HMHS Gascon
From Our Contribution
 courtesy bandcstaffregister.com | |
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMHS Gascon |
| Owner | Union Steamship Company |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Launched | August 1896 |
| Completed | February 1897 |
| Fate | scrapped in 1928 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger / cargo |
| Tonnage | 6,287 tons |
| Length | 430 ft (131.06m) |
| Beam | 52 ft 2 in (15.91m) |
| Depth | 33 ft (10.06m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 12.5 knots (23.15 km/h) |
Contents
Remarks
Built to service the west coast African ports from the UK, and in 1900 she was transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS CO. During 1910 she was transferred to the Suez route between London and Cape Town. In Nov 1914 she was commissioned as a Hospital Ship able to serve 434 patients. To care for them, she carried 8 Medical Officers, 10 Nurses and 85 other medical staff. Gascon continued in this role until 15 Feb 1920. Gascon was a few hundred metres offshore at Anzac Cove on 25 Apr 1915 and spent the day loading 570 wounded such that by dusk all wards were full, as was deck space. She spent the majority of the Dardanelles Campaign servicing the Australian landing although she did make several visits to the English Sector at Cape Helles.
Returned to Union Castle Line in August 1920 she was refurbished and put back to work. In 1928 she was laid up in the East India Dock in London before being sold for scrapping in September.