Official Number: 14281
Laid down:
Builder: John Brown & Co, Clydebank
Launched: 16 December 1899
Into Service: August 1914
Out of service: 1919
Fate: Scrapped 1925
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:
16 December 1899 launched by John Brown & Co, Clydebank as yard nr: 339 named SAXONIA for Cunard Steamship Co Ltd, Liverpool
May 1900 completed with accommodation for 164 x 1st Class, 200 x 2nd Class and 1600 x Steerage Class passengers
22 May 1900 maiden voyage Liverpool – Boston
17 June 1900 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland from Boston
26 June 1900 sailed Liverpool for Queenstown, Ireland and Boston
22 July 1900 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland from Boston
4 September 1900 sailed Liverpool for Queenstown, Ireland and Boston
9 October 1900 sailed Liverpool for Queenstown, Ireland and Boston
27 October 1900 sailed Boston to Queenstown, Ireland. While off Gloucester, Massachusetts in fog and travelling at slow speed struck and sank the fishing schooner Mary Mosquito. Rescued fifteen members of her crew – all Portuguese – which were landed at Queenstown on 4 November 1900. One member of the fishing schooner’s crew was drowned
20 November 1900 sailed Liverpool for Queenstown, Ireland and Boston
3 January 1901 sailed from Queenstown, Ireland passing the Old Head of Kinsail later in the day for Boston
19 January 1901 sailed from Boston, USA
28 January 1901 arrived at Liverpool from Boston USA
15 October 1901 sailed Liverpool for Boston USA. Captain R C Warr was the ships Master
17 December 1901 arrived Liverpool from New York. The ships arrival had been delayed due to very bad weather during the Atlantic crossing
29 December 1901 sailed Queenstown, Ireland for New York
26 January 1902 sailed Queenstown, Ireland for New York
4 February 1902 arrived at New York from Liverpool and Queenstown, Ireland
4 March 1902 sailed Liverpool via Queenstown, Ireland for Boston
6 April 1902 sailed Liverpool via Queenstown, Ireland for New York
29 May 1902 sailed Liverpool via Queenstown, Ireland for Boston
10 June 1902 sailed Boston for Liverpool
5 August 1902 sailed Boston for Liverpool
19 August 1902 sailed Liverpool for Boston
2 February 1903 berthed at New York. Two passengers died on voyage and were buried at sea
16 February 1903 passed Browhead when on passage from New York to Queenstown and Liverpool
17 February 1903 berthed at Liverpool
16 December 1903 sailed Queenstown for Boston
29 December 1903 sailed from Boston
16 January 1904 sailed Liverpool for Boston. The ships Master was Captain W B Crisson
29 April 1904 when on passage in the North Atlantic sighted a large iceberg in the shipping track and a danger to navigation
11 May 1904 arrived at Queenstown from Boston
25 October 1904 sailed Liverpool for Boston. The ships Master was Captain T Potter
31 January 1905 sailed Liverpool to Boston via Queentown
1 February 1905 passed the Old Head of Kinsale sailing west bound
28 February 1905 sailed Liverpool for Boston via Queenstown
6 June 1905 sailed Liverpool to Boston via Queenstown
5 December 1905 sailed from Boston to Liverpool
3 February 1906 sailed from Boston
21 February 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston – for ten hours between 22 February 1906 and 23 February 1906 was disabled due to engine failure. On 28 February 1906 the aerials were blown down in heavy weather. Arrived at Boston 2 March 1906 twenty four hours overdue
12 June 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston
10 July 1906 sailed Liverpool for Boston. The ships Master was Captain J T W Charles
7 August 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston
4 September 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston
2 October 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston via Queenstown
9 October 1906 when on passage to Boston from Liverpool signalled she was 670 nmiles from Boston
30 October 1906 sailed Liverpool to Boston via Queenstown
25 April 1907 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland and Liverpool from Boston
8 April 1908 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland and Liverpool from Boston
22 July 1909 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland and Liverpool from Boston
16 September 1909 grounded in the Mersey Channel when inbound from Boston
13 August 1910 at Boston the ships Master at Arms – James Evans – together with a Trimmer – William Hackett appeared before the US Commissioner charged with aiding and abetting a Chinaman – Ju Suey Kee – to illegally land in the USA. A total of eight Chinamen apparently illegally landed from the ship. Evans and Hackett pleaded not guilty and were remanded. The ships Master – Captain Benison – was also charged with allowing the Chinamen to land illegally
20 October 1910 sailed New York
27 October 1910 in the Atlantic took the German liner Scotia in tow which was leaking and towed her for 171 miles to Horta, Azores arriving the next day
18 December 1910 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland and Liverpool from Boston
1911 was switched to her owner’s Trieste – Boston service
25 December 1911 while on passage from Liverpool in mid Atlantic a well known American Journalist of the time John Ward Hunt apparently committed suicide by jumping overboard
2 January 1912 berthed at New York
1912 accommodation altered to carry just 2nd and Steerage Class passengers
26 April 1913 sailed New York to Naples
16 May 1913 at Trieste fire broke out in a cargo of cotton in the hold. The fire was extinguished and the ship sailed to Fiume
18 January 1914 arrived at Naples
5 May 1914 sailed Genoa to Naples
24 May 1914 arrived at Gibraltar while on passage to New York
7 July 1914 sailed Fiume for Trieste
26 July 1914 berthed at New York
2 August 1914 was berthed at the 15th Street, North River about to sail to Mediterrean ports – her sailing was delayed due to the commencement of World War 1
August 1914 was requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a troop transport, name unchanged and after one voyage was used to house German PoW’s while moored on the Thames for a few months
15 September 1914 off Father Point, Quebec rendered assistance to the British steamer Ivernia which had run aground
March 1915 resumed duties as a troop transport
26 April 1915 at Liverpool alongside HMS ALCANTARA
29 April 1915 sailed Liverpool for New York
11 May 1915 berthed at New York from Liverpool
6 July 1915 intelligence received that a bomb had been placed onboard – radioed to the ship in mid Atlantic – a search failed to reveal anything
6 August 1915 sailed New York and sighted by HMS BERWICK off Shinnecock Light
3 September 1915 berthed at New York from Liverpool
20 February 1916 at Port Said on passage to the Persian Gulf
8 July 1916 sailed Liverpool for New York
18 July 1916 berthed at New York with $20 million consigned to J P Morgan from the Bank of England
4 October 1916 sailed Halifax NS to Plymouth escorted by HMS CUMBERLAND and accompanied by two other transports
HMS CUMBERLAND
28 March 1917 sailed Halifax NS escorted by HMS CALGARIAN and accompanied by four other transports
20 August 1917 having sailed from Halifax NS escorted at sea by HMS CALGARIAN
14 December 1918 sailed England for New York carrying 1,161 sick or wounded American Expediationary Force troops returning home
25 January 1919 first post-war voyage Liverpool – New York
7 February 1919 berthed at New York with 104 Officers and 1,238 men of the American Expeditionary Force returning home – most of whom had been gassed or wounded
17 April 1919 while berthing at the Cunard docks at the foot of 14th Street a number of tugs were assisting with the berthing. The Naval tug Freehold was assisting at the stern when she came in contact with ships propeller. The tug was sunk with its crew being thrown into the water. The tugs Captain – Ensign Edwin J Jeffries USN and all bar one of the crew were rescued. Chief Machinist Larry Lanahan USN was found missing
19 May 1919 sailed Brest, France to New York carrying 1,273 men of the 36th Division arriving on 30 May 1919 and berthed at Pier 54, North River
11 July 1919 berthed at New York with returning American troops from Brest. While on passage the ship had sighted the R34 airship
30 August 1919 sailed New York for Plymouth, Le Harve and London
4 October 1919 sailed New York for Plymouth, Le Harve and London
6 November 1919 sailed New York for Plymouth, Le Harve and London
1920 refitted at Tilbury to carry 471 x Cabin Class and 978 x 3rd Class passengers on the London – New York service
22 January 1921 sailed New York for Halifax, Plymouth, Cherbourg and Hamburg
1 March 1921 sailed New York for Plymouth, Cherbourg and Hamburg
12 April 1921 sailed New York for Plymouth, Cherbourg and Hamburg
5 June 1922 arrived at Plymouth from New York
11 July 1922 arrived at Plymouth from New York
1 June 1923 arrived at London from New York
March 1925 scrapped at Hendrik Ido Ambacht