[CRANFIELD]

can anyone please clarify the history of Blue Funnel Line's U.S.- Far East service which became part of Barber Blue Sea Line in 1974?

In particular:

1. was such a service operated before the Second World War? If so, in partnership with which other Lines?

2. when did the commercial link with De La Rama S.S.Co of New York start and finish, and why?

3. Blue Funnel Line and Swedish East Asiatic operated a joint service in the late 1960's, marketed as the 'Blue Sea Line'. Precisely when did this service commence? I believe that the former Silver Line ships such as TELAMON provided the service. Can anyone clarify?

many thanks. Malcolm Cranfield

[Peter Martin]

Originally Posted by CRANFIELD

can anyone please clarify the history of Blue Funnel Line's U.S.- Far East service which became part of Barber Blue Sea Line in 1974?

In particular:

1. was such a service operated before the Second World War? If so, in partnership with which other Lines?

2. when did the commercial link with De La Rama S.S.Co of New York start and finish, and why?

3. Blue Funnel Line and Swedish East Asiatic operated a joint service in the late 1960's, marketed as the 'Blue Sea Line'. Precisely when did this service commence? I believe that the former Silver Line ships such as TELAMON provided the service. Can anyone clarify?

many thanks. Malcolm Cranfield

I sailed in the Memnon in 1971 which was part of the Blue Sea service.

[R651400]

USA East Coast to the Far East in the 50's was known as the De la Rama run.
Vessels from memory were Ulysses (ex Silver Line), Myrmidon (ex wartime Victory) plus others. De la Rama's origins point to a stronger hispanic link with the Philippines than the US.

[CRANFIELD]

thankyou for your responses. I read that De La Rama had switched to the U.S.flag in 1946when the independence of the Philippines was recognised.

I have also discovered that Alfred Holt had commenced a New York-Panama-Far East service in 1915. Sailings October 1935-April 1936:

Vessel(s) Ports of call
Ixion
Talthybius
Tyndareus
Tantalus (one round-trip voyage only) Hong Kong, Miike (except Tantalus), Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Tacoma.
Return voyages: Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, Yokohama, Kobe, Miike (except Tantalus), Shanghai, Hong Kong.