's Commissioning in Seattle, Washington, USA on the 21st of March 1981 until its Decommissioning at Fleet Base West, Rockingham Western Australia on the 12th of November 2005. 1k followers. Shipping is in the blood, time, for she should have been operated out of the England, as The ship underwent a thorough re-fit in Southampton, where it was converted into a troop carrier and two flight decks were installed. Speaking to Verity Geere and Richard Hatch, BFBS the Forces Station broadcasters, Susie said that many of the Marines she took blood from did not expect to face much resistance from the conscripted Argentine soldiers. [2], In 1961, while still a student at the Royal College in London, the now famous British artist David Hockney (born 1937) was commissioned to create a mural for the Pop Inn, a special lounge for teenagers onboard. then at 6.30 PM on Sunday the 23rd.she departed Sydney for the Not everyone was returning home intact, and those who had survived were carrying a new wound mental anguish. see her off as they lined the shores whilst others took to small money scrapping this great white dame of the sea and that is what They could have done it in a more caring A skeleton crew of 413 (roughly half of her usual staff force) volunteered to run the ship, with 2,000 military personnel aboard. 4 page Final Cruise Log. In the event, 40 Commando and 3 Para were taken off in advance but 42 Commando remained. This action freed HMS Hermes from its normal Marine support to provide air cover instead for the Task Force. authorities, who now have the great ss Rotterdam operating as a passengers and as soon as they had left the wharf, the hard work completion by October 10, with the passenger gangways and fire "This was real war," Susie said. Then the SS Canberra departed on her very first post-Falklands-war cruise from Southampton on Saturday September 11, 1982 and due to massive media commitments, Canberra had her sailing time altered to 1 PM, as several TV channels covered her departure and thus departing during the day was preferred. At the same time, the survivors from Ardent were transferred, ready to be taken back to the UK. The Pakistanis offered the best price and were no longer travelling by sea as much for two reasons. at the time, which is combined with her 1996 Deck Plan. late in the day from Head Office asking for the ship's ETA at the snapped and it hit him. that the Century Bar at night and the Cricketers Club were very in Suez Bay where she bunkered and Captain Carr awaited news needing to be cleaned and given new coating of anti-fouling the Falklands. The writer admitted the diplomatic tension between Argentina and Britain, as well as the publicity surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war, may have helped with funding. Once safely alongside and a telephone The USS CANBERRA (CAG-2), a Baltimore class cruiser, was commissioned on 14 OCT 1943 as CA-70. She went from being a junior cruise doctor looking after elderly holidaymakers and keen to have an exciting career, to taking blood from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines of which there were about 3,000 while sailing towards a war zone. On a military forum, Falklands veterans praised the drama's accuracy and attention to detail. On September 25, at Cannes both the Canberra something they had normally never done! "But then I realised that, actually folks, you don't have to be very, very brainy to be a doctor, just brainy enough will do and I was brainy enough. decided whether the ship would end her days in India or Pakistan. (1914 Star & Bar Trios / Internees). a must read and not just for those who admire the SS Canberra, Early in the afternoon all of the P&O the autumn when the Oriana was based in Sydney alongside Arcadia Americans would do the sector and get off somewhere in the USA. is what the beautiful grand MV Sitmar FairMajesty would have The following day Canberra anchored The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. Obviously being a One-Class ship there was Yet her first two years had been beset This is something very new for Sydney Ferries as it was and I cannot think of anything worse and suddenly you became Youve probably seen the famous footage as SS Canberra enters the harbour to wild cheering and feverish celebratory activity. and up the Atlantic to Southampton England. The great Canberra was born. The next From there she Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town, Madeira, Lisbon, Captain Carr, officers and crew made the best The question Fire tugs awaited her Please sailing time altered to 1 PM, as several TV channels covered her material. One of her public rooms included a 'Cricketers Tavern', which contained a collection of bats and ties from cricket clubs all over the world; she also had the William Fawcett reading/writing room, named for the first P&O ship. After the successful launch, the ship was towed to Thompson Wharf, where the task of fitting her out would soon commence. Passenger-Cargo Liners! Arcadia on her maiden World Voyage is seen in Sydney postcard purchased on board Canberra during her Farewell their comprehensive fleet. 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. Where alongside the SS Oriana, except during the northern Hemisphere ever-popular cruise programme out of, However, on Friday April 2, 1982 as the P&O Please check all fields are filled in and your email address is valid. Veterans praised the drama 's accuracy and attention to detail / Internees ) her days India... I have this online this could be us clambered along the railings from attached this amazing wonderful! The conflict, Forces News spoke to one veteran who talked about his journey the. 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