HMAT A49 Seang Choon
From Our Contribution
 State Library of NSW a639566 | |
 Brisbane c1915 AWM H02243 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAT A49 Seang Choon |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Launched | 6 Jun 1891 |
| Completed | 3 Sep 1891 |
| Fate | torpedoed 10 Jul 1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger ship |
| Tonnage | 5,807 tons |
| Length | 445 ft (135.64m) |
| Beam | 49 ft (14.94m) |
| Depth | 30 ft (9.14m) |
| Speed | 12 knots (22kmph) |
Contents
Remarks
Launched on 6th June 1891 as the Cheshire and when delivered on 3rd September to the Bibby Steamship Company the service to Burma became monthly. In 1900 she was requisitioned as a troopship for use during the Boer War. In 1911 she was replaced in the Bibby Line fleet by the Gloucestershire and was sold to Lim Chin Tsong of Rangoon who renamed her Seang Choon.
Requisitioned in 1915 as a troopship, she made one trip with troops to Egypt before becoming a hospital ship involved with the Dardanelles campaign and then was active between India and the UK. She made two additional voyages from Australia as a troop ship in 1916.
During a voyage from Sydney, NSW to Liverpool via Dakar with a general cargo, she was torpedoed by U-87 ten miles southwest of Fastnet with the loss of 19 lives. Carried as part of her general cargo, 400 tons of copper and 601 tons of lead. 350 tons of copper and 601 tons of lead were later salvaged as they were insured for £55,000.
Soldiers carried
Mudros to Alexandria 30 April - 2 May 1915
Port Suez - Melbourne 17 July - 17 August 1916
Other Voyages
- 11 February 1915 from Sydney & 13 February 1915 from Brisbane
- 4 May 1916 from Brisbane & 8 May 1916 from Hobart, Tasmania
- 19 September 1916 from Brisbane & 23 September 1916 from Melbourne