S.S. Nile

[absimj]

I'm trying to identify the origins of S.S. Nile which was used as a troop transport and hospital ship.

In 1915, it carried 1st/7th Lancashire Fusiliers, part of the East Lancashire Brigade, on their way from Alexandria to Mudros to take part in the Gallipoli campaign. 

The ship's identity has been obscured and perhaps mistaken because of the widely available pictures of 1st/7th Lancashire Fusiliers crammed on board Trawler 318, to which they were transferred for their actual landing on W beach at Gallipoli on 5th May.

I'm writing a biography of one of the Battalion's officers whose post war civilian career was quite significant, but who left few records. 

S.S. Nile seems to have been one of numerous merchants ships of that name. Where/when was it built? What kind of ship was it? From which shipping line was it requisitioned?

Any help would be appreciated. 

[MerchantOldSalt]

Welcome to the forum.

Whilst there were several ships named NILE at the time, as you point out, there are only two of significant size.  One was built in 1906 for the P&O SN Co. but sank off Japan in Jan 1915.  The one you are looking for was built in 1893 by J & G Thompson of Glasgow for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.

Official Number 102804 all her details can be found online on the Clydeship website.

An intermediate, or cargo/passenger ship she was initially employed on the Company’s liner service to Buenos Aires and other South American ports.

1900 she was taken up as transport No.82 during the Boer War during which time she was painted white.

1911 Oct sold to the Nile Steamship Co. owned by the Southern Pacific Co. Hong Kong she was re-registered in that port in 1912 and ran between San Francisco and Hong Kong.

1915 Sold to China Pacific SS Co. continuing to operate the same route

According to the Merchant Ship Service List she was taken up in China as Expeditionary Force Military Transport No.6 on 30 Aug 1914 for conveyance of troops to England and from 21 Mar 1916 as No. D6 was employed taking troops to the Mediterranean Theatre and Mesopotamia.

In 1917 she became a transport for the US Military

1918 returned to her civilian role on Pacific Service and was broken up in the US in 1925

The only documents I have concerning Gallipoli do not cover the whole period of that campaign but on

4 May 1915 she left Gallipoli for Tenedos

27 June 1915 she was in Mudros

6 July 1915 Left Gallipoli for Mudros

9 Jul 1915 arrived Mudros with Details of the 29^th & 42 Division & RND 85 Off and 517 OR

18 Aug 1915 Left Gallipoli for Mudros

These are the only entries I can find in the Embarkation Officers’ logs from Gallipoli and Mudros but I do not have the complete logs. I’m sure somebody else can help.

NILE was not a declared Hospital Ship but would probably have acted as a casualty reception ship whilst off the Gallipoli Beaches.

I note you say she carried the 1/7 Lancashire Fusiliers from Alexandria to Mudros but that might not necessarily mean she carried them onwards to Gallipoli.

The pictures are from her time with Royal Mail as by 1915 the main mast had been removed.

Tony

 

 

[absimj]

Thanks. That was a far more comprehensive and helpful reply than I expected. You clearly have access to an information source that I could not get into.

I had looked at a couple of Clyde ships lists but the ones I knew (from an earlier, separate study of an unrelated family who, inter alia, established the Anchor Line) were incomplete, and left me with the impression that this 'Nile' was working in the Pacific throughout most of the  war.

A Google search  by name threw up a few references, including the mention of Nile's use as a hospital ship, and another mentioning embarking Australian troops in Kuwait.

Nile clearly did not carry 1st/7th to Gallipoli. It's fairly clear from the photographs that they were carried there by Trawler 318. Your note suggests that they may have transferred at Mudros. I'll have another look at the Battalion War Diary to see if that is clearer. 

[alantwo]

On 16/10/2023 at 11:46, absimj said:

In 1915, it carried 1st/7th Lancashire Fusiliers, part of the East Lancashire Brigade, on their way from Alexandria to Mudros to take part in the Gallipoli campaign. 

The image below is a nominal roll of Officers, WOs and NCOs embarking 2nd May 1915 on SS Nile at Alexandria which may be of interest.

For reference, my photograph of the embarkations file at Kew.

Regards

Alan

 

[absimj]

Thanks. 

[horatio2]

On 17/10/2023 at 11:10, absimj said:

It's fairly clear from the photographs that they were carried there by Trawler 318.

It is unlikely that the entire1/7 LF was moved from Mudros/NILE to 'W' Beach by Trawler 318 alone. I have not found which other boats were involved in the landing of the four LF battalions of 125 Brigade on 5 May.

Trawler 318 was the hired Aberdeen trawler STAR OF THE EMPIRE.

Edited 19 October , 2023 by horatio2

[absimj]

Thanks for that.

 

They were certainly crammed on the trawler. There's a widely available photograph, sometimes said to be 1st/6th Battalion. If you could get a good enough copy to enlarge, you might be able to count heads! But probably not recognise anyone. I already have a photo of my subject, Lt. Saunders, in a group of officers, possibly on 'Nile.'

[alantwo]

The total number of 1/6th and 1/7th men embarking on board SS Nile at Alexandria was 1,946, including two interpreters.

Alan

Edited 19 October , 2023 by alantwo

[horatio2]

On 17/10/2023 at 11:10, absimj said:

they were carried there by Trawler 318. Your note suggests that they may have transferred at Mudros.

I think that is very unlikely. The distance from Mudros to Cape Helles is about 45 nautical miles. Assuming a generous speed of 10 knots, the transit would have taken at least four hours over open waters in the conditions shown in the 'Trawler 318' image. It is far more likely that NILE and the other 125 Brigade transports were positioned on 5 May off Cape Teke, where the troops were off-loaded into trawlers and other small craft for a relatively short transit to shore..

I know from the ship's log of HMS IMPLACABLE that NILE was still off Cape Teke on the following morning (6 May):  "am: 4 Transport boats crews landing stores from NILE."

[treloarth]

Hi Attached is a postcard dated 1918 by hand. The sender has evidently arrived in England on the SS Nile. The message is address to his wife, Mrs P Tucker in Twerton (on Avon,) Bath. The photo is a rather nice view of Liberty Square, Salonica. Did the Nile bring POW's and opthers from the Salonica Force back to England? Unfortunately for further identification, there is quite a number of Tucker households in Twerton in the 1911 census. Many are grocers, which seems quite amusing.1918 postcard Salonique 12 120.pdf1918 postcard Salonique 12 120.pdf1918 postcard Salonique 12 120.pdf1918 postcard Salonique 1 119.pdf