Guest Posted 24 October , 2004 Share Posted 24 October , 2004 Is there any record's to show if the was a merchant ship called the MOREA as from my last posting I wrote down the wrong ship my grandfather served on!!! Also he worked to fire up the boilers to keep the ship moving as there was talk that his ship's he was abord 2 were torpedod with vary few words about this as I have gone through the PRO and no such luck hoping someone might know of it or of him (Robert Cooke brn in Kilwaughter (Larne Northen Ireland) Pop is now passed on but I do have two medals of ww1 era one brass and the other silver... Hoping someone can give me the right direction Timm (Australia) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 24 October , 2004 Share Posted 24 October , 2004 MOREA was an armed merchant cruiser ( Pennant No MI.80 changed to MI.43 April 1918) of 10,890 tons launched 1908 armed with 4 x 6 inch guns; speed 18.5 knots ; requisitioned 28/3/1916 to 16/10/1919. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve chilton Posted 24 October , 2004 Share Posted 24 October , 2004 It never ceases to amaze me, the amount and diversity of knowledge on this forum, that and the speed of replies. Steve Chilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 24 October , 2004 Share Posted 24 October , 2004 SS Morea was a P&O steamer sailing to and from India. It's main claim to fame being transporting Indian Nationalists to India for trial. She is mentioned on the Aussie diggers history site as RMS having been a mail ship to Australia and requisitioned to ferry their soldiers overseas so some of the Aussie PALS may have some info. The NZ archives have a picture of her passing into the Suez Canal at Port Said. The description mentions two funnels. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest projectman Posted 2 November , 2004 Share Posted 2 November , 2004 Hi Timm, My grandfather Reginald Arthur Watson served on the Morea before the war as a steward and I have been trying to find out all I can about it. Who knows - maybe he met your grandfather and had a few beers with him? I have a number of postcards with pictures of the ship. I have attached one for you to see what she looked like. You can get some information at http://www.lascars.co.uk/shiplist.html. Morea appeared on at least one postage stamp. Morea was built on the Clyde and launched in 1907 as a merchant ship. She was finally scrapped in Japan in 1930. She only got the guns during WW1 - see below. Here is some technical data in case you are interested - Gross tonnage: 10,890 Net tonnage: 5,965 Length overall: 562 ft (171.3 metres) Breadth: 61 ft 2 in (18.64 metres) Depth: 33 ft 3 in (10.13 metres) Cargo Capacity: No figures available Boilers: Coal-fired, four single-ended and four double-ended Scotch boilers, 215 psi Main engines: Twin screw, two sets quadruple-expansion reciprocating engines, 13,000 IHP, 17 knots Ship’s company: 307 Passengers: First Class 407, Second class 200 At the beginning of WW1 Morea was plying between the UK and Australia. On her way back to Oz she was fortunate enough to avoid being sunk by the German light cruiser Emden which was lurking in the Indian ocean. Emden herself was sunk by the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney on November 9 1914 in the vicinity of the Cocos Islands. After that Morea was requisitioned as an ambulance and troop carrier and later still as an armed merchant cruiser. After the war she needed extensive refitting before being returned to the merchant service. I have found no reference to Morea being hit by a torpedo or otherwise hit by enemy fire. But a torpedo was fired at her on Jan 22 1918 outside Portsmouth UK; it was spotted by lookouts and it missed due to taking evasive action. It should also be fairly easy to identify what medals your grandfather got; there are a number of websites that would help with this. Incidentally if they are the same as the UK medals, his name and number should be visible on the edge of the medals if you look very carefully. Good luck with your research - I hope this information is of interest to you! Regards, Brian Watson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kin47 Posted 3 November , 2004 Share Posted 3 November , 2004 Hello MOREA was not damaged by enemy action during the war. However, between 1917 and 1919, one RNR officer and three MMR ratings died of illnesses and a fourth MMR rating died from drowning. don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest projectman Posted 8 November , 2004 Share Posted 8 November , 2004 Some more information on the torpedo that missed SS Morea for anyone following this topic: Check out the following URL: http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/cockney_fivetoone.htm "Published in London in 1921, The Best 500 Cockney War Stories comprised, in the words of its newspaper publisher (The London Evening News) "a remembering and retelling of those war days when laughter sometimes saved men's reason". It contains the following quote: Five to One Against the "Tinfish" H M.S. Morea, on convoy duty, was coming up the Channel when the silver streak of a "tinfish" was seen approaching the port side. The Morea was zig-zagging at the time, so more helm was given her to dodge the oncoming torpedo. The guns' crews were at action stations and were grimly waiting for the explosion, when a Cockney seaman gunner sang out, "I'll lay five to one it doesn't hit us." This broke the tension, and, as luck would have it, the torpedo passed three yards astern. J. Bowman (R.N.), 19 Handel Mansions, Handel Street, W.C.1 Can't vouch for this but you can look it up yourself Regards, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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