TOPIC:

No. 43 - Cheshire

Bibby Bros. & Co.

Master: E.W. Burnett
Chief Officer: H. Richmond
Chief Engineer: J. Jack
2nd Officer: H.P. Langston
3rd Officer: C.S. Whitworth
2nd Engineer: R. Hunter
3rd Engineer: R. Hall / W. Low
Surgeon: J.D. Beavis / A.W.A. Irwin


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 7 Oct 1899 (but did not enter into pay until 26 Oct 1899)
53rd Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.
Carried Infantry only.

Period of engagement: 26 Oct 1899 to 22 Jun 1900

Total days at sea: 141
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 111 officers, 4 warrant officers, 3,770 men, 10 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 20 officers, 593 N.C.O.'s & men
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £68,683



.Nov 1899 - Apr 1900




."The Gordons off to the Cape"





.Crossing-the-line Ceremony





Lantern slide with caption "Soldiers embarking on s.s. Cheshire". The men shown are from the Army Service Corps. Photograph taken c. 9 Nov 1899.






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Following on from Neville's penultimate post above. A painting, by Charles John de Lacy, of the Kinfauns Castle carrying troops and departing Southampton. It appears to be in the possession of the Royal Museum Greenwich who think it is something to do with the Boer War. Their doubt arises from the fact she was requisitioned in WWI, initially, after arming and camouflaging, as a warship but later as a troopship. To me the waving crowd look much more 1900 than 1915.

Below the picture I have given the notable passenger list for the Kinfauns Castle on 20th January 1900 as shown in the ABW Forum Shipping Records and a link to a site that gives you the full history of the ship.



Notable passenger list when she left Southampton on 20th January 1900: "The passenger list for the Kinfauns Castle includes the following: Duke of Marlborough, Sir Simon Staurt, Sir Reginald Beauchamp, Captain Cecil Grenfell, Lady Lilian Grenfell, the Hon. J Ward, Mr Burdett-Coutts, M P, Mr & Mrs Rudyard Kipling, Admiral Maxse, Colonel Browne, Colonel Graham, Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel Forrester, Civil Surgeon Lowe, Major Baird, Major Crampton, Major L A Gordon, Brevet Major Shore, Brevet Major Ryder, Captain J M Camilleri, Captain F J Moberly, Captain W E Lloyd, Captain Creagh, Captain Cobbe, Captain Knight, Captain H H F Turner, Lieutenants W M Guthrie-Smith, R J T Stewart, W A Light, W T Barry, A St J Cooke, C R Harbord, F D Russell, C C Newnham, and Superintendent Nursing Sister Oram, with 11 nursing sisters; Mr H C Newton and Mr Watson."

Link: www.bandcstaffregister.com/page4341.html Note my computer tells me the site is not secure and I should not enter my credit card details

Definitely Anglo-Boer War. Fabulous picture.

Here is a further list of officers who sailed on the Kinfauns Castle, including my great grandfather (Westminster Gazette, 28 Sep 1899). This list is for the 30 Sep 1899 sailing.
Oddly the Admiralty Return (13 Aug 1903) fails to include the Jan 1900 embarkation.



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No. 11 - Spartan (Hospital Ship)

Union-Castle Mail Steam Ship Co.

Master: L.W. Bayldon
Chief Officer: E.H. Evans / A.J. Williams / P.G. Shilston
Chief Engineer: G.K. McLean / M.G. Walker
2nd Officer: A. Barron
3rd Officer: H. Lockyer
2nd Engineer: J. Cranch
3rd Engineer: G.H. Robinson


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 22 Sep 1899.
5th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement: 25 Sep 1899 to 29 Oct 1900
Total days at sea: 81
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 5 officers, 44 men
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 13 officers, 126 N.C.O.'s & men
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £47,121



.Oct 1899









. Navy & Army Illustrated, Vol. IX, 28 Oct 1899, p. 157







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No. 69 - Canada

British and North Atlantic Steam Navigation Co. (Dominion Line)

Master: E. Maddox
Chief Officer: R. Jones / C. Merricks
Chief Engineer: O. Jones / J. Pritchard
1st Officer: J.W. Christie / J.P. Lewis / P.P. Williams
2nd Officer: G. Berry / J. Harries / F.O. Seabourne
2nd Engineer: G. Miller / H. Williams / J.W. Thompson
3rd Engineer: E.T. Abel / W.H. Groom / John Herbert Thearle
Surgeon: J.H. Finnie / H.A. Warke


Admiralty Return, 13 Aug 1903

Date of Admiralty agreement: 15 Nov 1899.
65th Transport to be engaged by the Admiralty.

Period of engagement: 21 Nov 1899 to 30 Sep 1902
Total days at sea: 562
Total numbers transported to South Africa: 856 officers, 48 warrant officers, 19,227 men, 59 horses
Total numbers transported from South Africa: 759 officers, 12,802 N.C.O.'s & men, 34 women & children (adults), 53 horses
Total cost (hire, fittings, coal and port dues): £416,745


SEE ALSO: No. 69 - Canada (2)




.Nov 1899 - Jun 1900






.With thanks to Tinus le Roux





.The transport Canada taking on troops at Southampton previous to her departure for the Cape on 14 April 1900





.H.M. Transport "Canada"











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On a lighter note, this appeared in "War Pictures", Feb 17 1900, p. 40



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