Transport Buddy Scheme.
Lagan Legacy buddies up with Voluntary Service Bureau.
BUDDIES WITH V.S.B.
VSB is holding a "Thank You" event in the organisation's HQ in Shaftesbury Square today. It is being held to say thankyou to all the volunteers, and others involved with the "TRANSPORT BUDDY SCHEME". The scheme, sadly being closed down in Belfast, was very successfully involved with giving people who'd no cars transport when they needed it. Lagan Legacy's Charlie Warmington was the guest speaker, marking the occasion with Belfast-built ships that were launched or commissioned today, and a few other nautical titbits.
TODAY'S SHIPS, DOWN THE SLIPWAYS, DOWN THE YEARS.
Today, March 27th in 1935, Captain Reginald Peel took command of the Olympic for her final transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York.
In 1861 the Italian was launched. She was Harland and Wolff vessel number 8, a cargo ship; 1,859 tons for J.Bibby and Sons. H&W’s first three ships, seventh, eighth and ninth, and 11th -15th were all for the Bibby line. Italian had a short life and 1869 was wrecked in fog on Cape Finisterre, Spain.
In 1880 the Peshwa was launched, renamed from Winnebah, Ship No: 133. She was a 2,159 tons cargo ship for Turner and Company. On the 24th Jun.1890 she was wrecked on Pilot's Ridge on a voyage from Calcutta to Rangoon.
iN 1909 the Lapland was handed over. She was a Passenger Ship of 18,565 tons for the Red Star Line.In April 1917 she was mined off the Mersey Bar Lightship, but managed to reach Liverpool.In June 1917 she was requisitioned and converted to a troopship. She had a reputation for comfort and steadiness and in later life became a luxury Cruise Liner. She was sold in 1933 to Japan for scrapping. Lagan Legacy has a beautiful old original passenger handbook from the Lapland on a journey from New York to London. It contains some nostalgi details! On board Lapland they sounded a bugle for breakfast at 8am. I notice the bar opens at 8am as well! Luncheon is at 1 and dinner at 7. There’s a "Devine Service" in the Saloon on Sunday at 10.30. Deck chairs and Steamer rugs can be hired at $1.50 each for the voyage. The steamer carried a resident string orchestra which seems to have played virtually continuously somewhere on board between noon and 10pm.Professor Charles de Visscher was a 1st Class passenger on board., an acclaimed jurist from Belgium; Professor of International Law at Ghent University and later at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Secretary General, President, and Honorary President of the Institut de Droit international; Judge at the Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Court of Justice
In 1923 The Inveravon was handed over, Ship No: 591. She was an ‘N’ Type Oil Tanker of 6,906 tons for British Mexican Petroleum Company. One of three Inver ‘N’ Types built on the Lagan. This was a prefabricated cargo ship that could also be used as an oil tanker. H&W designed and built the prototype.
Today in 1928 the Hooiberg was (renamed from San Matias). She was Ship No: 834, a Shallow Draft Tanker of 2395 tons for Lago Shipping Company, one of about a dozen shallow draft tankers built for Lago. Lago Shipping Co. operated a fleet of small vessels referred to as the "mosquito fleet" which ran from the oil refinery in San Nicholas, Aruba, to the oil depots along the shore of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. They were small, shallow draft vessels because they had to travel over a large sand bar at San Carlos, situated at the southern end of the Gulf of Venezuela, which was the entrance to the Lake.
Today in 1941 The Empire Hope was laucnhed, Ship No: 1050, a Refrigerated Cargo Ship of 12,688 tons for Shaw Saville and Albion but she was immediately used by the Ministry of Supply. She’d a sister called Empire Grace, but curiously no Empire Charity! H&W. here and in her English and Scottish subsidiaries, built over 70 Empire ships. On 11 August 1942 Empire Hope was bombed by a Junkers and a Heinkel while on duty with the Operation Pedestal Malta Convoy. This was the final effort to supply Malta before it was forced to surrender. The Island had been hammered by 154 days of continual day and night bombing, 10,000 houses lie in ruins, nearly 100 churches gutted. Of 14 merchant ships: 9 were ships sunk, including Empire Hope, 3 were damaged and 5 arrived in Malta. Of 4 aircraft carriers 1 was sunk and 1 damaged, Of 7 cruisers 2 were sunk, of 33 destroyers 1 was sunk and 4 damaged. Altogether over 400 lives were lost What happened Empire Hope ? – Her engines were put out of action by eighteen near misses, and then two direct hits set her on fire. She was carrying kerosene, coal and explosives. The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by HMS Penn. Just before midnight on 12 August, Empire Hope was then torpedoed by Italian Submarine Bronzo.
Today in 1963 HMS Leander was commissioned. In December 1975, HMS Leander, under the command of Captain John Tait, began a Fishery Protection Patrol during the Third Cod War between the UK and Iceland over fishing disputes. Like many other RN vessels, she was confronted by the quite aggressive Icelandic gunboats.