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HMHS Aquitania

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HMHS Aquitania
HMHS Aquitania.jpg
Aquitania in Hospital Ship livery en.wikipedia.org
History
Name HMHS Aquitania
Owner Cunard, White Star Line
Builder John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank, Scotland
Launched 1913
In service 1914
General characteristics
Tonnage 44, 786 tons
Propulsion Turbines, 4 screws
Speed 25 knots
Capacity 7,724 passengers



Remarks

Owned by the Cunard Line and used on the Southampton-New York (1914) (1920–1939) (1945–1948); Southampton-Halifax (1948–1950) routes during peace time. In civilian use carried 618 first class passengers, 614 second class, 2,004 third class. These numbers were later reduced as standards changed.

During World War 1 she was initially fitted out as an auxiliary cruiser, before being altered to perform Troopship and Hospital ship duties. For the duration of World War 2 and beyond she performed Troopship duties before being used to transport migrants to Canada until 1949. Aquitania was retired from service in 1949 and was scrapped the following year.

List of soldiers carried

World War I

Acted as both a Troopship and a Hospital Ship.

Mudros to England 18 - 22 September 1915

Mudros to England 21 - 27 October 1915

World War II

Used as a troop ship

Fremantle to Port Tewfik, Egypt 20 Apr - 3 Jun 1940

Fremantle to Palestine 30 August - 30 September 1940

Fremantle to Bombay then transshipped for voyage to Kantara, Egypt 26 October - 25 November 1940

Boarded on the 25th , sailed on the 26th October.

Fremantle to Colombo 3 - 12 January 1941

Seven smaller ships carried troops from Convoy US 8 between Colombo and ports in Egypt.

2/28 Battalion

Port Moresby to Ratai Bay, Java via Sydney, and Fremantle 3 - 20 January 1942

Two smaller sips transported the 2/4th to Port Moresby from Darwin - 31 Dec 1941 to 3 Jan 1942.

Seven small Dutch ships carried personnel from Ratai Bay to Singapore 22 - 24 Jan 1942

2/4th Machine Gun Battalion

Fremantle to Egypt 10 February - 17 March 1941

Fremantle to Port Tewfik, Egypt 5- 25 Jul 1941

Boarded 5-8 July, sailed 9 July

Port Tewfik, Egypt to Fremantle via Addu Atoll 26 January - 18 February 1943