Hospital Ship Niagara- Egypt 1916

[Egyptophile]

I have asked this question on the Gallipolo forum too. I am seeking information about the hospital ship Niagara which was taken over from the Anglo American Nile Company in 1916 to ferry wounded soldiers (probably ANZAC) through the Suez Canal.

I found this boat last month rotting in the reeds along the River Nile and it is a sad end for a grand old lady. I have been given some photos by the Australian War Memorial group and the New Zealand Rifles and would appreciated any information that you might have about the boat.

[Egyptophile]

This is how she looked. I now know from one of your members that she could not have been involved in the Gallipoli campaign as the dates do not match up. Any further information would be gratefully received. Her paddle was at the rear of the boat.

[melliget]

Connie.

I've looked around but did not find much info on the hospital ship Niagara at all.

The AWM have at least 6 photos relating to this hospital ship (you've probably already seen these):

http://www.pictureaustralia.org/apps/pictu...al+ship+Niagara

There is another photo and a little info here:

http://www.nzmr.org/medic.htm

Here is her "for sale" sign, on the website of Luxor Marine Services, Egypt:

http://www.lms-egypt.com/paddle-boats-niagara.html

She's not in such great shape, as evidenced by the photo you provided and some of the closeups on the site above, but still afloat.

regards,

Martin

[centurion]

This is how she looked. I now know from one of your members that she could not have been involved in the Gallipoli campaign as the dates do not match up.  

I Have provided some answers on the other thread (it really complicates things if you run two threads on the same topic). There were a number of vessels operating under the name Niagara at the same time. The one in your colour photo is the Anglo American line's Nile Steamer Niagara. There are other contemporary photos of her in the reeds along with another ex Anglo American line boat. I'm not sure that some of the other photos are of the same boat.  At least one (the one you have put in post 2) is on the Suez Canal and not the Nile. Thomas Cook also operated a Nile Steamer under the same name. There was a hospital barge Niagara operating on the Suez canal. Apart from the dates she could have had nothing to do with Gallipoli as she was not a sea going vessel.

[centurion]

In the reeds http://www.modernluxor.com/TRANSPORT%20PHOTOS/image024.jpg

[centurion]

The second ship in the above photo is the Puritan. The Thomas Cook boat would appear to have been requisitioned by Kitchener for his Nile campaign and used as a hospital ship. She was effectively unusable when returned and may have already been laid up by WW1. Possibly there was a confusion over which Niagara was the hospital ship.

[centurion]

Comparing the photos more carefully I conclude that the reason for the apparent mis match of photos is that the original colour photo is in fact of the Hamberg Anglo American Puritan and not the Niagara. In some web sources photos of the two boats have their captions transposed to add to the confusion!

[Guest steve_butler]

A photograph of the paddlesteamer"Niagara" taken on the Suez Canal is posted with an article at:

http://www.nzmr.org/medic.htm

This image was taken by a member of the Baker family, one of three brothers to serve in the Middle East during WW1. The Brothers served in the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and the Camel Corps. Which brother who took the photo is unkown.

Niagara acted has a hospital ferry taking wounded from the railhead at Kantara to the hospitals at Cairo. Although I don't know her service record in this respect.