brindlerp Posted 24 January , 2004 Share Posted 24 January , 2004 "Troop transports were requisitioned by the Commonwealth government for the purpose of transporting the AIF overseas but in addition to carrying troops, horses and military stores they also carried wool, metals, meat, flour and other foodstuffs, mainly for Britain and France. The fleet consisted mainly of British steamers and a few captured enemy ships." "A 67. HMAT Orsova 12,036 tons. 18 knots. Orient SN Co Ltd London Commonwealth control ended 28 February 1917." Built by John Brown and Co. on the Clyde, lasted from 1909 to 1936. "Orsova: Requisitioned as a troop ship in April 1915, Orsova carried Australian reinforcements to Egypt and Europe. In March she was hit by a torpedo in the English channel, luckily her captain was able to beach her at Plymouth. After a long wait she was repaired and was used to carry troops over from America. The Orsova was transferred to the Australian route for the last three months of the war." regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 I would be grateful if anyone had any reference for the above mentioned vessel, possibly lost 14 March 1917. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Tried changing the wording in google and answered my own question ... Orient Line’s ORSOVA was built by John Brown & Co of Glasgow. Launched 1908. Maiden voyage from London to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane via Suez on 25 June 1909. She was converted into a troop transport in 1915. In 1917, while serving as a trooper, she was torpedoed and badly damaged near Eddystone. With 6 deaths. She was beached and repaired and survived the war and re-entered Orient Line’s Australian service in 1919. Scrapped in 1936. WOULD STILL BE OBLIGED FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 She was torpedoed 3 miles E by S 1/2 S from Eddystone 14.03.17 12,036 tons The number of dead is higher according to CWGC. There are four names on the Tower Hill Memorial from this date. William John Thomas EDWARDS Andrew FLEMING Arthur HIRST W.J.THOMSON There are six buried in Plymouth (Efford) Cemetery from this date W.EDWARDS W.GOODRUM W.G.NORRIS MM Thomas SMITH William Ernest SPARROW W.J.THOMSON The latter is interesting as he was an Australian Munitions Worker serving temporarily as an engineer. There is also a L.CAHILL from the ship who died 01.11.18 and is buried in Liverpool (Anfield) Cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Just noticed the two W.J.Thompsons. I'll look into that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Thanks Terry. William John Thomas Edwards was living locally at the time and is named on the War Memorial in Rainham. I had been led to believe he was someone else, serving in the regular Navy and originally from Bow, but had an instinct that was all wrong. Interesting about the Australian munitions worker. In 1915 and 1916 the ORSOVA reputedly made two commercial voyages to Australia although I think on the return journies she brought Imperial troops to Egypt and Europe. How Thompson got on board we can only speculate! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 23 July , 2004 Share Posted 23 July , 2004 Jon I am reasonably certain that W.J.Thomson is the same person meaning that there is a duplication in the CWGC database. I'll be following it up on Monday. The detail about him being an Aussie Munitions Worker serving as an engineer on the Orsova appears in the 'Cause of death' field in the CWGC database and so does not show up on the internet site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 ORSOVA was not torpedoed, rather she hit a mine laid by the German minelaying submarine UC 68. She was on a voyage from London to Devonport with "government stores" when damaged. "British Vessels Lost at Sea1914 - 1918' notes 8 killed. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Michael Could you please confirm the source for the info that 'Orsova' was mined so that the confusion can be cleared up. "British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914 - 1918' says 'torpedoed' and the CWGC database for each of the nine (possibly ten) casualties says 'killed as a result of an attack by enemy submarine or killed by mine'. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Terry, It is not that uncommon for there to be some confusion as to whether a ship was torpedoed or mined -- especially at night, all the crew may really know is there was a loud explosion and there was suddenly a large hole in the hull. That's where German texts come in. The only analysis that matches up ships sunk/damaged/taken as a prize with sinking claims from U-boat war diaries and the location of German submarine-laid minefields is in the offical German history. The five volume set on German submarine operations against merchant shipping is called "Der Handelskrieg mit U-booten", part of the "Krieg zur See" series. It is sometimes referred to as "Spindler" after its author, Admiral Arno Spindler. All attributions you see come ultimately from Spindler's work. In this case, Spindler notes that UC 68 laid the mines in quetion on March 12. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Michael Thanks for clearing that up. I suspected that your info was going to be more accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 28 July , 2004 Share Posted 28 July , 2004 Michael Thanks for clearing that up. I suspected that your info was going to be more accurate. Thanks Michael as this also helps my understanding of how one of the local men I am researching sadly met his death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brindlerp Posted 29 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2004 See my post Posted: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 16:39:57. "P & O S.S. Orsova, HMAT Orsova - Troop Transport" http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=24&t=8826&st= complete with picture. Regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brindlerp Posted 29 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2004 Mention is also made of the Orsova at http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-confli...rts.htm#remount My greate uncle 173 Lance Corporal Alexander WOOD, 1st Australian Remount Unit embarked at Melbourne, Victoria, on Transport A67, "ORSOVA", 12th November 1915. Regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Underwood Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 A little more information, although following the torpedo theory as well. (from Passenger Ships of the Orient Line, 1987). "On Monday 14th march 1917 Orsova was homeward bound from Australia, and in the English Channel off Eddystone, when at 4:50am she was torpedoed by a German submarine. The missile penetrated the port side of the engine room killing 6 of the crew on duty there. However the vessel herself was not disabled and with the skillful handling of Captain A.J.Coad RNR, her master, she was successfully beached in Cawsend Bay, just inside Plymouth Sound at 9pm the same day". Due to other more urgent navel construction at Liverpool docks, where she was taken for repairs, she wasn't ready to sail for another 18 months after this incident! Any other info on Orient line ships let me know, I'll have this book for another week. the Otranto, Orontes, Otway, Osterley, Orvieto, Orama, & Ormonde all were pressed into service during the War. Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 29 July , 2004 Share Posted 29 July , 2004 Once again many thanks. I am indebted to all who have contributed to this thread. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Does anyone know of a picture of the this event as I have been researching the Captain A.J. Coad. Thanks Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Fred Are you sure it was beached? BVLAS states the Orsova reached port, 8 lives lost. Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 6 December , 2005 Share Posted 6 December , 2005 Hi David I had been researching Coad over a number of years and while visiting my brother in law in Southampton I came across a soft bound book in a small shop. It was titled"Better by Yards" by Colin M. Castle. By book was on Clyde built ships and included TSS Orsova. Knowing Coad captained her for a while I scanned through it and to my surprise found him mentioned by name as follows:- "It was on a homeward bound voyage from the Antipodies in March 1917 that she was torpedoed by a German U-boat, just off the Eddystone Light. The port side of her engine room was holed, killing six of the duty crew, but her master, Capt A J Coad, managed to beach her in Cawsand Bay inside Plymouth Sound. She was subsequently refloated and towed to Devonport for repairs. In January 1919 she resumed work." Coad was transferred to command of the Osterley and until the Orsova was repaired. This is the only reference I have come across on this matter but it fitted in with his service(see below) so I took it as genuine but am always willing to be corrected. He also Captained the war reparation the Zeppelin back to the UK in 1921 and she was renamed Ormuz. He was retired Commander RNR 22.1.1908. He Captained until retiring as Commodore of the Orient Line in 1925. Died 1937. Any help or references on Coad and his commands welcomed. Kind regards Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 6 December , 2005 Share Posted 6 December , 2005 Orsova actually hit a mine laid by the German submarine UC 68. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 6 December , 2005 Share Posted 6 December , 2005 Coad command ORSOVA from sometime 1914 to sometime 1917. He started 1914 in command of ORAMA. He had an interesting career passing as mate on square riggers to Commodore of the Orient Line. His fist command when appointed was actually sunk! It was the Austral and was being raised, too much coal was put aboard with the scuttles open. Over the years he also had 3 collisions and 2 groundings. Kind regards Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 6 December , 2005 Share Posted 6 December , 2005 Thanks for that extract Fred, very informative. Best wishes with your picture search. David PS Have you tried the local paper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 7 December , 2005 Share Posted 7 December , 2005 Hi David I know its obvious but I am embarrased to say "No I have not". Do you happen to know the name of local papers in that area? Kind regards Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 8 December , 2005 Share Posted 8 December , 2005 Sorry, but I don't Fred, but I believe there are some forum members from the Plymouth/Devonport areas. Another possibility is Desmond7, who is a journalist I think, and might well be able to advise you how to find out. Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wrighty Posted 8 December , 2005 Share Posted 8 December , 2005 No picture of her beached, but hope this helps a bit ss ORSOVA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- built by John Brown Clydebank, Yard No 383 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Name: ORSOVA Port of Registry: London Propulsion: Steam-8 cyl quad expansion.Speed 18 knots Launched: Saturday, 07 November 1908 Built: 1909 Ship Type: Passenger Vessel Ship's Role: London Sydney Brisbane Service Tonnage: 12036 grt Length: 552ft Breadth: 61ft Owner History: Orient Line London Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 21/10/1936 Remarks: Maiden voyage 25th June 1909 London via Suez Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. Survived torpedo attack and being beached 14th March 1917 Last voyage 20th June 1936 Broken up at Bo'ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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