TOPIC:

Freight Ship - Goth

Union Castle Mail Steam Ship Co., Ltd.

Sailings
23 Aug 1899 - Gibraltar to Durban - 25 officers, 959 men, 5 horses
15 Nov 1899 - Southampton to Cape Town - 12 officers, 240 men, 83 horses
31 Jan 1900 - Southampton to Cape Town - 12 officers, 236 men, 242 horses
31 Mar 1900 - Southampton/Queenstown to Cape Town - 27 officers, 500 men
2 Aug 1902 - Durban to Southampton - 74 officers, 1,109 men

SEE ALSO: S.S. GOTH - presentation cigarette box




.Aug 1899 - Apr 1900








Two photographs of the S.S. Goth at Durban, 20 Sep 1899, showing the 1st Bn. Manchester Regiment disembarking.







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No. 26 - Roslin Castle

Union-Castle Mail Steam Ship Co.

Master: G.W. Armstrong / J. Rose
Chief Officer: S. Henderson / J.F. Hodsoll
Chief Engineer: G.H. Law / D. Ross
2nd Officer: R.W. Cooper / C.J. Duncan / H. Endall
3rd Officer: R. Coombes / J.O. Dolman / E.F. Gilbert / H. Sawyer
2nd Engineer: W. Haigh / J. Robertson
3rd Engineer: J. Kirkwood / H. McDougall / J.F. Pearcey
Purser: A.E. Kirton
Surgeon: E.S. Evans


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 1 Oct 1899.
10th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement: 3 Oct 1899 to 3 Oct 1902
Total days at sea: 423
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 343 officers, 9 warrant officers, 5,474 men, 12 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 330 officers, 6,019 N.C.O.'s & men, 15 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £220,146


Warwick Trading Company filmed the Roslin Castle leaving Southampton on 20 Oct 1899. Their footage can be viewed on BFI Player (British Film Institute Archive) here: 'Roslin Castle' (Troopship) Leaving for South Africa

SEE ALSO: No. 26 - Roslin Castle



.Oct 1899




.2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment disembarking at Durban, on 12 Nov 1899.




.The West Yorkshires disembarking at Durban, 12 Nov 1899 (Navy & Army Illustrated, Vol. IX, 23 Dec 1899, p. 370)

“A very singular interest is centred in the picture showing the disembarkation of the West Yorkshires from the “Roslin Castle”. This was the first of the transports taken up for the conveyance of the Army Corps, and its arrival was awaited with extreme eagerness. It will be remembered that at that time matters were becoming critical in Natal, and reinforcements were of vital importance. On her arrival at Cape Town the “Roslin Castle” received instructions to proceed forthwith to Durban, and on disembarkation the West Yorkshires were immediately sent up to Estcourt, in the fighting round which place they were heavily engaged. The bright picture in which the old Prince of Wales’s Own is shown landing from the Castle liner will be very attractive to others besides those specially interested in the county of broad acres and its representative corps”









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Indian Transport No. 16 - Wardha

British India Steam Navigation Company

Master: J. Anderson
Chief Officer: E.H. Watson
Chief Engineer: W. Grimley / H. Rennie
2nd Officer: S. Powell
3rd Officer: R.A. Ayres
2nd Engineer: G. Gray
3rd Engineer: T.J. Burmingham

The Wardha was employed for one voyage only.


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

15th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty in India.

Period of engagement: 17 Sep 1899 to 19 Nov 1899
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 5 officers, 159 N.C.O.'s & men, 1 Native, 169 horses, 12 mules
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £9,215



.Sep 1899


The Wardha left Bombay on 25 Sep 1899. 70 horses were lost at sea during a storm while sailing between Durban & Cape Town. Due to damage sustained she was forced to return to Durban, where the 9th Lancers and their surviving horses were transferred to Transport No. 6 Avoca, and the Nevada (which, oddly, is not listed by the Admiralty as having been hired for transport or freight duty).

"Durban, Oct 14. The transport Wardha, which left here for the Cape Town with a portion of the 9th Lancers on board has returned here. She encountered a gale off East London and was considerably damaged and lost nearly 100 horses. The men have been transferred to the Avoca and the Nevada and will proceed to Cape Town this afternoon".

Note: Neil Snowden records Transport No. 16 as the Bavarian. This is explained by the use of a duplicate sequence of numbers for Transports engaged in India. During the conflict all Indian ships appear to have been marked without the prexif "No".




.Photographed at Durban on 9 Oct 1899: "The IX Lancers in Durban Harbour, who lost 70 horses in a storm"





.Another image, showing the Wardha at Bombay (Black & White Budget, No. 3, p. 10)







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No. 4 - Nubia

P. & O. Steam Navigation Co., Ltd

Master: G.C. Henning
Chief Officer: Francis Edward Andrews
Chief Engineer: C. Ferguson / A. Henderson
2nd Officer: F.W. Bennett / G. Clark / F.S. Murray / F.H.S. Stone / E. Williamson
Supernumerary 2nd Officer: B.B. Hetherington / A.P. Parmeter / E.J. Thornton
2nd Engineer: A. Camilleri / G.W. Smith
3rd Engineer: W. McCall / R. Torrie
Purser: L.H. Insoll

Operated both as a Transport and as a Hospital Ship

The departure of the Nubia from Southampton was filmed by the Fuerst Brothers. Their footage can be viewed on BFI Player (British Film Institute Archive) here: Troopship Nubia Leaving Harbour


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 30 Aug 1899 (but did not enter into pay until 4 Oct 1899)
13th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.
Served as both a Transport and a Hospital Ship.

Period of engagement: 4 Oct 1899 to 31 Dec 1902

Total days at sea: 652
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 138 officers, 9 warrant officers, 2,166 men, 6 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 333 officers, 4,322 N.C.O.'s & men
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal, port dues and conversion to a Hospital Ship): £291,928



.Oct 1899 - May 1900





The Nubia at Durban.
"The Nubia which brought the Rifle Brigade for the Boer War". I'm not sure this is correct. Shipping records show that the Rifle Brigade were transported on the Jelunga (Sep 1899), German (Oct 1899) and Majestic (Dec 1899).




.Nubia in white livery, while operating as a Hospital Ship




.Wounded soldiers on the deck of the Hospital Ship Nubia












.Two watercolours by S.P. Sabin, 4th Officer, H.M.T. No. 4, Hospital Ship Nubia






Film footage of the Nubia leaving Southampton with the Scots Guards aboard, captured by the Fuerst Brothers - Troopship Nubia Leaving Harbour







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No. 6 - Dunera (while in the employ of the Indian Troop Service, before / after the ABW).

Hired 5 Nov 1899; off-hired 10 Nov 1902 (during which time she was designated Transport "No. 1"). See next post.

Note: Neil Snowden records Transport No. 6 as the Avoca. This is explained by the fact that the Dunera was taken over from the Indian Troop Service on 5 Nov 1899 and assigned "No. 1". Before / after the war she sailed under Indian Troop Service "No. 6".







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No. 1 - Dunera

British India Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.

Master: A.B. Cave / J. Smith
Chief Officer: W.B. Anderson / E.H. Garland
Chief Engineer: M. Turnbull
2nd Officer: J. Cree / B. Gulliver / F. Johnson / F.L. Moth / W. Wilcox
Supernumerary 2nd Officer: J.O. Tyler
2nd Engineer: J. Wallace
3rd Engineer: R. Catrow / W. Russel / F.G. Taylor
Purser: W.B. Blacklock / A. MacPhee
Surgeon: W.H. Sutcliffe


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Taken over from Indian Troop Service: 5 Nov 1899
59th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty
Operated both as a Transport and as a Hospital Ship

Period of engagement: 5 Nov 1899 to 31 Dec 1902

Total days at sea: 648
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 173 officers, 14 warrant officers, 4,120 men, 12 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 241 officers, 4,095 N.C.O.'s & men, 3 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal, port dues & conversion into a Hospital Ship): £251,787

Note: photographs of Dunera sporting "No. 6" plates are from her periods of engagement with the Indian Troop Service, before and after the ABW.



.Nov 1899 - Mar 1900








.Dunera while serving with the Indian Troop Service, with "No. 6" plates (originally posted by Paul Dunn)



.Souvenir lifebuoy painting of Dunera while operating with the Indian Troop Service (with "No. 6" plates)








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