LINER TO LEAVE SERVICE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 5

LINER TO LEAVE SERVICE

Strathnaver’s Last Voyage The 22,270-ton P. and 0.Orient liner Strathnaver is now making her final voyage to Australia and will be with, drawn from service on her return to the United Kingdom next month. The Strathnaver was the first of the famous “Strath" ships built for the P. and O. Company in the 1930’5. Built in 1931 at Barrow-in-Furness, she immediately became popular with passengers travelling on the Britain-Australia run by way of Suez. The Strathnaver remained in the Australian passenger service in her early years. On the outbreak of war in 1939 she was requisitioned as a troopship. Later she carried troops from the United Kingdom to Suez for the Middle East campaign. In 1942 she landed troops on the Algerian coast for the North African campaign, and in 1943 played a prominent part in the invasion of Sicily. During her war service, the Strathnaver steamed more than 350.000 miles, carrying nearly 130,000 servicemen. In 1948 the Strathnaver was sent to Belfast to be reconditioned for peace-time trading. She re-entered the Australian service in 1949. With the advent, in 1954, of the Arcadia and the Iberia, the Strathnaver and her sister ship, the Strathaird, were converted to one-class ships. As a one-class ship, the Strathnaver took many new settlers to Australia and also carried many cruise passengers.

Five ships of the “Strath” class have been built. The Strathaird was built in 1932, withdrawn in 1961. and later broken up at Hong Kong. Both the Strathmore and the Stratheden. built in 1935 and 1937, are still in service. The Strathallan, built in 1938, was torpedoed and sunk in 1942 while taking troops to North Africa.