HMHS Newhaven

HMHS Newhaven

Newhaven arriving at Dieppe
History
Name	HMHS Newhaven
Builder	Forges et Chaniers de la Mediteranee, Le Havre
Launched	1911
Fate	scrapped 1947
General characteristics
Type	Ferry (steam turbine)
Tonnage	1,655 tons

Remarks

During WW1, she was initially used by the French as an auxiliary cruiser, but later transferred to the British Flag for use as a Hospital Ship. She carried 3 Medical officers, 4 Nurses and 27 other medical personnel to service up 6 Officer patients, 19 enlisted men in Cots and 138 in Berths. She served in this role from 7 May 1915 until May/June 1917 when the Newhaven became an Ambulance Transport, (meaning that it as no longer protected by treaty or entitled to the distinctive livery of a red cross on a white background). She could, however, carry troops, serving in this role until 5 Mar 1919.

Recovered by her owners in July 1919 she was, along with her sister the Rouen, the mainstay of the French side of the Newhaven-Dieppe cross-channel service during the 1920's and 30's. In August 1924 the Newhaven ran aground at night in thick fog under the cliffs at Berneval, about 9 kilometers east of Dieppe. At low tide the next morning, the passengers were able to descend to the beach and board buses to take them into Dieppe. The ship was refloated nine days later, and having suffered minimal damage was quickly back in service. During 1929/30 her interior was upgraded, and two years later she was converted from coal burning to oil fired boilers, and the removal of her two funnels which were replaced with one larger one.

The Newhaven was taken over by the Germans in 1940 and used as a troop transport in the Baltic during World War II. Recovered in 1945, her refitting as a passenger vessel was considered too costly and she was sold for scrap in 1947.

List of soldiers carried

Étaples to England 9 Jun 1916

• † William Barge

Calais to England 25 July 1916

• Donald Victor Chisholm

Boulogne to England 3 August 1916

• Aubrey Cecil Dawson

Calais to England 12 August 1916

• † Frederick Thornton Lindley

Calais to England 20 August 1916

• Thomas Bird

Calais to England 5 November 1916

• Albert George Bullock

Calais to England 23 November 1916

• Robert Lauden Rayner

Calais to England 15 December 1916

• Aubrey Jesse Whittington MM

Calais to England 14 May 1917

• Robert Lightbody

France to England 27 September 1917

• John Alexander Spilsbury

France to England 30 September 1917

• [Leslie Hetherington]]

Étaples to England 21 March 1918

• Frederick Ernest Capstick

Étaples to England 26 March 1918

• Charles Blunt

Étaples to England 6 April 1918

• William Percival Nairn

Étaples to England 11 April 1918

• Norman Leslie Skewes

France to England 25 Aug 1918

• Bertram Ernest Powell