Stratheden (From Daily Echo)

Stratheden

2:20pm Friday 28th December 2007 in Historic Ships By Keith Hamilton, Shipping & Heritage Reporter

One of P&O's best known ships for many years was the 24,000-ton Stratheden, which had the distinction of reopening the company's Australian service after the Second World War.

She was in a class of five vessels which were always called the "Strath'' liners, and all are remembered with affection by former passengers and crew.

Stratheden was ordered from Vickers Armstrong in Barrow and the launching ceremony was performed on June 10, 1937.

The liner had an imposing appearance with one big funnel, two pole masts, a straight stem and cruiser stern.

Geared turbines gave her a speed of about 19 knots and there was accommodation for 527 first-class and 453 tourist-class passengers. The crew totalled 653.

When the Second World War broke out Stratheden was on her way to Australia and became the first British liner to pass through the Atlantic and Mediterranean submarine zones.

During her wartime service as a troopship she carred 149,687 servicemen and civilians and steamed nearly half a million miles.

In 1950 the vessel was chartered by Cunard for four round trips between Southampton and New York.

Five years later, during gales in the Ionian Sea, eight of the Stratheden's crew were drowned while trying to rescue fishermen from a Greek trawler.

P&O withdrew Stratheden from the Australian run in 1963 and then followed a period when she was under chartered before being used as a hotel ship and for the occasional pilgrim voyage.

In 1967, when she was known as Marianna Latsi, she was laid up and two years later was broken up for scrap.