Official Number: 131342
Laid down:
Builder: Swan, Hunter & Wigham, Richardson, Wallsend
Launched: 6 March 1911
Into Service: August 1914
Out of service: unknown
Fate: 13 June 1918 wrecked
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA
Career Data:
6 March 1911 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham, Richardson, Wallsend as Yard Nr: 869 named ASCANIA for Cunard Steamship Co Ltd., Liverpool
May 1911 completed with accommodation for 200 x 2nd Class and 1500 x 3rd Class passengers
23 May 1911 sailed on her maiden voyage London – Southampton – Quebec – Montreal with 808 passengers. Captain W R D Irvine was the ship’s Master
27 May 1911at sea at 50°33N 33°59W passenger Robinson Smith discharged dead from a stroke
11 July 1911 sailed Southampton to Quebec with 506 passengers. Captain George W Melson was the ship’s Master
4 August 1911 at 53°04N 26°22W Frederick Bushnell discharged dead from acute pulmonary phthises
29 August 1911 sailed Southampton to Quebec with 542 passengers. Captain George W Melson was the ship’s Master
3 October 1911 sailed Southampton to Quebec with 432 passengers. Captain George W Melson was the ship’s Master
9 July 1912 berthed at London via Plymouth from Montreal and Quebec with 237 passengers
3 August 1912 sailed from Montreal and sight ice bergs. This was reported in the Scotsman Newspaper on 19 August 1912 –
7 November 1912 berthed at London via Plymouth from Montreal and Quebec with 224 passengers. Captain George W Melson was the ship’s Master
10 December 1912 sailed Southampton for Portland Maine
27 March 1913 berthed at London via Plymouth from Portland, Maine
4 June 1913 berthed at London via Plymouth from Montreal and Quebec with 268 passengers. Captain George W Melson was the ship’s Master
17 June 1913 at 50°05N 36°52W Captain C R Barnes, 2nd Class passenger and late of the Garrison Artillery, India committed suicide by jumping overboard and drowning
1 July 1913 berthed at Montreal
18 November 1913 berthed at Montreal
4 December 1913 berthed at London via Plymouth from Montreal and Quebec with 753 passengers. The passenger list included 4 passengers being deported from Canada and one unnamed infant aged 8hrs whose parents were Gordon and Jessie Martin. Captain F Brown was the ship’s Master
29 December 1913 at Portland, Maine Able Seaman F James discharged dead – cause not shown in the Register of Deaths at Sea
8 March 1914 at sea Able Seaman F Hookham discharged dead – cause not shown in the Register of Deaths at Sea
August 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty to house German PoW’s while moored in the Thames for a few months – exact location and duration of this use currently unknown
27 September 1914 stopped by the Light Cruiser HMS ISIS when on passage from London to Montreal
HMS ISIS
29 September 1914 checked and allowed to proceed by the pre dreadnought HMS VENGEANCE
HMS VENGEANCE
1 March 1915 off Ryde, Isle of Wight German Prisoner of War William Worthmann discharged dead from malaria
7 March 1915 off Ryde, Isle of Wight German Prisoner of War Hermann Crossen discharged dead from malaria
4 April 1915 onboard ship while off Netley Hospital, Southampton Water German Prisoner of War Carl Kasper discharged dead from consumption
4 June 1915 at the Dardenelles and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Ty/Surgeon Thomas Louis Grenet Stewart MB DPH RNVR, RND 1st RN Brigade Headquarters discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in East Mudros Military Cemetery in grave I A 16
5 June 1915 at Lemnos and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Able Seaman George Elliot Bruce RNVR Clyde Z 2401 Collingwood Battalion RND discharged dead. His death is recorded with pride on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Private W Maxwell 9480, KOSB discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in East Mudros Military Cemetery in grave I B 41. Private Richard Stott 1652 1/9th Manchester Regiment discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial
6 June 1915 at Lemnos and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Private Alfred Meakin Hobdey 1413 1/6 Manchester Regiment discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial. Private Walter Samuel Hayes 14260 Royal Fusiliers discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial
7 June 1915 at 35°20N 26°10E and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Private John Bartle 1255 Royal Lancashire Fusiliers discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial. At 34°40N 26°55E and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Private Samuel McGill 12032 1st K O S B discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial. At 34°00N 27°10E Able Seaman George Elliot Bruce HMS Collingwood Battalion RND 22410 discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. At 34°02N 27°45E Private John Lawton 9036 6th Lancashire Fusiliers discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial
8 June 1915 at Alexandria while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Able Seaman Alfred Bartram RNVR Tyneside Z 2236 Collingwood Battalion RND discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in grave L 90. Private M Bailey 2085 9th Manchester Regiment discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in grave L 89. Private Thomas Twibill Thorpe 1934 1/7 Lancashire Fusiliers discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in grave L 88
9 June 1915 at Alexandria and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Private 1678 Ernest Arthur Heap 6th Manchester Regiment discharged dead from wounds received in action. He was buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery in grave L 93
8 August 1915 at Port Mudros and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Corporal 2006 Thomas Reid 1st Battalion Australian Imperial Forces discharged dead from wounds received in action. His death is recorded with pride on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
22 August 1915 at Gallipoli and while acting as a Naval Hospital Ship Private Harold Anthony Bailey RM Deal 3168S 1st Field Ambulance RM Medical Unit discharged dead from dysentary. His death is recorded with pride on the Chatam Naval Memorial and Private Thomas John Tuck, 1496 Private 5th Royal Welsh Fusiliers discharged dead from dysentary. His death is recorded with pride on the Helles Memorial
31 May 1916 Captain Stephem Gronow the ship’s Master awarded a ‘Mention’ for good services while employed on Transport duties at the Dardanelles
28 June 1916 at sea at 49°19N 65°47W a passenger John Pleydon discharged dead from heart failure
15 November 1916 at Falmouth, Cornwall Richard Laminan (an infant aged 6 months) discharged dead from convulsions
10 December 1916 at 51°27½N 10°04W met HMS JESSAMINE a Flower Class Fleet Minesweeping Sloop
18 November 1917 sailed Halifax NS in an escorted convoy with seven other ships. The escorted was the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS ARLANZA
27 November 1917 left the convoy together with three other ships
22 December 1917 in an escorted convoy from Lamlash to New York – part of the escort was the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS BAYANO
11 January 1918 at Halifax NS – the ship’s Captain attended a meeting with the Commanding Officer of HMS ARLANZA
12 January 1918 sailed Halifax NS in an escorted convoy with six other merchant ships. The escort was HMS ARLANZA and USS South Dakota
13 June 1918 was wrecked 20 miles east of Cape Ray, Newfoundland while on passage Liverpool – Montreal in ballast. No casualties