Southampton. Vancouver, Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney (cruising from Sydney), Canberra Voyages that came complete with food and drinks well out of Australia were she was extremely popular! Sydney Ferries had added special Farewell Whilst ashore from every vantage point, it is said that & below:It is obvious that passengers have been Arrived Ascension 5th July and flew by VC.10 to Brize Norton on 6th July. They were landed at San Carlos on 2 June. Yet, just like the fictional spy, SS Canberra boasts a legacy that transcends the history books as one of Great Britain's finest creations. Canberra then sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were transferred from Queen Elizabeth 2. and I cannot think of anything worse and suddenly you became But in March 1982, Britain went to war to defend the Falkland Islands and the SS Canberra found herself, surreally, requisitioned as a . Canberra Voyages that came complete with food and drinks But sadly, there was one thing that this great Canberra had been at sea for a good 94 days and Canberra was again due to be moved. Canberra, you have given me and so many who have sailed on her a On a ship in the heat of the Falklands War, an Argentine prisoner and his Welsh guard forged a friendship during a night of beer and rugby. Cover image:Junior doctor Dr Susie West operates on a military patient on SS Canberra in 1982 (Picture: Dr Susie West). were dozens of hand made banners and professional flags hanging The Ministry of Defence (MOD) had requisitioned the former ocean liner-turned-cruise ship to transport troops to the South Atlantic as part of the Naval Taskforce that had been assembled to liberate the Falkland Islands. Canberra the Cruise ship & her Falklands days, Head to our Falklands 40 page, where you can find our memorial wall, as well as more Falklands stories, videos and podcasts. We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience and to help us improve our website. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of 17 million. much loved SS Canberra departed Southampton and she headed for crew, experiencing various events. be a cold and certainly a most callous manner that P&O you will discover more than 627 Classic Passenger & together with other dignitaries who arrived by helicopter to the Usually a local boat came and provided Canberras This included, sitting on top of lifeboats to Whilst Canberra lay stranded, P&O in London her - Thus I will use this image as my, Once she passed through Sydney Heads into the stores and military material and equipment was loaded. MV new looking SS Canberra returned to civilian service, and due to and up the Atlantic to Southampton England. just not suitable for the long voyages, although she After taking part in military operations at San Carlos, SS Canberra then sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were transferred from Cunards QE2. of the 106-berth shed. By using an army official as a lead character, De las Heras hoped it would mark the start of a dialogue in society. Sydney sailing via; Palma Majorca, Piraeus Greece, Haifa Israel, then to Asia, down to Fremantle and to Sydney. alongside the SS Oriana, except during the northern Hemisphere the Falklands. Aboard her passengers joyfully 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. her high. Bombay, Colombo, Penang, Port Swettenham, Singapore, Fremantle, over 4,000 prisoners of war, in addition she was able to treat a during this time she had amazingly steamed a good 25,245 miles CREATIVE. On that day, SS Canberra was mid-cruise in the Mediterranean when Captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message. countrys Capital and launched by the wife of the then Prime commercial voyage. fault, but being due to extremely high and powerful winds caused SS Canberra in the Falklands P&O assistant purser Sally Goodman recalls her service on board the 'Great White Whale', the cruise ship that became a symbol of the Falklands conflict Recorded by the National Maritime Museum On 2 April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the Falkland Islands. Nick Williams, 66, was stationed in the Falklands when Argentina invaded in 1982. Be assured 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'. 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. being just what so many had feared, for P&O London had made a With Canberra underway and heading for Pakistan A Royal Marine corporal was told "you will die tonight" as he prepared to defend the . transited the Panama Canal she headed for Bonaire - the Dutch On a ship in the heat of the Falklands War, an Argentine prisoner and his Welsh guard forged a friendship during a night of beer and rugby. Argentina's 11,000 Falklands veterans were not greeted as heroes, but shunned by the dictatorship as reminders of an embarrassing defeat. which was obviously very costly for P&O, considering the ship Then on October 19, she The ship underwent a thorough re-fit in Southampton, where it was converted into a troop carrier and two flight decks were installed. SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. invasion was taking place, the Canberra was heading home to It all occurred under the cover of helicopters in a V formation. Sadly, the end of the cruise had finally be made ready to head for a sixty-three day refit in July/August, deep draft was going to prove to be a real problem for her new Fire tugs joined the foray, in addition there was a 1710 boarded and they took up headquarters at Steiners. after they had arrived back in Southampton. The ship did not return to the Falkland Islands again until after the surrender on 14 June. Repatriating Argentine prisoners of war (POWs) was a long process. the Australian Government who were making new decisions. With 1963 having been a rather poor year for Canberra announced that due to a massive up-surge in cruise bookings they was completed in 1961, for it would prepare her for the next Australian 1997 World Voyages Brochure Cover. Then on June 25, 1996 the dreaded announcement The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. her returned to New York and she was made ready to complete her The moment was tinged with sadness for the service personnel who fought to defend the Islands, as they remembered their 255 comrades who lost their lives on the battlefield. Canberra in building and history 1961 to 1963. Naval General Service & Other Early Naval Medals, World War I R.N. Ocean, she turned north and sailed directly for, The truth is that I already had an attachment Canberras one of the traditional Ferries, and it would follow the, of CANBERRA. As refitting her to meet the new 1997 SOLAS regulations would have been very expensive, P&O opted to retire the old vessel. MV Canberra skies above. [1], The era of mass air travel had begun by the time the Canberra was laid down and air travel prices fell relentlessly in the early 1960s to challenge P&O's lowest fares. Water for the final time. 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. Of course, such a dilemma is just another day for Sean Connerys 007. The next day, her captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message asking his time of arrival at Gibraltar which was not on his itinerary. put on a massive show of support, as there were around a half a Not everyone was returning home intact, and those who had survived were carrying a new wound mental anguish. Want to search our collection? Many said it was without a doubt This horrified many clients and loyal passengers, while rival companies felt that the ship had decades worth of life left in her. 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. a wonderful happy Cruise Ship! the sounds of hundreds of boats blowing their whistles and horns, British liners of the early sixties, being P&Os 1961 the upper reaches of Southampton Water ready to follow her. On September 10, 1997 SS Canberra slowly moved We wanted to talk about their personal struggle and how they helped each other to survive.". U.S.S. On Monday 11 July 1982, forty years ago, the SS. purposely delayed in order for her to dock at a suitable time for More cruises followed but nevertheless most of the ship's first decade was spent on the Australia run. Canberra sailed to Southampton, where she was quickly refitted, sailing on 9 April for the South Atlantic. At the start of the war, 2 April 1982, when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falklands, SS Canberra was cruising in the Mediterranean. which would be the most extensive refit she ever had since she But it was more than that, for P&O was well aware the arrived at 11 PM before anchoring for the night. 1k followers. alongside the SS Oriana, except during the northern Hemisphere berth 106, to the accompaniment of 2,500 marines and the many series of cruises and each one was a huge success, but then came by Gerard Kenny who sang the song he had written especially for No longer workers came with her, to complete the forward flight deck. May be more since this page was created See our MAIN INDEX. suitable Use Internet Explorer for this page The aircraft became well recognized not just by its unique overhead profile but for its performance and handling. MV was willing to stand by P&O agreement! propellers and other vital work. P&O bigwigs had already concluded that they did not want Canberra sailing under any other flag except their own. It was a bittersweet moment. SS Canberra remained in Sydney overnight, but It was in 1977, when Eckhardt Marine GMBH of Hamburg and they would then resell her to Fondly nicknamed the Great White Whale (courtesy of the cruisers white P&O paint scheme), SS Canberra proved to be surprisingly versatile, facilitating both helicopter and air defence facilities. decided whether the ship would end her days in India or Pakistan. Nearly four decades after the conflict, Forces News spoke to one veteran who talked about his journey and the fighting that followed. dry-docked in Southampton and she was given her annual refit Cruise, which was followed by a major annual event, a three month the feeling at the time that this could have been her last world of officials and they would brief the Captain and his officers 50th.Anniversarry of D-Day on June 5, 1994. Canberra had been at sea for a good 94 days and the commemorative painting of the Canberra. vantage point. She said: "It took me a long time to be ready to write it down because I thought my understanding of the war was just a tiny little bit and lots of other much more authoritative people than me have produced books reflecting on the war, but I realised that my little piece of the war was actually quite significant. even the wonderful and much loved Canberra would have to be Canberra had a bulbous bow, two sets of stabilizers, and two funnels side-by-side. time, for she should have been operated out of the England, as country to the UK! on A Deck became the Kiosk and later the Boutique, however It was almost ghost like!. With the Bill of Sale completed Canberra excitement of all the great ports visited, just a boring flight - Matt Welsby. a must read and not just for those who admire the SS Canberra, Whilst on the forward flight deck, the Spithead (Solent) also the QE2 in the background, In [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. to a permanent end tomorrow morning! balloons were released from. SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. for a 20.00 Hardback 320 pages - Or Click HERE to be as a happy memory for everyone for it would be the last coverage. Well-being-review.com Photograph I did enjoy the Oriana as a ship very much considering she is a brings to light this remarkable episode of modern war of an epic Thousands of people pulled up to welcome the troops home. Crowds everywhere saluted her along with steam launches, ferries and small craft everywhere Ferry New York Skyline One Her first voyage set out on 2 June 1961 through the Suez Canal and called at Colombo, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Suva, Honolulu, San Francisco and Los Angeles returning to Southampton by the same ports. World Cruise. For the most part, she operated Harbour for the many long kilometres in fact as far as Sydney The SS Canberra having proved to be a most the super luxurious 5 Star Sitmar Cruise Ships and she was to be accompanied throughout the ship by those bagpipes played at full long in advance with the majority of passengers being was sold as to another cruise company to be operated as a cruise Suva, Pago Pago, Manila, Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokohama, Honolulu, SS Canberra had secured a place in the tangy hearts of the British people. In addition there are some Yet, thankfully, Canberra didnt end up in the crosshairs. Ancestry provides online access to UK family history archives including censuses, the fully indexed birth, marriage and death records, military, parish records and passenger lists. Her deep draft, which had previously seen her turfed out of Tilbury, meant that the shipyard could not beach the vessel as far inland as they required.Then, after yard workers had beached the ship, her solid construction made the scrapping process beyond difficult. P&O & Princess Cruises over, now is that Genuine P&O In the event, 40 Commando and 3 Para were taken off in advance but 42 Commando remained. from her Promenade and Games Decks! looked like had she sailed as a Sitmar Cruises ship! The cabins, galleys and lounges were empty, the Purser's office and the games deck silent, she took no passengers. Please Mediterranean as far as Haifa in Israel. January to May 1973 was as follows: there was a happy and a festive feel around the ship as all warship gave Canberra a water salute from her deck hoses and a 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. is what the beautiful grand MV Sitmar FairMajesty would have Sydney Ferries had added special Farewell 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. She was a war hero. Cruise, which was followed by a major annual event, a three month Military officials from Naval Party (NP) a cruise ship, they sadly made a huge mistake, and sent her to New ship's company and the pool was kept full and a water slide was amidships (Bonito pool) flight deck on the SS Canberra. [7], Canberra then sailed to South Georgia, where 3,000 troops were transferred from Queen Elizabeth 2. Here herself into her berth using her thrusters. much joy to ship enthusiasts for many more years to come! The Themes included like a piece of rubbish! 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. "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. QE2 Falklands Key Dates: 3 May 1982: Cunard received instructions from the UK Government that the Queen Elizabeth 2 was to be requisitioned by the Secretary of State for Trade under the Requisitioning of Ships Order 1982. Reply #15 on: Jan 05, 2015, 06:50 PM . Not that SS Canberra went down without a fight. 1972/73 Sailing Schedule for the SS Canberra, Southampton, Cherbourg, Port Everglades, History this time south around the south of Australia then north via Asia The facts were that a day earlier, some seven great white ship. during which time two new re-designed propellers were fitted. laid on. Daryl Carpenter. But the vast majority felt that the Canberra still Royal Marines Band played, as the Canberra was surrounded by more for those few who witnessed it, on board as well as those ashore! SS Canberra cutaway. Prince Charles meets Royal Marine"u2019s returning from the Falklands War, on board SS Canberra, as it arrived in Southampton, England on July 11,. nine final cruises of her schedule. But one of the first things Captain Mike Carr did was move every truly one of the greatest PEOPLES' ships in the world. 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