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The British
India Line
Instantly recognisable by the two white
stripes on a black funnel, the ships of the British India
Line sailed to ports in the Indian subcontinent and the
eastern coast of Africa. The Company was formed in 1856
and was acquired by P&O in 1914. In the post-war years,
the Company was the first to build ships expressly for
carrying troops.
In 1971, P&O merged its fleet
into three divisions and the Company ceased to operate
as a separate entity. Several ships of the line survived
as school cruise ships - including the two we feature,
Nevasa and Uganda.
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Nevasa
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| Operating
life: 1956 - 1975 |
| Tonnage:
20,527 |
| Passengers:
500 (1,000 troops) |
| Constructed:
Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow |
| Our
footage: 1min 4secs |
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Nevasa was delivered in July 1956,
the Company's centenary year. She was the first ship to
be designed specifically for carrying troops. In 1962
she was laid up when her trooping duties were curtailed
emerging two years later as a school cruise ship after
an extensive refit.
We have a couple of sequences showing
Nevasa at anchor and at sea.
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Uganda
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| Operating
life: 1952 - 1986 |
| Tonnage:
14,430 |
| Passengers:
300 |
| Constructed:
Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow |
| Our
footage: 1m secs in 56 |
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Uganda served on routes between the UK
and East Africa in her early years. She too was converted
to a school cruise ship and gave many young people unforgettable
holidays in the Mediterranean and further afield. Her finest
hour came during the Falklands conflict when she ferried
troops down to the South Atlantic.
Our opening shots show Uganda leaving
Southamption for her first cruise after the Falklands
war. Sadly she lasted just four more years and was scrapped
in 1986.
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