Georgic

Hello "stein", you really did dig into the archives for this photo! Did she loose
her funnel in the Suez?... maybe I am getting mixed up with the "Empress of
Britain". Thankyou for a truly great nostalgic photo. Snowy

Hello Stein
Where was this picture taken the tugs look familiar, especialy the aft one.
Mike-Blyth

I have this book, too (it's a huge, 2-volume set.) The caption for this photo says she is leaving Queen's Island Yard, Belfast.

Rich

Hi, The "Empress of Britain" (2) Blt. 1931 was set on fire in N. Atlantic by enemy aircraft on October 26, 1940 and torpedoed and sunk two days later by U32. The "Georgic" was bombed by enemy aircraft while at Port Tewfik (Suez Canal) on July 14,1941 and beached with entire superstructure ablaze and ended up with 18 ft of water in the engine room. Refloated October 27, 1941.
Taken under tow by two merchant vessels ... Clan Line "Clan Campbell" as towing vessel and the Ellerman Lines "City of Sidney" as steering tow on December 28, 1941 and arrived Port Sudan (Red Sea) on Jan 19,1942. Six weeks later the tow to Karachi resumed with the Harrison Line 'Recorder" as towing vessel and a small tug at the stern as steering vessel. The tug soon cast off due to heavy weather and the British India vessel caught up with the tow and took over the steering vessel role. They arrived Karachi March 31, 1942. Temporary repairs went on to December 11 1942 when the "Georgic" sailed under her own power for Bombay where she arrived two days later for dry docking. She sailed from Bombay on January 20 1943 and arrived Liverpool March 1, 1943 ... entire epic voyage written up in the Liverpool Journal of Commerce. Cheers, Snowy.

I answered my own question on that one ! The British India Ship that took part in the long tow was the "Haresfield" ... sorry about leaving that out ... thanks to my brother who was a QM on the "Georgic" during her Korean War Trooping and later Australian Immigration days I now have a great little book on the mv "Georgic" (A Countyvise Publication ISBN 0 907768 95 4) by Stephen O'Hanlon, Co-Editor of The Liverpool Retired Seafarers magazine ... a great read of first hand accounts. Cheers, Snowy

Georgic and Brittanic are my two favorite White Star ships. I think had the Oceanic III been built, she would have been equally handsome with her three low funnels and profile.

Carl-

A great shot. Georgic is shown leaving Belfast with the West Twin Island in the background. Tug on her port bow is John Cooper's Audacious. Alan.