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No. 27 - Harlech Castle, 7 Dec 1900, Hobart, Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Contingent embarked on the transport Harlech Castle at Cape Town on 3rd November 1900, and arrived in Tasmania on 7th December, having called at Albany, Adelaide, and Melbourne. 






HARLECH CASTLE was built in 1894 by Barclay, Curle & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 3264grt, a length of 350ft, a beam of 45ft 6in and a service speed of 14 knots.

She was completed as an extra steamer in June 1894 and in February 1896 carried the troops who had taken part in the failed May 1895 Jameson raid back from Durban to Southampton. Under Capt Leander Starr the raid was launched from Mafeking upon Johannesburg in an attempt to bring the Transvaal into British South Africa. Starr was imprisoned for 15 months after President Kruger handed him over to the authorities.

On 20th October 1899, as HMT 2 she carried the first troops to Cape Town as one of three Castle ships in a convoy of five. She was sold in 1904 to Earl Fitzwilliam , a coal magnate, for an expedition to the Cocos Island, 200 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and renamed Veronique.

Trev

Another picture added by djb

Number 26, 27 & 28 leaving Southampton.

No. 25 - Armenian

F. Leyland & Co.

Master: A.S. McConkey
Chief Officer: J.M. Westcott / W.J. Wright
Chief Engineer: J.D. Yatley
1st Officer: J. McDonald
1st Engineer: J. Spence
2nd Officer: F. Cross / S. Gibbons / D.N. Smith / W.S. Watts
3rd Officer: B. Sangster
2nd Engineer: D. Miller / A. Watson
3rd Engineer: G.W. Kipps / J. Methuen / G.R. Raby

Note: one of only two ships to be engaged by the Admiralty twice


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement (1): 2 Oct 1899
Date of Admiralty agreement (2): 3 Jan 1900
15th and 87th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement (1): 4 Oct 1899 to 4 Dec 1899
Period of engagement (2): 19 Jan 1900 to 9 May 1902
Total days at sea: 29 + 370 = 399
Total numbers transported to South Africa (1): 25 officers, 2 warrant officers, 655 men, 519 horses (all cavalry)
Total numbers transported to South Africa (2): 132 officers, 18 warrant officers, 4,003 men, 961 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa (1): NONE
Total numbers transported from South Africa (2): 139 officers, 6,441 N.C.O.'s & men, 27 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £45,577 + £298,643 = £344,220



.Oct 1899 - Feb 1900




1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment and 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders disembarking from the s.s. Armenian at Bombay on 18 Jan 1901. The two battalions had embarked at Durban on the 1st and 2nd January, respectively (Jacson, Col. M., 1906, p. 213; photograph from Col. Jacson's album).


SEE ALSO: No. 25 - Armenian

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No. 93 - Montrose

Elder, Dempster & Co., Ltd.

Master: J.W. Martyr
Chief Officer: W.G. Burton / J. Pierce
Chief Engineer: H. Teare
2nd Officer: J.S. Beynon / A. Murray / H.P. Rugg
3rd Officer: G.N. Griffiths / W.H. Thomas
2nd Engineer: A.C. Argall / J. Clee / S. Gibson / R.G. Hughes
3rd Engineer: W.H. Bebbington / F. Delaney / J.H. Dodds / G. Fasting / A.G. Smith
Surgeon: T.C. Eager


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 15 Feb 1900
94th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement: 19 Feb 1900 to 31 Dec 1902

Total days at sea: 557
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 182 officers, 3 warrant officers, 6,864 men, 591 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 177 officers, 8,455 N.C.O.'s & men, 54 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £278,258
Remarks: Discharged from H.M. Service on 9 Jan 1903



.Mar - Jun 1900



.A group of Boer P.O.W.'s onboard the Montrose, on their way to Bermuda



.Thomas Philip BRAIN and P. STEYN onboard the Montrose, on their way to Bermuda



.P.O.W.'s onboard the Montrose, heading for Bermuda






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No. 40 - Orcana

Pacific Steam Navigation Co.

Master: W. Styer
Chief Officer: G.C.M. Oakley / A.T.D. Pearson
Chief Engineer: T. Gowans

Operated both as a Transport and as a Hospital Ship


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 4 Oct 1899 (but did not enter into pay until 12 Oct 1899)
32nd Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement: 12 Oct 1899 to 31 Dec 1902

Total days at sea: 556
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 132 officers, 7 warrant officers, 1,557 men, 5 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 217 officers, 2,372 N.C.O.'s & men
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £244,683
Remarks: Discharged from H.M. Service on 2 Feb 1903



.Oct 1899 - May 1900


First photograph shows the Orcana landing troops at Durban in November 1899.
The last three, all from the same album, were taken while she was operating as a Hospital Ship.
















SEE ALSO: No 40 Orcana






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No. 38 - Idaho

T. Wilson, Sons & Co., Ltd. [Wilsons and North Eastern Railway Shipping Co. from 1906]

Master: W. Onston / W. Tanfield
Chief Officer: T. Hornsby / W.J. Norton
Chief Engineer: J. Morley
2nd Officer: J.M. Lawrence / S. Wray
Supernumerary 2nd Officer: H. Curtis
3rd Officer: T.G. Child
2nd Engineer: W. Tanfield
3rd Engineer: S.W. Lawson / W.G. Martin
Surgeon: E.S. Warrillow


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 3 Oct 1899 (but did not enter into pay until 14 Oct 1899)
37th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.
Carried cavalry only.

Period of engagement: 14 Oct 1899 to 3 Aug 1901

Total days at sea: 246
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 101 officers, 5 warrant officers, 2,640 men, 943 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 79 officers, 2,684 N.C.O.'s & men, 14 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £174,193



.Nov 1899















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