Question from a guest Aquitania

[Steve]

Admin received this mail any takers?
Steve

My Brother aged 78 born like myself on Walker Road Newcastle next to Pottery Bank , claims our Uncle bought a lifeboat from the scrapped Aquitania around 1952. I said the ship was scrapped at Faslane Scotland ,but he clearly remembers her being towed up the tyne by a side wheeler tug "William
the Conquerer". She got stuck at pottery bank on her way to "wolf breakers yard and he is certain -the lifeboat is true though as i went on holiday on it .
I am sure he is wrong can you please help me lay this to rest.

Regards Bob Miller

[Bruce Carson]

Bob, the 'Aquitania' was broken up by Bisco at Faslane.
It was probably another liner that your brother remembers.


There is a picture of the 'Aquitania' arriving at the Gareloch to be broken up towards the bottom of the following page:


http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/cunard6.html
Bruce C

[melliget]

I wonder if the lifeboat could have been bought at auction of "furnishings and equipment" of the Aquitania in Feb 1950? The auction was conducted by Hampton & Sons at Southampton Docks and apparently not a single item of the 3,000 lots failed to find a buyer (the auction advertisements don't mention lifeboats though).

Other ships broken up around that time:

1952

The Shaw Savill cargo liner Waimana, 10,400 tons, broken up by British Iron and Steel Corporation (at Blyth?).

The iron steamer Wear, 1,300 tons, broken up by the British Iron and Steel Corporation at Blyth.

French liner Canada, 9684 tons, broken up at Newport, Monmouthshire.

Orient liner Ormonde, 15,047 ton, left Sydney on last journey for England to be broken up. Later left Tilbury for the Clyde to be broken up at Dalmuir.

1953

P. & O. liner Ranchi, 17,000 tons, due at Tilbury, then to a shipbreaking yard. 1953

Fleet carrier Formidable to be towed from Spithead to the Firth of Forth to be broken up.

regards,
Martin