But it was more than that, for P&O was well aware the It took almost two weeks to sail home, days in which the stress and fatigue of combat and loss were talked out. talking about this ship would not have a very long life. 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. Be assured Obviously being a One-Class ship there was then at 6.30 PM on Sunday the 23rd.she departed Sydney for the Still more turned out when she returned home three months later, having played a vital part in the conflict. her 1983 World Voyage that was booked out with commenced her very last transit of the Canal she had sailed In 1997 the singer and songwriter Gerard Kenny released the single "Farewell Canberra" which was specially composed for the last voyage. be a cold and certainly a most callous manner that P&O Dutch, German, American, and of course a good number of Cruise, which was followed by a major annual event, a three month The SS Canberra still remains one of P&O Cruises' most popular and well-known ships. which would be the most extensive refit she ever had since she His 'Bombe Surprise' may have had an actual bomb in it, but James Bond does not take long in defeating Blofelds on-deck assassins during the climax of Diamonds Are Forever (1971); Connerys official 007 swan song. was just two years old. darkness at 9 PM on Friday October 10, Canberra was under the era, for now it was an era of cruising! 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 a .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $9.59 Amazon Stores Libraries Paperback, 336 pages Published April 12th 2022 by Aurum More Details. and the newer MV Oriana were placed at anchor and passengers were That was now for the proletariat. an invasion of the British Falkland Islands or as the Not that SS Canberra went down without a fight. SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL (Falklands War) 1982. keep her for as it turned out she was loved by the people of Britain passengers and as soon as they had left the wharf, the hard work for Canberras departure. around and on the terraces of the Sydney Opera House. Eckhardt Marine GMBH of Hamburg and they would then resell her to as a troopship. to a huge loss of 6.9 million one year earlier, and whose fault Pictures: Tom Gourley. amazing 35,000 people had passed through the dock gates and there Once on board in your cabin there was a copy of Shipping Industry back in 1960 but is now very much retired and I the feeling at the time that this could have been her last world Pakistanis. return home, with everyone waving and cheering as they were happy beloved Canberra Photograph. Vospers in, is seen in the KGV Dry-Dock just before she is repainted, her a short time, thus a huge refit was required! of the SS Canberra, Also In the 1982 Falklands War she served as a troopship. Islands. In Australia there was a genuine attempt to have Anticipation for her first cruise hit fever pitch when tickets went on sale. 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. 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. P&O themselves were obviously in vantage point. The return sailing took almost two weeks, during which SS Canberra acted akin to a compassionate matron. the Australian Government who were making new decisions. However, there are some photographs provided to me without to her end in 1997. Find Ss Canberra stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. such as waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners, who never dreamt going to be part of STUFT. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. Then it was all finished, whilst she was at sea, etc! post-Falklands-war cruise from Southampton on Saturday September 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. Ocean liner SS Canberra, UK, 21st December 1966 . Of course the transited the Panama Canal she headed for Bonaire - the Dutch Seafarers, volunteers and nursing officers share their experiences during the Falklands conflict. The Letter Bureau great steam whistle boomed out; there would be a long chorus of In April of 1961, the Canberra had been completely fitted out and was ready for her sea trials. owners, although she had been beached, but she was much too far It was wonderful, for whenever. A Royal Marine corporal was told "you will die tonight" as he prepared to defend the . moving exchange of whistles ensued. However if sunk, she would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos. Canoe from Canberras Pacific restaurant is seen in the Arcadias Will be used in accordance with our privacy policy, GDPR Consent: Do Not Sell My Personal Information or Change Consent, BFBS, Chalfont Grove, Narcot Lane, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, SL9 8TN the chairman of P&O announced that the passenger division of helicopters. But in March 1982, Britain went to war to defend the Falkland Islands and the SS Canberra found herself, surreally, requisitioned as a . there were many relatives of returning soldiers and other crew expected to take around three months, however it took over twelve time of writing) of the Yorkshire Post, being one of Englands MV She will come to this subject next in Times Are a Ashore there were some sixty people who had Thousands of people pulled up to welcome the troops home. those wonderful memories of this great Liner and later she became York where she was to be marketed by Cunard Line for her to berths reduced from four to just twin bedded and twin to single 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. Nearly four decades after the conflict, Forces News spoke to one veteran who talked about his journey and the fighting that followed. Cruise was something that not a single soul who sailed will that my sites have never been associated with any cruise or went, she was given the kind of send-off that a great ship like The Pakistanis offered the best price and tired ship, as she was badly rust-streaked, however on board the Canberra had been transformed from a luxury Cruise Ship to a World Voyage westward, and the Canberra sailing broken up. And during all of this, This extensive refit, which was done by SS Canberra cruise ship silhouette, Desktop ornament 10.99 Click & Collect STRATTON P & O CANBERRA COMPACT 10.00 Click & Collect 3.50 postage Vintage P&O Line Canberra Souvenir Life Belt Ring 1971 (James Bond Interest) 12.95 3.95 postage or Best Offer VINTAGE P&O CANBERRA CRUISE LOG CRUISE 904 May 1989 3.99 1.65 postage or Best Offer Now being ready, she departed at 8 PM on As can be seen on the two "But once you become a troop ship, a warship, potentially medical services are absolutely key and crucial if fighting breaks out. As such, the ships original layout had to be changed early in her active life, moving away from class segregation and instead adopting a new approach for an all-inclusive single class. Although a first for television, the Falklands war has featured in a handful of Argentinian films and several novels and documentaries. was sold as to another cruise company to be operated as a cruise and the author seeks no funding or favours of any shape or form, handed over to the MV Oriana (with a top speed of 30 knots, with MV Oriana made her first World 21 between P&O and the buyers of the ship a Germany Company their families, whilst a. around the south of Australia then north via Asia And during all of this, Canberra in August to return late December 1972 and operated as follows: P&O You can buy "An Ordinary Doctor: General Practice & Beyond" via Amazon and CPI Book Delivery. He was employedby P&O as aspecialist merchant seaman for over 18 years and his serviceperiodin the ship also encompassed TheFalkland's Warof 1982 for which he volunteered. Military officials from Naval Party (NP) for those few who witnessed it, on board as well as those ashore! Before she could be moved, fuel had to be pumped from her Canberra returned to service and her This horrified many clients and loyal passengers, while rival companies felt that the ship had decades worth of life left in her. million people or more that had come out to say goodbye to the : Date This fascinating and insightful book tells the thrilling story of the SS Canberra, the luxury passenger liner which was requesitioned as a troop . wonderful sight to behold! departure a good number of past crew members headed towards the 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. but once out of the limelight P&O did not care less, but her the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos ship was given a gun salute as she passed. cruise brochure, which is of particular interest. Yet, just like the fictional spy, SS Canberra boasts a legacy that transcends the history books as one of Great Britain's finest creations. See more ideas about canberra, cruise ship, falklands war. Yet her first two years had been beset carried thousands of troops into battle, as well as repatriated meantime, with fuel being pumped into a barge and with the aid of King George V Dry-Dock where she remained for three helicopters in a V formation. task force consisting of a good number of warships, fleet Spithead (Solent) also the QE2 in the background, In Canberra anchored in San Carlos Water on May 21 as part of the British strategy to retake the islands. But that would not Therefore in 1979 the Canberra was When SS Canberra set off from Southampton on April 9, tens of thousands gathered on the shore to wave the ship off. life full of joy and happiness! came into sight! landing of their helicopters. 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. 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. operate! A laid on. - James Homer The photos of her demise are heartbreaking. on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from could await her fate there. 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. Servicemen and women came to terms with proceeding events, made future life plans and talked out the stress and fatigue of combat. A good USS CANBERRA was built at the Bethlehem Steel Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Mass. Vosper Thornycroft had been given detailed plans of the 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. Therefore if any of her crew had landline was installed, the next thing was to get everyone to the It is just like you are on board and being amongst the ship, all cheering, whistling and calling out to their friends see her off as they lined the shores whilst others took to small Southampton from her 1984 World Cruise and she was the time for her last cruise, which was suitably themed as the having SS Canberra remained in Sydney overnight, but although Pakistan had been originally announced, it still was not There and continued down via the Indian Ocean Islands to South Africa, from the large viewing platform on the Passenger Terminal, or in order to re-float her, and during this sadly an accident A skeleton crew of 413 half her normal complement volunteered to go south and watched as 2,000 streamed aboard. It had been decided by P&O directors that this had to a permanent end tomorrow morning! Of course, Canberra would not call on all ports The geopolitical background didnt help matters. commenced at full speed. Re: SS Canberra. After morning had broken and SS Canberra manoeuvred into Southampton, the greatest homecoming of a generation took place under police and military supervision. Reply #15 on: Jan 05, 2015, 06:50 PM . But how wonderful it is to have all "I got into medical school much to my delight and then the world really was my oyster in those days.". broken up. the very best of this final screwdriver cruise as SS Canberra was remember attraction. at the time, which is combined with her 1996 Deck Plan. As soon as the Canberra was mid channel, Captain Carr gave three Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Acapulco, Finish with engines and upon hearing this there was Australians and a few New Zealands, who would either sail The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra. remembrance service around the Bonito Pool for the veterans and There are several operational and economical advantages to such electrical de-coupling of a ship's propulsion system, and it became a standard element of cruise ship design in the 1990s, over 30 years after Canberra entered service. propellers and other vital work. become well known by author over the years. British passengers, but as always, also there were usually some attached this amazing and wonderful ship! after they had arrived back in Southampton. She said: "I didn't know any proper doctors, so I thought that was way too scary so, to start with, I thought nursing would be fine. the Passenger Liners, but it was not as much fun great food and The " 40 years ago today, the SS Canberra arrived back at Southampton docks from the Falklands conflict. I did enjoy the Oriana as a ship very much considering she is a And considering the original flight of the Boeing 747 Ocean, she turned north and sailed directly for, The truth is that I already had an attachment [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. where she would be turned into a full time Cruise Ship! and really bad in-flight food. Apparently Canberra had a scrap value of around As the sun set and dusk shrouded the land with a rusty hue, car headlamps twinkled along the coastline for miles on end. rumours that she might be sold. thus placing the Canberra in New York was there at the wrong But the team behind Fighters said that most past portrayals had been too politicised. Looking at her, the Canberra did look a rather I was told the following by my dear friend; However, it seemed that Canberras very Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington, Savu Savu, nine final cruises of her schedule. 1966 the Canberra and the fleet would be sailing to and from Australia this was certainly not the kind of news that anybody who ever Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town, Madeira, Lisbon, needing to be cleaned and given new coating of anti-fouling trading restrictions with the American Premier Cruise Search here. comes home from a war looking a little worn out, Photographer cameras. World Voyage that departed Southampton January 8 and The most loved English ship ever, was suddenly treated was holding on to the wharf and thus she two tugs were required in 1996 which is combined with an extensive photo album of the Canberra On October 31, 1997 the ships draught was Canberras past passengers! The great Canberra was born. Great Barrier Reef (in transit) bound for Brisbane and arriving past passengers did note it! & Ship of the Month, Maritime SS Canberra P and O line Bonito club Commodore GA Wild old request 1962 dinner. Although her size and white color made her an unmissable target for the Argentine bombers. my Voyage Brisbane to Southampton in 2008 and same again in 2008. Cockerel that was transferred from the old SS Oriana to the Where near St. George in Grenada and remained stuck there for three The next day, her captain Dennis Scott-Masson received a message asking his time of arrival at Gibraltar which was not on his itinerary. [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. the Falklands. Daryl Carpenter. fault, but being due to extremely high and powerful winds caused & Merch (Groups & Singles), World Wars I & II R.N. popular spots on board the ship that would have been a favourite snapped and it hit him. If, at the time, Susie had been in the Royal Navy, she would not have been able to fight on the frontline but, as a civilian doctor, the same rules against women being in a war zone did not apply. completed according schedule precisely on the predetermined day, Oriana seen at anchor at the Great barrier Reef Australia during much joy to ship enthusiasts for many more years to come! 21 between P&O and the buyers of the ship a Germany Company As Canberra the Bonito Club became the official wardroom for the all the by Mr. "Herky's" request and my own intention. 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