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(Source: P.M. Heaton, Sea Breezes, 1977)
We would like to thank Sea Breezes for permission to reproduce these articles |
Continuing the story of the Lamport and Holt fleet, this instalment covers the period from the end of the First World War until 1940. a period of great change ,for the company in the difficult days of the depression of the early 1930s
The Lamport and Holt Fleet:
an history by P. M. Heaton
PART III:
1918 - 1940
CAPTAIN B. S. HAIKNEY joined the company as far back as August, 1917, having previously spent the one voyage as an ordinary seaman in the Veronese in 1908, and served at first as third officer aboard the Camoens which was capable of 14 knots.
As she was quite a fast ship, she proceeded South in convoy to Dakar, and then unescorted to the River Plate, where grain was loaded, a call being made at Recife homeward to complete with sugar, arriving at Liverpool on December 15, 1917.
Then followed two trips in the Tennyson between Manchester and New York, outwards light ship, and homewards in convoy with foodstuffs. The Tennyson being the naval commander's ship, she carried a naval signalling staff on board.
In June 1918, he joined the liner Vestris at Southampton as second officer, and after a passage westbound in the August, left New York with 800 nurses and stenographers for Le Havre. During the passage an outbreak of "Spanish 'flu" occurred, causing the deaths of eight of these women, and laying most on board low.
After her arrival at Le Havre she proceeded to Dartmouth where most of the crew were changed, and she was provisioned and bunkered for the next voyage. Early in the morning of November 11, 1918, while sailing out of Dartmouth, she received a semaphore signal from the Admiralty Office, Dartmouth, as follows:
"To Master Vestris, hostilities will cease at 11 a.m. G.M.T. today, November 11, 1918. You will proceed on your voyage burning navigation lights, avoiding all traffic as much as possible, and cease zigzagging. Report immediately any suspicious vessel to nearest radio station".
As can be imagined this caused a great deal of jubilation on board, and more still when two German submarines were sighted under a Royal Navy escort.
Lamport and Holt Ltd. were still a part of the Royal Mail group, and in common with other members of the group had shares in a number of shipping ventures of a local nature in South America. Perhaps the most important of these was the large holding acquired in the Nicholas Mihanovich flotilla in December 1917.
This concern operated a large fleet of tugs at Buenos Aires and La Plata, and cargo and passenger services throughout the River Plate, even as far North as Asuncion.
A number of the tugs in this fleet were painted in the Lamport and Holt funnel colours, and it is interesting to note that a tug which was in the fleet some time before these shares were acquired, had the name Lamport. She still survives to this day, under a different owner, but with the same name, at Buenos Aires.
After the war the company began to acquire new tonnage, principally ships of the standard types built towards the end of hostilities, a large number of which had been managed by the company on behalf of the Shipping Controller. These were to fall into three classes. Two were 6,500 gross ton steamers ordered for the Shipping Controller, but completed for Lamport and Holt as the Nasmyth and Newton.
The former was broken up ill 1938. and the Newton, sold in 1933, became the Mount Othrys under the Greek flag, and was lost on January 6, 1945, in a collision in the River Thames, on passage St. John, New Brunswick to London with grain. She was so badly damaged that she was declared a constructive total loss, and was broken up.
A Japanese-built steamer of 7,000 gross tons built in 1917, became the Deiambre, and served the company mostly between the U.K. and South America until she became a war loss in 1940.
Nine standard ships of 5,300 gross tons were acquired during 1919 and 1920, some straight from the builders, others having helped in the war effort; they became the "B" class. The Bernini and Boswell were sold in 1933, but the remaining seven ships were in the fleet until the Second World War. One only survived through this second period of hostilities, six being lost through enemy action. The sole survivor was the Balfe which was not sold until 1950, and was eventually broken up in 1959.
Having acquired 12 steamers from the Shipping Controller the fleet was looking more like its former size, but a need was also felt, that a new class should be laid down to the company's own order, and in consequence two steamers were delivered, designated the "L" class.. They were the Laplace and Lalande of about 7 ,400 gross tons, delivered in 1919 and 1920 respectively, from the yards of A. McMillan and Son, Ltd., Dumbarton and D. and W. Henderson and Co. Ltd., Glasgow. The former was to become a war loss in 1942, while the latter remained in the fleet until sold in 1951.
Lalande
©J. McRoberts Collection.
Having taken delivery of these two "L" class steamers, the company, ever looking to make improvements placed an order for three twin-screw motorships with A. McMillan and Son, Ltd., Dumbarton. They were the first such ships to be ordered by the company; and were of the same tonnage and basic appearance as the previous two "L" class steamers. The Linnell and Leighton joined the fleet in 1921, followed the next year by the Lassell. They proved highly successful in service.
Leighton, Laid up in River dart, 1930s.
© World Ship Photo Library
The Linnell having stranded at Alexandria in 1939, was found to be so badly damaged that on her return .to the United Kingdom she was sold for breaking up, arriving at Troon on August 23, 1939. The Leighton survived the war and having been sold for breaking up in 1946, was subsequently resold, and finally being scuttled in the North Atlantic in the following year with a gas bomb cargo. The Lassell was to become a war loss in 1941, but more of that later.
During 1921 an 8,100 gross ton steamer, the Hogarth arrived from Henderson's shipyard and remained in the company's service until broken up in 1933 at Port Glasgow.
Hogarth and Browning, River Dart early 1930, in a line up of idle ships.
© World Ship Photo Library
On the passenger liner side, the old faithfuls, Tennyson and Byron both survived the war, together with the Vasari, Vauban and Vestris. The latter three resumed their service from New York in 1919, but initially they commenced a charter to Cunard taking passengers and cargo westbound from Liverpool to New York, and then for their owners account going South to Buenos Aires, and returning home with frozen meat, from the River Plate.
After about six Atlantic crossings westbound for Cunard they resumed their service back and forth from New York to the River Plate, via Brazil, Barbados and Trinidad. In 1922 the Vauban and Vestris, together with the later Vandyck, made a single west- bound crossing from Hamburg to New York on charter to Royal Mail, but after this they resumed their normal sailings.
Having lost three "V" class ships in the war, there was a gap which Lamport and Holt had to fill, and as a result they ordered two twin-screw steamers from the Belfast yard of Workman, Clark and Co. Ltd. The first of these, the Vandyck of 13,233 gross tons, was launched on February 24, 1921, and had five holds for refrigerated and general cargo, and accommodation for 300 first, 150 second and 230 third-class passengers.
The first-class comprised one, two and three berth cabins, and included a number of special cabins with private bathroom, toilet and extra storage space. Her sister ship, Voltaire of 13,248 gross tons, was launched on August 14, 1923, and joined the fleet later that year.
Voltaire (2) in cruising livery
© World Ship Photo Library
The Tennyson and Byron now somewhat surplus to requirements, and somewhat aged, were disposed of, and with the arrival of the Voltaire, the passenger fleet trading from New York was brought up to five ships, thereby allowing a fortnightly service on the route.
The two new ships proved to be very popular with passengers, and so they ought, providing as they did, a new standard in accommodation. It is worthy of note that Madame Pavlova and her corps-de-ballet and Shackleton, of Arctic fame, both travelled aboard the Vandyck, in her early days on the service.
During August 1919, when southbound from New York to Buenos Aires with passengers, a fire was discovered in the No.3 cross-bunker of the Vestris, and after smothering the bunker as much as possible, H.M.S. Dartmouth cruising in the vicinity, was called to assist.
She accompanied the Vestris to St. Lucia, where about 600 American passengers were disembarked, and housed in the barracks ashore, food being conveyed from ship to shore four times a day, it taking about 10 days to extinguish the fire. After this she resumed her voyage South to the River Plate, and took a full cargo of frozen meat home to the United Kingdom.
The Vasari was sold in 1928, becoming a fish depot ship, and later passed to the U.S.S.R.
On October 25, 1927, the Rossetti under the command of Capt. W. Denson, who had joined the company in 1908, went to the assistance of the Principessa Mafalda, which was in distress off the Brazilian Coast, and when this ship sank assisted in the rescue of passengers and crew, for which Capt. Denson received a Gold Medal from the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
On November 10, 1928, the Vestris, having left New York for Barbados and Buenos Aires under the command of Capt. W. J. Carey, with 129 passengers and 197 crew, encountered heavy weather the next day, and on the evening of that day was struck by waves of exceptional size and force, flooding the boat deck, and amongst other damage washing two life-boats away.
Part of her cargo and bunker coal shifted, and as a result she took on a heavy list to starboard, from which she was unable to recover, the pumps being unable to cope.
By the following day the ship was in a bad way, and having failed to right her, Capt. Carey sent out an S.O.S. The ship quickly increased her list, and had to be abandoned about 300 miles off Hampton Roads, sinking at 2 p.m. Life-boats were picked up by the steamers American Shipper, Miriam and Berlin, and by the U.S. battleship Wyoming. Capt. Carey was among the 112 passengers and crew lost.
After this tragedy, a fair amount of adverse publicity was encountered, and with the depression fast setting in, the service from New York by the passenger liners was discontinued, and the three remaining ships were brought home to be laid-up, the Vauban and Vandyck at Southampton, and the Voltaire in the River Blackwater.
The recession as previously mentioned was upon the world, and to add to this the Kylsant empire became enmeshed in a complete financial crash. As a result Lamport and Holt Ltd., was placed in the hands of a Receiver, who tried to save as much as possible of its assets. Most of Lamport shares being sold in September 1930.
In January 1930, Lamport and Holt owned a fleet of 41 Ships, of which three were passenger liners. Gradually, as the depression got worse and the amount of cargo available for shipment got less, the various units of the fleet were sent to lay-up berths on their arrival back in the United Kingdom. Of these 41 ships, almost half were disposed of between 1930 and 1935, as follows:
| Year | Broken Up | Sold for further trading | Total |
| 1930 | Raphael, Thespis,And Tintoretto | Meissonier, Murillo,Moliere and Socrates | 7 |
| 1931 | Raeburn | Euclid and Plutarch | 3 |
| 1932 | Vauban | Dryden, Archimedes and Strabo | 4 |
| 1933 | Hogarth | Newton, Bernini and Boswell | 4 |
| 1934 | Herschel | 1 | |
| 1935 | Holbein | Nil | 1 |
Masters were sailing as chief officers or in some cases even lower rank. It was a sorry state indeed, and in an effort to improve matters for these men, the company fitted out the Lassel to be wholly manned by officers and engineers, this in an effort to keep loyal men until better days came.
It was not unusual to see men qualified as master or chief engineer sailing as ratings, and this situation was by no means confined to the Lamport and Holt fleet, but was widespread at that time. To illustrate this more clearly, here are some personal recollections:
Capt. B. S. Haikney had been serving as chief officer for eight years when he arrived at Liverpool aboard the Balfe in May 1932, and after discharging her cargo she was taken round to the River Blackwater, where the Bernini and Boswell had been laid- up for some considerable time.
He was to serve aboard the Balfe at this lay-up berth for two-and-a-half years, as he stated, "rusticating on half-pay", until at his own request he was relieved in November 1934, to become second officer aboard the Lassell, whose role has previously been described. It was to be almost two years before he was able to revert back to chief officer; thus the depression had affected his career for some four years or more.
Capt. B. M. Metcalf had joined the company in May 1924, as an ordinary seaman, and having qualified to second mate early in 1930 was offered the post of third officer in one of the ships on the New York-South American run. He was to have served as a cadet aboard a ship outward, until he joined this ship.
In the intervening period however all that has previously been described was falling on the company, and the marine superintendent at that time, Capt. Richardson, wrote to him, regrettably withdrawing this offer, but offered him the post of A.B. aboard the Holbein instead. This he readily accepted, and after two voyages, joined the Lassell, that work horse for all officers.
After one disastrous voyage, when an epidemic of typhoid broke out, and two members of the crew died, he left the ship in a sorry state, and after a period of convalescing joined the Volta1re m 1932, which was starting her series of successful cruises, sailing for one voyage as quartermaster.
He was then offered the third officer's post in the Sheridan on the New York service, wisely staying three instead of the customary two years. Capt. D. C. Roberts had joined Lamport and Holt in March 1915, having served previously in sailing ships, and was in possession of his extra master's certificate - square rigged. He joined the Pascal as second officer, and gained his first command in May 1925, when he was appointed master of the Raphael. He commanded a number of vessels until, arriving home in the Bruyere after the collapse of the Royal Mail group, he had to revert back to the rank of chief officer. It was to be just before the Second World War before he was re- appointed master, joining the Sheridan at New York.
Bruyere, lost to enemy action in WWII.
©J. McRoberts Collection.
During the spring of 1932, the Voltaire and Vandyck were brought out of .lay-up, and were made ready for a series of cruises from Southampton and Liverpool, and these proved so successful that they were specially fitted for this purpose. Their hulls were painted white, and from then until just before the outbreak of the Second World War they were so employed, cruising to the Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands, West African ports, West-Indies, Norwegian Fjords and Baltic ports. "
It was about this time in recognition of the trade brought by the company to the Port of Liverpool, Lamport and Holt were presented with the City of Liverpool's colours, and to this day is the only shipping company privileged to fly the Liverpool civic flag at the jackstaff of its ships when moored in any port in the world.
The general manager from 1924 to 1.930 had been Mr. Alfred Woods, but iri1930 he was succeeded by Mr. Francis H. Lowe, who was to manage the company through its most difficult period, during the Receivership. In the middle of 1934, the Liverpool, Brazil and River Plate Steam Navigation Co.. Ltd. took over all the assets of Lamport and Holt Ltd. and was reborn under the new title of Lamport and Holt Line Ltd. A new board of directors was formed as follows: chairman, Philip Edward Haldin, deputy chairman, Alfred Woods, managing director, Francis Hugh Lowe. Other directors were Philip Runciman, Charles Frederick Holland and William Alexander Young.
Balzac, Laid up in the dart, during the Great Depression
©National Maritime Museum.
It will be remembered that the last ship to enter the fleet was the passenger liner Voltaire of 1923, but that the last cargo ship acquired was the Lassell of 1922, third of the series of motorships built by A. McMillan and Son Ltd., Dumbarton.
Voltaire (2), in original Black and White livery.
©National Maritime Museum.
Such were the company's fortunes under the new board of directors, that in 1937 the first of an order for three' new motorships appeared from the Belfast yard of Harland and Wolff Ltd., and became the "D" class, causing quite a stir in shipping circles when they appeared due to their revolutionary profile.
They were streamlined, and something of a departure from the normal appearance of a cargo liner. The funnel was incorporated into the superstructure, and housed a small part of the accommodation.
Like the "L" class before them, they were fitted for carrying 12 passengers in comfortable accommodation, and were originally designed for the company's route; from Glasgow and Liverpool to the River Plate.
Delius, First of the 'D' Class motorships.
©Harland and Wolff Ltd.
The first ship. was the Delius, followed in 1938 by the Delane and Devis, all open shelter deck vessels of some 6,000 gross tons. They were fitted with a double-acting 6-cylinder two-stroke oil. engine built and installed by the builders.
They took the place of older ships in the fleet, the Delius replacing the Marconi which was sold to Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd., the Delane and Devis replacing the Millais which went to the Blue Star Line and the Nasmyth which was broken up in 1938.
Nasmyth
© B. Feilden
Thus, at the outbreak of the Second World War the fleet still consisted of 21 ships, of which 14 were to be lost during the period of hostilities, including the two last passenger ships, Vandyck and Voltaire, on service with the Royal Navy.
Owing to the threat of hostilities all cruising ceased and the Voltaire and Vandyck were quickly converted for the carriage of troops. In June 1939, the Voltaire sailed for Bombay with troops carrying homewards a number of N.C.O.s and their families.
Vandyck (3)
©Stewart Bale Ltd.
While passing through the Bay of Biscay an Admiralty "A" message was received warning that hostilities were imminent. Arriving at Southampton on August 28, she disembarked her passengers, and the crew not being allowed ashore, the ship was painted grey overall and the following evening sailed for Scapa Flow.
At Scapa the Voltaire served as a hostel ship for the services, and was anchored close to H.M.S. Iron Duke. She was there when war was declared and when H.M.S. Royal Oak was sunk, and on the following morning after this last event, German aircraft made an attack on H.M.S. Iron Duke. Although one of these was shot down, a hit was scored on the Iron Duke which necessitated her having to be beached.
The Voltaire at this time had all the survivors from the Royal Oak on board, and the master, expecting another attack, wisely put these ashore at Flotta Island until nightfall. Hardly had this been carried out, when another air attack commenced, the Voltaire being the target on this occasion, and although a number of near misses were registered, and a small amount of damage was caused to the ship, she survived this experience. The following day the Voltaire was renamed Iron Duke II, replacing the original.
At the end of October 1939, the Iron Duke II (Voltaire) sailed from Scapa Flow, for Newcastle. There at the yard of Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. she was refitted and converted into an armed merchant cruiser. Her main armament com- prised 8 ~ 6in. breech loading guns, which came from the old H.M.S. Tiger of Jutland fame. Most of the peacetime officers, at the request of Lamport and Holt, stayed with the ship, which had now become H.M.S. Voltaire.
In January 1940, she sailed for Malta where she was on contraband control, with an area of patrol from the Adriatic eastwards to the Dardanelles. After being employed on such duties, she left the Mediterranean in June 1940, and was then employed escorting convoys across the North Atlantic mainly from Halifax, but on occasions from Bermuda.
It was while so employed that the Voltaire was lost. She had left Halifax, N.S. had called at Trinidad, and was en route to Freetown for a convoy, when in the early morning of April 9, 1941, she fell in with the German armed raider Thor, and after a heavy battle, was sunk by the superior gunfire of the German raider. A total of 197 survivors were picked up by the raider, all of which were to spend the remainder of the war as prisoners of war in Germany.
Shortly after the outbreak of war the Vandyck was taken over by the Admiralty, and was converted to an armed boarding vessel - H.M.S. Vandyck. She was to survive until June 10, 1940, when en route to take part in the evacuation of Norway, she was bombed and sunk by an enemy aircraft off the Norwegian coast, while under the command of Capt. G. F. W. Wilson, R.N. Two officers and five ratings were lost; 29 officers and 132 ratings having landed, were taken prisoner by the Germans, and were to be incarcerated in Germany for the remainder of the war.
Having dealt with the loss of the two passenger ships, on service with the Royal Navy, we come to the losses suffered by the ships left on service with the company.
The first casualty suffered by Lamport and Holt was the Bronte which was torpedoed by a submarine in home waters on October 27, 1939, outward bound for South America, with a crew of 40 and one passenger, a 71 year-old inventor -fortunately without loss of life.
Bronte, an early loss in WWII.
©B. Feiden
The Bronte remained afloat for some time, and having at first been abandoned, some of the crew were put back on board in an attempt to tow the ship into port. However, these efforts were thwarted by the bad weather, and eventually three days later she was sunk by a charge set by her escort. Capt. S. Dickinson, who was to become the cargo superintendent at Liverpool, was serving as third officer in the Bronte at the time.
On April 27, 1940, the Delius was damaged by air attack while lying at Romsdalsfjord, Norway, a direct hit being recorded. This attack was to last two days.
On July 7, of the same year, the Delambre was proceeding homeward from South America to join a convoy at Freetown, when she was interceptedby the German raider Thor, which was to account for the loss later of the Voltaire.
Delambe, Japanese built, 1940 war loss.
©J. McRoberts Collection.
After a two-hour chase by the raider, the much slower Delambre was overhauled and forced to stop. The Thor hit the Delambre with her third salvo. (Capt. Pratt, of the Delambie was captured in similar fashion by the raider Moewe in the previous war.) After transferring the crew to the raider, the Delambre was sunk.
The crew were to remain in the raider for some time, before being transferred to an auxiliary, which as to land them in occupied territory. The late Hugh Binney, well remembered at Lamport and Holt, was serving as ship's carpenter at the time, and he related how he left his home on May 6, 1940, not arriving back until exactly five years to the day, having spent most of the intervening period as a prisoner of war in Germany.
On October 15, 1940, the Bonheur was torpedoed and sunk while outward bound in convoy, Liverpool to Rosario, the sinking taking place in home waters.
The following month, on November 18th the Biela was damaged by an aircraft attack in position 52.26N., 16.31 W; and on the night of December 20-21, the Laplace was damaged by a bomb while lying at Liverpool.
Biela (2)
© World Ship Photo Library
On February 26, 1941, after a bombing attack by aircraft, the Swinburne was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in home waters. On April 6, the same year, the Devis was damaged by an air attack while lying at Piraeus.
During 1940 two further "D" class ships were added to the fleet, the Debrett and Defoe, both coming, like their earlier sisters from Harland and Wolff Ltd., Belfast. There were now five of this class trading for the company.
( To be continued)
Go to Part Four