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HMAT A8 Argyllshire

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HMAT A8 Argyllshire
HMAT A8 Argyllshire.jpg
HMAT A8 Argyllshire 1.jpg
Leaving Sydney harbour 1915 in dazzle paintwork .Fairfax archive of glass plate negatives picture 14884
History
Name HMAT A8 Argyllshire
Owner Scottish Shire Line Ltd - mng Turnbull, Martin & Co Ltd, Glasgow
Builder John Brown of Clydebank
Yard number 399
Launched 27 Feb 1911
Fate scuttled after a fire
General characteristics
Type Passenger / Cargo
Tonnage 10,392 tons
Length 526.2 ft (160.39m)
Beam 61.4 ft (18.71m)
Depth 33.3 ft (10.15m)
Propulsion twin screw
Speed 14 knots (25.93 kmph)



Remarks

Owned by the Scottish Shire Line Ltd of London, and leased by the Commonwealth until 24 Jan 1918. Se was converted at Cockatoo Island Drydock in Sydney to carry 845 troops and 392 horses. Its first voyage for the Commonwealth was to participate in the 1st Convoy from Albany to Alexandria carrying artillery units.


While under Commonwealth control she completed seven voyages from Australia, with the final one from Fremantle in late 1916. During that time she was attacked twice by U Boats. The first occasion was on 27 May 1915 when two torpedoes fired by submarine missed her, and the second on 2 Feb 1917 when she was hit three miles (5 km) off Start Point by a torpedo fired by U Boat UC-46, but able to reach Falmouth safely. Management transferred to the British Admiralty on 24 Jan 1918. During Aug - Sep 1919 she carried soldiers home to Brisbane.


Returned to normal service she was laid up for periods in 1927 and 1929 before being sold to the Clan Line and renamed Clan Urquhart. In 1936 she was sold for scrap, but before this was complete she caught fire and her hull was scuttled.

Staff

Soldiers carried

Sydney to Port Suez 10 April - ? May 1915

Embarked in Melbourne on 14 April

Embarked in Fremantle on 19 April

Sydney to Devonport 5 November 1916 - 10 January 1917

Embarked in Fremantle on 9 November

England to Fremantle 23 May 1917 - 9 July 1917

England to Fremantle 1 February - 6 April 1918

England to Albany 9 December 1918 - 18 January 1919

Passengers then railed to Fremantle.


Other Journeys

  • 18 October 1914 from Sydney, New South Wales, disembarking in Alexandria 8 December 1914
  • 30 September 1915 from Sydney, New South Wales