RMS Scythia
Encyclopedia
RMS Scythia was a Cunard
liner. She sailed on her maiden voyage in 1921, and became a troop
and supply ship during the Second World War. Scythia was the longest serving Cunard liner until 4 September 2005, when its record was surpassed by RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
.
, the Cunard Line embarked on an ambitious building programme. They decided to build "intermediate", 19,000-tonne
ships, rather than the massive liners they had previously employed. The Scythia was the first ship in this new fleet, and construction began in 1919. The Scythia was built for the services between Liverpool
and Queenstown in Britain
to New York
and Boston
, in the United States
. A luxury liner designed to appeal to American tourists
, in the mid-1920s, she began sailing from New York
to the Mediterranean.
The Scythia was requisitioned at the end of 1939, and first used as a troop ship on 1 November 1940, when she sailed from Liverpool to the Middle East
carrying the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
. She then saw service carrying evacuees from Liverpool to New York. In 1942, the Scythia took part in the British Army landings
in North Africa
. On 23 November she was struck by an aerial torpedo
. The crew managed to get to harbour at Algiers
, and the ship suffered only five casualties
out of a complement of 4,300 men. The Scythia was salvaged and taken to New York for repair in January 1943, and afterwards ferried American troops to Europe
. At the end of the war, she took many American troops back from Europe, many of them accompanied by their young bride
s, before sailing to India
to bring home British troops from the war in the East. She was also a warbride ship completing a number of [voyages]http://www.kenscott.com/voyage/avoyage.htm to take Canadian warbrides and their children from Liverpool to Pier 21
in Halifax in the early part of 1946. One of her last missions as a troop ship was to bring the 1st King's Dragoon Guards home to Liverpool, on 11 March 1948.
Later in 1948, the Scythia was handed to the International Refugee Organisation to take refugees from Europe
to Canada
. In 1950 she became a passenger ship again, sailing from Britain to Canada and later to New York. Her final route was around the North Sea
. In 1958 the Scythia was delivered to the shipbreakers at Inverkeithing by Captain Geoffrey Marr, her final commander.
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
liner. She sailed on her maiden voyage in 1921, and became a troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
and supply ship during the Second World War. Scythia was the longest serving Cunard liner until 4 September 2005, when its record was surpassed by RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
.
History
Following heavy losses during the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Cunard Line embarked on an ambitious building programme. They decided to build "intermediate", 19,000-tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
ships, rather than the massive liners they had previously employed. The Scythia was the first ship in this new fleet, and construction began in 1919. The Scythia was built for the services between Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Queenstown in Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A luxury liner designed to appeal to American tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, in the mid-1920s, she began sailing from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to the Mediterranean.
The Scythia was requisitioned at the end of 1939, and first used as a troop ship on 1 November 1940, when she sailed from Liverpool to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
carrying the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
1st King's Dragoon Guards
The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I...
. She then saw service carrying evacuees from Liverpool to New York. In 1942, the Scythia took part in the British Army landings
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. On 23 November she was struck by an aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
. The crew managed to get to harbour at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, and the ship suffered only five casualties
Casualty (person)
A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. The word casualties is most often used by the news media to describe deaths and injuries resulting from wars or disasters...
out of a complement of 4,300 men. The Scythia was salvaged and taken to New York for repair in January 1943, and afterwards ferried American troops to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. At the end of the war, she took many American troops back from Europe, many of them accompanied by their young bride
Bride
A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
s, before sailing to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to bring home British troops from the war in the East. She was also a warbride ship completing a number of [voyages]http://www.kenscott.com/voyage/avoyage.htm to take Canadian warbrides and their children from Liverpool to Pier 21
Pier 21
Pier 21, a former ocean liner terminal, is Canada's National Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It operated as an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 and became an immigration museum in 1999. Pier 21 is Canada's last remaining ocean immigration shed...
in Halifax in the early part of 1946. One of her last missions as a troop ship was to bring the 1st King's Dragoon Guards home to Liverpool, on 11 March 1948.
Later in 1948, the Scythia was handed to the International Refugee Organisation to take refugees from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 1950 she became a passenger ship again, sailing from Britain to Canada and later to New York. Her final route was around the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. In 1958 the Scythia was delivered to the shipbreakers at Inverkeithing by Captain Geoffrey Marr, her final commander.