S.S. Gurkha?

[Guest Kaymac]

G'day all. In an account of his life in Aden during World War I, an Indian scholar reports that a very large hospital ship named S. S. Gurkha was in port in Aden, went out to sea and was sunk. Of course, hospital ships were protected to some degree, but it would be interesting to know if any of the participants in this forum have heard anything about that or other hospital ships operating out of Aden.

 

Thanks all,

 

K

[johnboy]

Quite possibly HMHS GOORKHA

 

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Ships/HMHSGoorkha.html

[Guest]

Not sure if this is of use. I have a letter sent to my grandfather during WW1 by Pte. T Eades 177995. Pte Eades lists  some of his journeys including to Lemnos and Anzac and the evacuation there from. Later in the letter he recounts how he got dysentery and went into hospital in Alexandria.He then was sent to Cyprus on the S/S Ghurka Hospital Ship (he spelt it  Ghoorka) to Cyprus. From Cyprus he returned to Egypt on the good ship Lake Michigan. Unfortunately the letter is not dated  and was sent from 28 Labour Company A.S. C.  British Forces Salonica. His description of his time during the evacuation is harrowing to say the least

 

[David26]

Just to add from Stephen McGreal's excellent book "The War on Hospital Ships 1914-1918" HMHS Ghoorka had been a Union Castle steamer of 6335 tons, operating from 1897. She was requisitioned by the RN and operated as a hospital ship between 20 Oct 1914 and 10 Oct 1917.  On that latter date she hit a mine off Malta while carrying 362 patients and although no one was injured the ship had to be decommissioned a week later on 18 Oct 1917.  After being repaired she resumed duties as a civilian vessel.  Her chief officer at the time she was damaged was, according to the London Gazette of 29 Oct 1918, Sidney Godolphin Symons