Uranium

Official Number:                          98663  

Laid down:

Builder:                                      Wm Denny & Bros , Dumbarton

Launched:                                  9 June 1891

Into Service:                               24 August 1914

Out of service:                            May 1916

Fate:                                         Sunk 5 May 1917

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:

9 June 1891 launched by Wm Denny & Bros., Dumbarton as Yard Nr: 448 named Avoca for British India Associted Steamers Ltd., London

10 June 1891 the Glasgow Herald newspaper reported …

25 August 1891 completed with accommodation for 80 x 1st Class and 1000 x 3rd class passengers

15 September 1891 sailed London to Australian ports

21 October 1891 arrived at Tanjoen Priok, Batavia

30 December 1891 sailed Aden

4 January 1892 while on passage from Brisbane for London sailed from Suez

8 January 1892 arrived at Naples

17 January 1892 anchored at Plymouth to discharge passengers and mail before sailing to London later the same day

18 January 1892 passed Gravesend

28 February 1892 sailed from Portsmouth

2 March 1892 arrived at Gibraltar after suffering very rough weather in the Bay of Biscay. On board were men of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. 12 men and 1 woman were injured due to the ship rolling – one of them died of his injuries and was buried at sea

6 March 1892 arrived at Malta

8 March 1892 sailed Malta for Bombay

11 April 1892 sailed Calcutta for Colombo

19 April 1892 sailed from Colombo for Aden

26 April 1892 sailed Aden for London

6 September 1892 arrived Cooktown, Queensland, Australia from London

4 January 1893 sailed London for Queensland ports with 29 passengers

10 June 1893 arrived London from Brisbane

4 July 1893 sailed London for Australian ports Captain D Campbell was Master

19 October 1893 sailed London to Madras, India

19 February 1894 while under the orders of the Army arrived at Malta this day from Portsmouth

20 February 1894 sailed Malta for Cyprus

10 September 1894 berthed at London from Calcutta, India

20 September 1894 sailed London to Calcutta, India

27 December 1894 sailed London to Calcutta, India

3 January 1895 at sea at 18°54N 00°40W Labourer Gayadui discharged dead from dysentry

March 1895 berthed at London from Madras, India

1896 chartered to Cia Transatlantica, Spain and renamed San Fernando

1897 returned to British India and the name reverted to Avoca

26 September 1897 at sea at 45°22N 7°28W Private Chas Lobb, G Company, Royal Engineers discharged dead from failure of heart action

29 September 1897 arrived at Gibraltar from London. Landed a draft of troops for duty there. Sailed the same day for Malta

8 October 1897 arrived at Gibraltar from Malta with the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and two companies of Artillery. Sailed later the same day for Bermuda

8 December 1897 rumours that the ship had foundered while on passage from Kingston, Jamaica to Cape Town proved unfounded. The ship was carrying eight companies of the Liverpool Regiment

10 December 1897 at Capetown, South Africa and landed 1,000 troops

15 December 1897 at sea at 32°25S 29°03W Greaser Martin Sullivan discharged dead from shock following an accident

20 January 1898 in the Gulf of Suez Bandsman John Henry Griffiths, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers discharged dead from pneumonia

21 January 1898 at Suez with the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers onboard from India

22 January 1898 at Port Said George Burt, 5 month old son of Sergeant Burt, Royal Artillery discharged dead – natural causes

4 February 1898 berthed at Southampton from Bombay. Ten injured soldiers were taken to Netley Hospital on Southampton Water

12 February 1898 sailed from Southampton to Port Elizabeth, South Africa with 780 members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment for duties in that Colony

22 February 1898 at St Vincent Hospital, Cape Verde Islands Mess Room Steward Alfred Croft discharged dead from asthma

2 June 1898 at sea at 12°55N 57°00E DBS O Ottersen discharged dead from Phohisis

21 October 1898 at sea at 16°58N 64°29W Private Uriah Augustus Smith 2nd Battalion West Indian Regiment discharged dead – natural causes

23 October 1898 at sea at 7°20N 73°53W Sergeant R Clarke 2nd Battalion West Indian Regiment discharged dead from Bright’s disease

1 December 1898 sailed Southampton for Malta and other stations with 1,287 troops onboard

9 December 1898 arrived at Malta from Southamptonwith 903 men of the 3rd Royal Fusiliers from  Dover for that station

6 January 1899 at sea at 2°42N 101°21E 3rd Cook George Littler discharged dead from vascular heart disease

7 January 1899 at sea at 1°20N 104°29E Able Seaman Frank R Hall discharged dead having drowned

16 January 1899 berthed at Hong Kong from Crete with 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers on board for the local garrison

9 February 1899 at sea at 10°37N 75°31E Private Charles Molyneux, 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry discharged dead from sunstroke

3 March 1899 at sea at 4°21N 79°36E Private George Taylor, 2nd Kings Royal Rifles discharged dead from peritonitis

1 April 1899 at sea at 4°54N 80°09E Private James Apps, 2nd Kings Royal Rifles discharged dead from enteric fever

13 May 1899 at sea Head Waiter James Wallace discharged dead from Pneumonia

19 May 1899 sailed Southampton

25 May 1899 at sea Private William McCabe, 2nd Battalion, Dublin Fusiliers discharged dead fro actute gastritus

28 May 1899 at sea infant child Violet Mary McCarleen of Colour Sergeant McEarleen, 1st Battalion, Irish Rifles discharged dead – natural causes

5 June 1899 at sea infant child Constance Evans of Sergeant Evans, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment discharged dead – natural causes

14 September 1899 sailed from the Royal Albert Dock, River Thames for Alexandria and South African ports

16 October 1899 arrived at Natal

21 January 1900 at Durban Saloon Boy Haree Durbesh discharged dead from pneumonia

4 February 1900 at Durban Trooper J Simmons discharged dead from remittent fever

5 February 1900 at sea at 33°31S 27°46E Corporal J Elder, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment discharged dead from enteric fever

11 February 1900 at sea at 25°15S 9°07E Corporal T Malcolm, Kings Royal Rifles discharged dead from dysentary

12 February 1900 at sea at 20°34S 4°45E Private J Stevens, Royal Welsh Fusiliers discharged dead from dysentary

18 February 1900 at sea at 7°10N 7°21W Sergeant H Davidson, 2nd Battalion Scots Fusiliers discharged dead from sunstroke

20 February 1900 at sea at 12°45N 21°55W Corporal A Smith, 2nd Battalion Scots Fusiliers discharged dead from dysentary

14 September 1900 at sea at 21°11S 7°13E Private 4902 Ernest Jefferies, 2nd Battalion Devon Regiment discharged dead from nephrites

18 September 1900 at sea at 6°11S 4°33W Driver 2524 William Peto Royal Army Service Corp discharged dead from TB

26 September 1900 from Natal arrived at Las Palmas

2 October 1900 berthed at Southampton with 280 invalids

24 February 1901 at Durban Private W Waddington 2826 Royal Dublin Fusiliers discharged dead from enteric fever

21 April 1901 at Sea at 2°57N 13°39W Private Aurther Thomas Stevens No: 12892, Royal Army Medical Corp discharged dead from enteric fever and pneumonia

22 June 1901 at Lorenzo Marques Trooper James Wilson, Steinackers Horse discharged dead from disentry

22 December 1901 at Southampton Fireman’s Serang Akoo Meah discharged dead from TB

19 February 1902 at 10°03N 16°54W Sergeant W Walker, 19th Hussars discharged dead – natural causes

2 May 1902 at Lorenzo Marques Major D J Eales, East Kent Regiment discharged dead inflamation of the stomach

23 May 1902 at Lorenzo Marques Private F Overkoot, 2nd D C Light Infantry discharged dead from remittent fever

22 July 1902 at sea at 20°54N 18°00W Private H J Edlin, Royal Army Medical Corps discharged dead from enteric fever

30 July 1902 arrived at Southampton with 23 officers and 542 men. 14 invalids were discharged to Netley Military Hospital

2 October 1902 as a hospital ship berthed at Southampton with 275 invalids and 287 reservists onboard. Of the invalids 51 were admitted to Netley Military Hospital, 81 to Aldershot and the remainder to convalescent homes

as the Hospital Ship Avoca

11 May 1903 at Hopewell Cape Able Seaman J Smith discharged dead from accidental drowning

15 October 1903 at sea at 8°36N 109°7E Coolie Lim Pang discharged dead from cardiac syncope

3 February 1904 at sea at 15°45N 110°30E Coolie Cheong Sung discharged dead from heart disease

15 September 1905 sailed London for Rangoon, Burma

6 January 1906 sailed London for Calcutta, India

2 April 1906 berthed at London from Calcutta, India

12 April 1906 sailed London for Calcutta

3 August 1906 sailed London for Calcutta, India

9 November 1906 sailed London for Colombo, Ceylon. Captain E H Garland was the Master

8 February 1907 berthed at London from Calcutta, India

1 March 1907 sailed London for Madras, India

12 June 1907 chartered to the Danish East Asiatic Co., Copenhagen for use as a Royal Yacht for the visit of the King and Queen of Denmark to Greenland and renamed ATLANTA

27 November 1907 berthed at London from Calcutta, India

1908 purchased by New York & Continental Line (Robertson, Shankland & Co., Managers) London and renamed AVOCA

1 April 1908 first voyage Hamburg – Rotterdam – Halifax – New York arriving on 25 April 1908

8 August 1908 paid off at Rotterdam under arrest after a collision at the Hook of Holland with an anchored German steamer in thick fog

1909 purchased by North West Transport Line, London and renamed URANIUM

3 April 1909 first voyage Rotterdam – Halifax NS – New York

11 May 1909 sailed Hamburg – Rotterdam – Halifax NS – New York arrived 2 June 1909 with two cabin passengers and three hundred and eight steerage class passengers

18 November 1909 at sea at 50°48N 27°11W infant passenger Genovewa Uriez discharged dead from suffocation of overlaying of the mother

1910 purchased by Uranium Steamship Co., London – name unchanged

10 February 1910 while on passage from Hamburg and Rotterdam to Halifax and New York put into Plymouth with engine defects. She was carrying 1,000 immigrant passengers

9 April 1910 final voyage on the above route

19 April 1910 at 42°33N 58°35W passenger Ninoff Lazar discharged dead from syncope

22 April 1910 arrived at New York from Rotterdam

4 June 1910 first voyage Rotterdam – Halifax – New York for new owners arriving 16 June 1910

18 September 1910 at sea at 42°23N 58°03W steerage passenger Jankel Berdiczewsky discharged dead – committed suicide by drowning

17 November 1910 sailed Rotterdam to Halifax arrived 27 November 1910 with 21 cabin class and 330 steerage class passengers

9 May 1911 at sea steerage passenger Semen Lewicki discharged dead cardiac failure

9 November 1911 at sea 2nd cabin passenger Henry Klimek discharged dead from TB

28 December 1911 at sea infant passenger Niculae Russ discharged dead from pneumonia

16 March 1912 at sea steerage passenger Franz Sacharczuk discharged dead from pneumonia

24 May 1912 at sea at 52°56N 33°02W passenger Rudolf Chromka discharged dead from TB

4 October 1912 at sea at 50°53N 1°00E infant passenger Jacob Leander York, son of Jacob York discharged dead from congenital valvular heart disease

24 November 1912 at sea at 45°46N 51°11W steerage passenger Simion Prychoszka discharged dead from pneumonia

12 January 1913 stranded near Halifax in dense fog on the rocks under the lee of Chebucto Head lighthouse with her bow pierced by the rocks. Her stern tanks were filled with water to raise the bow. Passengers bound for Canada were taken off this day

13 January 1913 over 500 passengers bound for the United States were taken off the ship

17 January 1913 the vessel was refloated and towed into Halifax for repairs

15 February 1913 reached New York

11 April 1913 at sea at 44°52N 39°08W infant passenger Audroj Loban discharged dead from bronchitis

19 May 1913 at sea at 48°16N 24°38W child passenger Pioto Jarnolowicz discharged dead from bronchitis

17 December 1913 at sea at 51°38N 2°33E child passenger Laszo Saplazinski discharged dead – natural causes

21 December 1913 at sea at 50°06N 22°12W infant passenger Honorata Kawetzka discharged dead from pneumonia

10 January 1914 at sea at 43°00N 50°56W passenger Jan Tkaezuk discharged dead from heart failure

2 May 1914 at sea Trimmer Herman Wendehake discharged dead – cause of death not shown in the Register of Deceased Seaman

23 July 1914 final voyage Rotterdam – Halifax – New York

5 August 1914 arrived New York

12 August 1914 berthed at Cardiff from New York

24 August 1914 sailed Montreal to return to the UK with members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force having been requisitioned by the Admiralty for trooping duties escorted by HMS GLORY

HMS GLORY

16 September 1914 berthed at Avonmouth from Montreal and Quebec, Canada

September 1914 to March 1915 acted as an accommodation ship for German prisoners of war

29 March 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a Prisoner and Accommodation ship until 9 July 1915

May 1916 acquired by Cunard Steamship Co Ltd., Liverpool and renamed FELTRIA for the owners Avonmouth to US & Canada service

28 July 1916 berthed at Avonmouth from Montreal and Quebec, Canada

15 August 1916 sailed Avonmouth to Montreal, Canada

16 September 1916 berthed at Avonmouth from Montreal and Quebec, Canada

30 September 1916 sailed Avonmouth to Montreal, Canada 

2 November 1916 berthed at Avonmouth from Montreal and Quebec, Canada

5 May 1917 torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-48 (Oberleutnant zur Sea Kurt Ramien) off the SE coast of Eire in position 51°56N 07°24W with the loss of 44 lives. Those without known graves are remembered with priade on the Tower Hill Memorial and on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Deck Boy William Arthur Henry Whyatt is buried in Bristol (Arnos Vale) Cemetery while Wireless Operator Stanley W Linnett and Fireman Henry J Cooper are buried in Cobh Old Church Cemetery