MV Georgic

The Forgotten Liners of Liverpool
from www.cronab.demon.co.uk/lnrs3.htm by Michael Phillips.
THE GEORGIC
From LLOYD`S REGISTER, 1933 - 34:
GEORGIC - Official Number 182365 Call Sign: L H R F
Steel, Twin screw, oil engines
Gross Tonnage 27,759 Net Tonnage 16,839
Built in 1932 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast; registered in Liverpool
Owned by the Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. (The White Star Line)
Length 683.6 feet. Breadth 82.4 feet

The Georgic was launched at Belfast by Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line on 12 Nov 1931. She was the final ship to be built for the White Star fleet. She differed from her sister - the Britannic, completed two years earlier - in a number of respects. The Georgic was designed on ambitious lines, with an almost straight stem, cruiser stem and the then fashionable squat funnels with tops parallel with the deck. Unlike her sister the Georgic had a rounded bridge front. Slightly larger than the Britannic, her original accommodation was for a total of 1636 passengers - 479 cabin class, 557 tourist class and 600 third class.
In Apr 1931 it was reported that construction work on the Georgic was to be speeded up in order that she could enter service in May 1932 instead of June, as was originally anticipated. Behind this idea was the fact that some 25 000 Americans were due to visit Dublin to attend the Eucharistic Conference that was to be held there from 22 -29 June. As it turned out, the Georgic was not completed until June, and she began her maiden voyage on 25 Jun when she left Liverpool for New York.

The Georgic's forward funnel was a dummy and used as a radio room and engineers` smoke room. She was designed as a cabin-class ship but her passengers had surroundings and comfort equal to those provided in any de luxe liner of the day. The Georgic's trials took place early in Jun 1932 and a large party of guests was taken to Belfast to join the ship in the Belfast Steamship Company's motorship Ulster Monarch which was specially chartered for the occasion. The completion of the ship attracted great attention, and in welcoming her to the Mersey for the first time, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool offered his congratulations to the owners. The Georgic made the outward passage to New York in rough weather, but even so managed to arrive some 12 hours ahead of schedule. In Sep 1932 a ball was held on the Georgic in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, in aid of the new headquarters of the British Legion.

In Nov 1932 the Georgic's sailing was brought forward two days in order that she could fit in with the postal arrangements for Christmas mails to the United States. On 11 Jan 1933 she made her first sailing from Southampton to New York, having been brought in to replace the Olympic while that vessel underwent an extensive engine overhaul. Over 2000 local people visited the Georgic, the proceeds being given to local charities.

A record fruit cargo of 51 687 cartons, representing about 3000 tons, was discharged by the Georgic at Liverpool in Oct 1933. On 10 May 1934 the vessel was amalgamated into the Cunard - White Star fleet. Jun 1934 saw the ship once again turned into a floating ballroom in aid of the David Lewis Northern Hospital's building fund. During Jan 1935 there was a small fire among some cotton bales in the Georgic's forward hold. On 3 May she joined the Britannic on the London - Southampton - New York service, and was the largest ship to use the Thames, being fractionally larger than the Dominion Monarch. In 1939 the Georgic reverted to the Liverpool - New York service and made five round trans-Atlantic voyages on commercial service with cargo and passengers, although she was hampered by the fact that Americans had been ordered not to travel in her as she was a belligerent ship. While she was homeward bound on 11 Mar 1940, the Cunard-White Star Company was informed that she would be taken off commercial service. After discharging a large cargo at Liverpool, the Georgic was ordered to the Clyde on 19 Apr, where she was converted into a troopship for 3000 men.

At the end of May 1940 the Georgic assisted in the evacuation of British troops from Andesfjord and Narvik, and as soon as she had landed these men at Greenock she sailed to assist in the withdrawal from Brest and St Nazaire. She was under repeated air attack but was fortunate in not being hit; her crew were highly commended by the soldiers she rescued. Between Jul and Sep 1940 she made a trooping voyage to Iceland, and another to Halifax, Nova Scotia, collecting Canadian troops. After landing the evacuees she carried on the westbound voyage. From Sep 1940 until Jan 1941 the Georgic was employed on a trooping voyage from Liverpool and Glasgow to the Middle East via the Cape, and afterwards trooped from Liverpool to New York and Halifax, and back to the Clyde.

On 22 May 1941 the Georgic left the Clyde under the command of Captain AC Greig OBE RNR, with the 50th Northumberland Division for Port Tewfik, Gulf of Suez. She was part of the convoy which had to be left almost unprotected during the hunt for the Bismarck. She arrived safely on 7 Jul 1941, but a week later on 14 Jul she was bombed by German aircraft while at anchor off Port Tewfik, with 800 Italian internees on board. Her fuel oil caught fire and the ammunition exploded in the stern area. The Georgic was beached on 16 Jul, half submerged and burnt out. On 14 Sep it was decided to salvage the vessel and the hulk was raised on 27 Oct. The hull was plugged, and on 2 Dec the Georgic was taken in tow by the Clan Campbell and the City of Sydney. She reached Port Sudan on 14 Dec where she was made seaworthy.

The Georgic left Port Sudan on 5 Mar 1942 and was towed by T&J Harrison's Recorder, with the tug St Sampson steering from astern. On the following day, a strong north-westerly gale forced all the ships to heave-to on a northerly heading. The St Sampson was damaged during this manoeuvre and cast off her towline. She drifted away and eventually foundered. Her crew were picked up by the hospital ship Dorsetshire which happened to be passing.

Meanwhile, the Recorder was joined by the tug Pauline Moller and the British India steamer Haresfield. Between them, they managed to bring the Georgic to Karachi on 31 Mar 1942 without any further untoward incidents. The Georgic remained at Karachi until 11 Dec whilst temporary repairs were carried out. She then sailed to Bombay, arriving on 13 Dec, where she was dry-docked for hull cleaning and further repairs. Finally, she loaded 5000 tons of pig iron ballast and on 20 Jan 1943 the Georgic left Bombay under her own power for Liverpool where she arrived on 1 Mar, having made the passage at 16 knots. Shortly afterwards she sailed to Belfast but had to anchor in Bangor Bay until 5 July awaiting a berth. After 17 months the Georgic emerged on 12 Dec 1944 with one funnel and a stump foremast. She was now owned by the Ministry of Transport, with Cunard-White Star as managers. After trials the Georgic left Belfast for Liverpool on 16 Dec 1944.

During 1945 the Georgic trooped to Italy, the Middle East and India. On Christmas Day she arrived at Liverpool with troops from the Far East, including General Sir William Slim, C-in-C South East Asia. Early in 1946, the Georgic repatriated 5000 Italian prisoners of war and a few weeks later she had a smallpox case among some 5000 Naval and RAF personnel homeward bound from Bombay. A further case developed and both were landed at Suez. In Jun 1946 on a homeward voyage from Bombay there was trouble between civilian women and service women and this led to the barring of civilians on troopships unless no other transport was available.

In Sep 1948 the Georgic was refitted by Palmers & Co, at Hebburn, for the Australian and New Zealand emigrant trade. She retained her White-Star livery and could accommodate 1962 one-class passengers. In January 1949 the Georgic made her first sailing on the Liverpool - Suez - Fremantle - Melbourne - Sydney run with 1200 'assisted passages'. However, when leaving the landing stage a rope wrapped round one of her propellers and she had to re-dock. During the summers from 1950 until 1954, the Georgic was chartered back to Cunard and made seven round voyages to New York each year as a one-class liner.
In 1950 she was based at Liverpool, but Southampton was her terminal port from 1951 until 1954. (See note below from David Lester.)

In the winter of 1954/55 the Georgic resumed assisted passage voyages to Australia, and on 16 Apr 1955 she arrived at Liverpool with troops from Japan. She was then offered for sale, but the Australian Government chartered her for the summer. The Georgic's final voyage was from Hong Kong to Liverpool with 800 troops, and she arrived on 19 Nov 1955. On 11 Dec she was laid up at Kames Bay, Isle of Bute pending disposal. In January 1956 the Georgic was sold for scrapping, and on 1 Feb arrived at Faslane for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries Ltd. (And see a correction note below from Brian Aspinall.)

From the LNRS Bulletin, Vol 42, No 2 Aut 1998.

This page is maintained on behalf of the Liverpool Nautical Research Society by Michael Phillips. 29 May 2003.
In Oct 08 the above site has sadly gone.

1950-1 GEORGIC MEMORIES
David D Lester in NSW, Oz, sent, in Nov 05: 'I read with great interest your page on the MV Georgic. I note the following taken from that page: During the summers from 1950 until 1954, the Georgic was chartered back to Cunard and made seven round voyages to New York each year as a one-class liner. In 1950 she was based at Liverpool, but Southampton was her terminal port from 1951 until 1954.
'I think this may be in error, as I, with my brother, mother and father left Liverpool late Dec as assisted migrants, arriving in Sydney on 8 Jan 1951.'
Webmaster comment: Thanks Dave. Your observation has been passed to Michael Phillips www.cronab.demon.co.uk/lnrs3.htm
Dave has requested contact be made with Jo Snelling who was also on that voyage. This was attempted but sadly Jo's e-mail address 'dropped out' 7days after her e-mail to me. If you read this Jo, do e-mail me with a new address!

1955 MEMORIES OF THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE GEORGIC
Brian Aspinall, Master Mariner (Retd) wrote in Sep 05 : I note that the Georgic's last voyage is said to have been from Hong Kong to Liverpool with 800 troops on board.
I was on the last voyage of the Georgic and we were never anywhere near Hong Kong.
I was a Quartermaster at the time and commenced a voyage to Australia via Cape Town on 20 Aug 1955 with emigrants from Liverpool.. After disembarking them at Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney, we carried 2000 Australian troops, AIF, to Penang for Butterworth Malaya.
After awaiting orders for a few days in Singapore we were ordered to proceed to Cape St Jaque at the entrance to the Mekong River in Viet Nam, to embark 2000 French Legionnaires, survivors of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
We took half to Algiers and the remainder to Marseilles, returning to Liverpool empty, arriving on 19 Nov 1955.
We left Liverpool for the last time on 10 Dec 1955 to Rothesay where we moored her to the buoys, we left her in the tugs to Greenock for the train back to Liverpool on 15 Dec 1955.
I have read a few books and they all say she returned from Hong Kong. It is time for the record to be corrected for future historians !
Thank you for a very interesting site.
Webmaster comment: Thanks Brian. Your observation has been passed to Michael Phillips www.cronab.demon.co.uk/lnrs3.htm
Click here for more Georgic Memories

GEORGIC PASSENGER LIST
Mike Gilmore in USA -aircavmkg@earthlink.net May 07
I was wondering if you might know or have a passenger list from the MV Georgic when it was used to make passage from East Africa to Southampton in the early 50's. Specifically, I am looking for a Polish family last name Bohatko. I am doing research for a documentary film. If you don't have documentation, where/who would you know of for me to contact?

NORMAN CLARKSON, CAPTAIN OF THE MV GEORGIC
David Clarkson found the Georgic pages on the B&C site and sent: �I have been doing some research into my grandfather Norman Clarkson, Captain of the MV Georgic. I have a card he sent to my mother in 1947 with a picture inside of the Georgic with the words �Leaving Bombay 17th August 1947.� �
David has been invited to attend the 2008 lunch.

GEORGIC
From Arthur Wolstenholme arthur.wolstenholme@ntlworld.com
I didn't realise there was a Georgic section on the net. My Father, who unfortunately passed away in 2003, served on board the Georgic as an Electrician during the war. I have his ships log which shows his engagement on the Georgic from 13/6/1942 to 05/03/1943 and then from 19/3/1943 to 05/07/1943. He said he sailed on the ship when it was un escorted from the east to Liverpool and then Belfast.
I would be interested if there was any more information on the ship at this time.

GEORGIC
From Issie in Oz - issieh@bigpond.com Jan 09
My name is Issie. My family and I travelled from Liverpool to Australia in April 1955. My parents lost a wee boy during the passing thru the red sea due to heat exhaustion. Is there any information/passengers lists available on this cruise. It was the 2nd last cruise of the Georgic. My family name is Bryson and there were 5 of us on the cruise. I was only 2 at the time, but my brother was given a sea burial. I am searching for any information or if anyone has memories of that cruise. My parents names are Jimmy and Mary Bryson.
Webmaster comment: Thanks Issie.
On my 1961 journey aboard the SS Stratheden from Tilbury, Essex to Melbourne, there were several 'Sea Burials.
Us 7 VSOs (Voluntary Service Overseas) chaps were always present.
Talking recently to a fellow Rotary Club of Beccles Rotarian, a Doctor, he said that the modern practice precludes 'Sea Burials'.