The C Class
Canara
Built: 1942 at Barcley Curle, Clydeholm S.B. yard, Whiteinch, Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7, 024g 3, 990n 9, 875dw
Engines: Twin screen 2x4 cylinder opposed piston 2SCSA Doxfords 8, 300BHP 15 knots
Passengers: 24 initially, reducing to 12 in 1947 and to 9 later.
43, 900cu.ft; refrigerated space fitted June 1949.
Launched 29th May 1942, delivered 13th August 1942. Yard No. 687
With Thanks to David Milligan
The Canara was the third ship to carry the name and is named after a costal district stretching from Goa to Cochin, Now called Kanara, in the states of both Karnataka and Kerala.
She served from August 1942 until March 1946 in the liner division, with time spent during 1943 as a mechanical transport ship. In 1949 the Canara had a refit in Melbourne where she was fitted with refrigerated capacity much in demand on the Australia-India-Persian Gulf service. Apart from a collision in Bombay 1953 with the Flying Enterprise, second ship to carry the name, she had a remarkably uneventful career especially considering her service 1942-1945. Her end came after being sold to Jui Cheng Co. Ltd. Of Taiwan and she was broken up in July 1968.
Canara Bombay
With Thanks to Captain John Cole
Canara Last View
With Thanks to Captain John Cole
With Thanks to David Milligan.
CHYEBASSA
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The Chyebassa was the second ship in the series of four, the third BI ship to carry the name, and is a town near Jamshedpur, Bengal, India.
Built: 1942 Barcley Curle and Co., Glasgow yard No. 688.
Tonnage: 7, 043g, 4, 003n, 9, 890dw
Engines: Twin Screw 2x4 Cylinder 2S.C.S.A. Doxfords 8, 180BHP, 15 knots
24 passengers, reduced to 12 in 1947 and later to 9. Refrigerated cargo space of 39, 200 cu.ft. fitted at Melbourne in 1948.
She served in the Liner Division from December 1942 to April 1946. Worthy of mention is that the Chairman of the Associated P&O and BI Companies, Sir William Crawford Currie G.B.E., headed the aforementioned Liner Division from 1942 to 1946.
During the fitting of the refrigeration cargo space in number three hatch, a fire broke out in the insulation which threatened to spread to the Ship's fuel TKS (bunkers). It took the efforts of the crew and shore side to bring the flames under control.
On 12th July 1961 whilst outward bound from Middlesbrough to Calcutta via Rotterdam, she was in collision with the German ship Widar off the Hook of Holland. She continued to Rotterdam for repairs and was delayed a month. Her career after this event was rather mundane and she was finally delivered to Leung Yau Ship breaking Co. Hong Kong in June 1969.
The second group of 'C's are made up of two more wartime buildings by Barcley Curle. They were the Chanda and Chupra.
Chanda is a town near Nagpur in the former Central Provinces, India, now in the State of Maharashtra. This was the third ship in BI to carry this name.
CHANDA
Chanda in Yokohama 1965. Photograph kindly supplied by Captain Richard Teo
Built: 1944 at Barcley Curle, Whiteinch, Glasgow.
Tonnage: 6, 957g, 3, 903n, 10, 745dw.
Engines: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2S.C.S.A. Doxford opposed piston, 7, 896BHP, 15 knots.
24 passengers, reduced to 12 in 1947 then again reduced to 9 later.
Launched 9th May 1944, delivered 12th July 1944. Yard No. 695.
44, 000cu.ft. refrigeration space added 1948 at Melbourne.
Chanda 1944
Requisitioned for the Liner Division on completion, she served until March 1946. She was in collision with Cygnet III off Tilbury on 18th November 1950, outward bound for Brisbane, and berthed in the Royal Albert Dock for repairs.
She served BI on various routes until being sold on to Jebshun Shipping Company and renamed Precious Pearl on 17th September 1969. She was then sold to Taiwanese Breakers at Kaohsiung in June 1971 but they sold her on to the Development Navigation Co. Ltd. of Singapore.
A few months later she caught fire whilst en route from Kaohsiung to Saigon on 15th October 1971 and whilst undertow foundered in the South China Sea.
CHUPRA
Built: 1944 at Barclay Curle, Whiteinch, Glasgow.
Tonnage: 6, 957g, 3, 903n
Engines: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston 7, 896 BHP, 15 knots.
Launched 19th September 1944, delivered 14 December 1944. Yard No. 696
24 Passengers, 12 from 1947
44, 300 cu. ft. refrigerated space added 1948 at Melbourne.
Chupra and Pamir 1947
With Thanks To David Milligan. First Shown in BI News.
She was the third ship in BI to carry the name of a town in the Khandesh District of Bombay Presidency, India.
She served in the Liner Division from her delivery to April 1946 and had refrigerated space fitted in Melbourne.
Something of a chequered career, she first collided with the tanker San Dario on the 30th March 1945 in the Irish Sea, then in March 1962 she collided with a Norwegian ship called Prominent off Hong Kong. Then in August of the same year she collided yet again with an American ship called Steel Voyager at Khorramshahr and finally she ran aground in the entrance of the Pussur River on her way from Chittagong to Chalna. To add to her woes I joined her on the 5th November 1969 as Third Engineer and signed off on the 29th May 1970. Captain F. J. Busfield (Harry the Bus) was old man, 7 months later on the 30th January 1971 she was sold for scrap to Leung Yau Shipbreaking Co., Hong Kong. Nothing to do with me!
The third and final stage of the 'C' Class cargo liners began with the launch of the Carpentaria on the 5th July 1948. The difference between the second and the third stages was not great, normal topmasts were fitted, the after Deck House was encased at the sides, finally the accommodation for twelve passengers was upgraded with much use of wood panelling in the cabins, Dining Salon and Lounge. This third stage were fitted with the refrigerated space as standard prerequisites.
CARPENTARIA
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Built: 1949 at Barclay Curle, Whiteinch, Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7, 268g, 4, 166n, 9, 390dwt
Engines: 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston 6, 800 BHP, 16.48 knots (trials).
12 Passengers, 95, 000 cu.ft. refrigerated space.
Launched 5th July 1948, delivered 21st April 1949. Yard No. 709
With Thanks to David Milligan
Her name comes from a Gulf in Northern Australia and she was the second ship to carry the name.
With thanks to David Milligan. Originally Shown in BI News.
She served most of her life on the Australian, Indian, Persian Gulf services. On the 28th June 1969 she picked up the crew of the Silver Fern after the landing craft had struck the Frederick Reef in the South Coral Sea. The following day she landed the seven survivors at Mackay. On the 19th April 1973 she passed on to the P&O Cargo Division and on the 17th April 1975 was sold for scrapping at Gadani Beach.
As in the past this batch of ships built at Barclay Curle comprised four ships. The first Carpentaria was followed by two for P&O. They were the Cannanore and Coromandel, the last of the group was the Chandpara.
CHANDPARA
Built: 1949 at Barclay Curle and Co. Ltd., Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7, 273g, 4, 154n, 9, 350dwt
Engines: 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston 6, 800 BHP, 16.9 knots (trials).
12 Passengers, later reduced to 9. 94, 000 cu.ft. refrigerated space.
Launched 8th July 1949, delivered 22nd December 1949. Yard No. 715
The Chandpara is named after a village at the mouth of the Hooghly River. She was launched by the wife of the Company's deputy Chairman, Mrs. A.O. Lang.
The ship hit the headlines when she went to the aid of the disabled migrant ship Liguria, CIA Liguria DI Nav. (ex- Marella of Burns and Philip) off the west Australian Coast on the 14th January 1952. With excellent ship handling the Chandpara was able to attach a tow and the two ships reached Fremantle on the 17th January, safely landing the 1, 000 passengers and crew ashore.
In January 1962 for two months she was on charter to the Australian Trade Mission visiting West Pakistan and Persian Gulf ports.
On the 30th October 1970 she ran aground in dense fog after leaving Dairen bound for Chittagong with a cargo of coal. She was refloated, returned to Dairen beyond repair. She was sold for scrap, work commencing in October of the same year.
CHINDWARA
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Built: 1950 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle.
Tonnage: 7, 340g, 3, 772n, 9, 574 dwt
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A., 6, 800 BHP, 16.71 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 12
Refrigerated space: 94, 000 Cu Ft
Launched 12th May 1949, completed 24th January 1950. Yard No. 1870
Chindwara is a town and district near Nagpur.
Along with her sister Chantala she revived BI's programme of training its own Officers and they were carried in two purpose built dormitories, the ships also had a lounge and classroom for their use. The original compliment number of Cadets was to have been thirty-one but invariably it was thirty-eight, the extra Cadets (senior) were accommodated in some of the Ship's two berth cabins. In their early years both Ships were employed on the UK- Australia service but in 1959 they switched to the East/South Africa- Indian Service. Also in 1959 her Cadet capacity rose to fifty-two with the addition of another fourteen berth dormitory, it's said that due to losing prized Senior Cadets cabins morale amongst the Cadets also declined from which both Ships never recovered. In June of 1963 Chindwara ceased carrying Cadets and it wasn't until mid 1966 that she recommenced to do so but with the capacity much reduced to sixteen. Apart from numerous Cadet adventures the Chindwara had an uneventful career until finally being sold to Pacific International Lines Ltd of Singapore and renamed Kota Aman. She was sold to shipbreakers in 1974 but before she could make her last voyage she was driven ashore on the Pakhoi Peninsula during Typhoon Ivy on the 22nd of July. She was refloated on the 6th August and work commenced scrapping her in Hong Kong on the 9th of October by Leung Yau Shipbreaking and Steel Co.
CHANTALA
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Built: 1950 by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow.
Tonnage: 7, 349g, 3, 788n, 9, 660 dwt
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford, 6, 800 BHP, 16.94 Knots (Trials).
Refrigerated Space: 13, 000 cu ft.
Passengers: 12
Launched by Mrs. L.P.S. Bourne 27th September 1949, delivered 4th March 1950. Yard No. 716
Chantala introduced the custom of incorporating the Company's Britannia badge on her stem. Because of the intense rivalry between Chantala and her sister Chindwara it was Company policy never to allow the Ships to be in the same port at the same time. This however had a knock on effect for other unfortunate Company vessels and those of different Companies who were often attacked by paintbrush wielding Cadets and anything else that came to hand. One of the more famous Cadets of this era is the intrepid Round the World Yachtsman Sir Robin Knox Johnson.
The only incident involving either ship was when Chantala inward bound from Chittagong was in collision with the Collier Hudson Deep off No. 1 Sea Reach Buoy in the Thames on the night of the 8th of March 1969. Though taking on water by way of Number Two hold Chantala was able to proceed to Tilbury where repairs were affected.
She was sold at the same time as her sister to Pacific International Lines Ltd of Singapore and renamed Kota Sentosa on the 23rd of April 1971. Three and a half years later she was sold for scrapping to China National Metals & Minerals Import & Export Corporation and arrived at Tientsin on the 16th August 1974 for work to commence.
CHILKA
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Built: 1950 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle.
Tonnage: 7, 132g, 4, 016n, 9, 614 dwt
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A Doxford., 6, 800 BHP, 16.9 Knots (Trials).
Refrigerated space: 13, 000 Cu Ft
Passengers: 12
Launched by Lady Clarke 29th June 1950, completed 4th October 1950. Yard No. 1872
Chilka is a lake in Orrissa.
Most of Chilka's early service was spent on the UK-Europe-India-East Africa routes but in later years moved on to routes which took her further afield.
After twenty-one years of uneventful service she rescued 31 Crew Members from the Liberian registered Ocean Glory which was foundering South-East of Madras on the 4th of June 1971, to facilitate the rescue Chilka's own motorboat had to be used as the Ocean Glory's lifeboats were unusable. The Crew Members were later landed safely on the same day at Madras. The following year she was sold for scrapping and work commenced on the 16th of October 1972 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan by Kuen Hua Iron & Steel Works & Enterprises Ltd.
CHAKDINA
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Built at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle.
Tonnage 7, 267g, 4, 107n, 9, 377 dwt
Engines Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston, 6, 800 BHP, 17.22 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 12
Refrigerated space: 94, 000 Cu Ft
Launched 21st May 1951, completed 11th September 1951. Yard No. 1880
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Chakdina is a village in Pakistan.
Built initially for the UK to India or East Africa service Chakdina was the longest serving 'C' class. On the 24th of March 1952 she struck a mine off Terschelling Island, Holland fortunately she suffered only minor damage. She eventually transferred to the Australian Gulf service and during this time she suffered a minor fire whilst berthed at Victoria Dock, Melbourne on the 7th October 1964. Like the rest of the Fleet she transferred into P & O ownership, her date being the 19th of April 1973. On the 25th of 1975 she was renamed Strathlairg the only one of her class to have this distinction.
A leak in her hull in 1976 coupled with a Saudi Arabian ban on all ships aged fifteen and over ended her long career and she was sold for scrap to Lieng Hung Steel Enterprise Co. on the 17th August 1977. Work commenced at Kaohsiung on the 24th of October.
CHAKDARA
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Built at Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd., Glasgow.
Tonnage 7, 132g, 4, 027n, 9, 650 dwt
Engines Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston , 6, 800 BHP, 16.99 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 12
Refrigerated space: 12, 000 Cu Ft
Launched 25th June 1951, completed 12th October1951. Yard No. 722
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Chakdara is a frontier post in the North West Frontier Province.
She served in the Indian and East African trades and her life was uneventful until the 15th May 1966. Just after a change over of watch after midnight a bottom end bolt on the scavenge pump sheared and on the next stroke the assembly was driven through the side of the engine a crankcase fire ensued. Fortunately none of the five watch keepers were injured both Engineers at the time were stood by the condenser at the forward end of the Engine Room. I believe it was Harry Fowler the Chief Engineer who extinguished the fire. With the damage being so severe the ship was towed back to her builders by the tug Svitzer for an engine rebuild. I joined her in Glasgow on the 9th January 1967 only eight days after leaving the Devonia in Malta didn't realise just how little leave we actually got in those days!
After the rebuild I had the distinction of starting the engine for the first time, I must admit to have being somewhat nervous but fortunately there was no problem. We did a round trip to East Africa and I left her in the June, the ship however carried on on her normal trades until being sold out of the Fleet on the 22nd of August 1972. Her new owners Ben Thong Manufacturing Co Pte Ltd renamed her Fortune Navigator and she served them until May of 1974 when she was sold for scrap. Work commenced on the 27th of September at Kaohsiung.
CHAKRATA
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Built in 1951 at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Newcastle.
Tonnage 7, 265g, 4, 108n, 9, 650 dwt
Engines Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston, 6, 800 BHP, 16.97 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 12
Refrigerated space: 94, 000 Cu Ft
Launched 15th October 1951, completed 19th December 1951. Yard No. 1892
Chakrata is a hill Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh.
The Chakrata was the last ship Swan Hunters built of this class and she served mainly on Indian Trades later towards the end of her career she spent time Australia/ New Zealand - Indian/ Gulf Ports. She ran aground in Hobsons Bay in the July of 1958 and before she could be refloated her bunkers had to be transferred to barges, the tug Howard Smith assisted her.
On the 19th of April 1973 she was transferred to P & O ownership but only four months later she was sold for scrapping on the 2nd August. Work commenced on the 10th September by Yun Shen Steel & Iron Works Co Ltd at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
CHINKOA
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Built: 1952 by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow.<
Tonnage: 7, 102g, 3, 987n, 9, 670 dwt
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A Doxford., 6, 800 BHP, 16.33 Knots (Trials).
Refrigerated space: 12, 000 Cu Ft
Passengers: 12
Launched by Mrs. C.S. Munday 2nd October 1952, completed 19th December 1952. Yard No. 723
Chinkoa is a village in the Punjab.
Chinkoa's career was uneventful until the 15th April 1972 when she damaged her Bridge whilst changing berths in Antwerp Docks. The damage was severe and possibly brought forward her demise for she was deemed not worthy of repair and sold for scrap on the 3rd of May. Work commenced by Revalorizacion De Materiales SA at Bilbao on the 3rd of July.
CHAKLA
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Built in 1954 at Caledon S and B Co Ltd, Dundee.
Tonnage 6, 611g, 3, 565n, 9, 870 dwt
Engines Single Screw 6 Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Doxford Opposed Piston, 7, 500 BHP, 16 Knots.
Passengers: 12 up until 1964.
Launched 19th January 1954, completed May 1954. Yard No. 494
As the Swiftpool
Chakla is a town in the Benares District.
Originally built for Sir Ropner and Co and launched as the Swiftpool for their UK- United States and Mexico service. She was acquired by British India on the 16th January 1964 and made her maiden voyage to Bombay on the 3rd March. She served with the Company for eight years before being sold to Guan Guan & Co of Singapore and becoming Golden Bear. She was sold for scrap and arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on the 1st July 1979. Work commenced by Kuo Dar Steel and Iron Enterprise Co on the 11th of July.