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The Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The P&O Steam Navigation Company was
founded in 1836 and grew quickly, exploiting the passenger
trade from the UK to India and the Far East. British India
Lines was acquired in 1914, the New Zealand Shipping Company
in 1916 and a controlling interest in the Orient Line
was secured in 1919. However, all three continued to operate
separately from P&O's own fleet, sailing in their
distinctive liveries. In the 1950's and 60's, P&O
was a dominant force in merchant shipping, and our film
chronicles these proud years and the splendid ships which
carried her flag.
By the 1970's, the Company was looking
to the cruising market to replace passengers lost to air
travel. The acquisition of Princess Lines in 1974 was
an important step in this strategy. In more recent times
the cruise liners have been sold off and the Group - still
trading as the P&O Steam Navigation Company - now
concentrates on international logistics, ports and ferry
operations.
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Maloja
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| Operating
life: 1923 - 1954 |
| Tonnage:
20,837 |
| Passengers:
656 |
| Constructed:
Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Our
footage: 1min 21secs |
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Built in 1923, Maloja replaced an
earlier vessel of the same name that was sunk by a mine
in the first world war. She served as an armed merchant
cruiser during the second world war.
We have some black and white footage of
Maloja shot in 1939 - firstly at anchor in Aden and then
entering Bombay harbour from on-board.
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Carthage
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| Operating
life: 1931 - 1961 |
| Tonnage:
14,304 |
| Passengers:
371 |
| Constructed:
A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow |
| Our
footage: 2mins 23secs |
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Carthage served on routes between the
UK and Far East. During the war she served first as an armed
merchant cruiser and then as a troopship.
Our film shows a leaving party on-board
Carthage in Hong Kong harbour. Subsequent shots from the
quayside show her pulling away in the Pearl River.
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Canton
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| Operating
life: 1938 - 1962 |
| Tonnage:
15,784 |
| Passengers:
480 |
| Constructed:
A. Stephen & Sons, Glasgow |
| Our
footage: 1min 12secs |
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This was the third P&O liner to be named Canton. She
too sailed on routes to the Far East. She served as an armed
merchant cruiser on escort duty during the war.
We have a few frames showing her anchored
at Port Said before the war in her pre-war livery of black
hull and funnels, and white superstructure. Subsequently
we see her crossing at sea and in Aden harbour.
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Strathnaver
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| Operating
life: 1931 - 1962 |
| Tonnage:
22,547 |
| Passengers:
1,166 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our
footage: 5mins 4secs |
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Strathnaver was the first of the Strath
sisters and was delivered in September 1931. She spent 9
years trooping during and after the war and took part in
the North African landings. Her two "dummy" funnels
were removed during this period.
We have good footage of Strathnaver
leaving Melbourne Pier and later at anchor in Sydney harbour.
On-board, we watch as one of the ship's officers pans
his cine camera over the bridge and upper decks. Finally,
we see Strathnaver in dry dock at Tilbury and then moored
prior to her final voyage to the breakers. A rare glimpse
of the old ship at the breakers yard in Hong Kong completes
the sequence.
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Strathmore
(Video)
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| Operating
life: 1935 - 1969 |
| Tonnage:
23,428 |
| Passengers:
1,110 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our
footage: 5mins 2secs |
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Strathmore was the third of the Strath sisters and the first
to be built with a single funnel. Built alongside Orion
of the Orient Line, she shared many features with that liner
except that P&O retained the traditional two masts instead
of one. She too took part in the North African landings
during the war and returned to commercial service in October
1949. We see Strathmore in
Aden, Sydney and a North African port (probably Djibouti
- where she was diverted during the Suez crisis). On-board
scenes show the activity on deck as she leaves Bombay.
We close with atmospheric shots of her entering Southampton
in the early morning mist.
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Stratheden
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| Operating
life: 1937 - 1969 |
| Tonnage:
23,722 |
| Passengers:
1,011 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our
footage: 1min 51secs |
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Launched in June 1937, Stratheden and her sister Strathallan
were the last of the Strath sisters. Strathallen was sadly
lost to German U-boats off North Africa during the war.
Stratheden resembled the second Orcades of the Orient Line
as they were built at the same yard. Orcades was also a
casualty of the war. Stratheden was sold in 1964 and broken
up in 1969. Our footage shows her
in Aden and crossing at sea.
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Chusan
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| Operating
life: 1950 - 1973 |
| Tonnage:
24,215 |
| Passengers:
1,026 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our
footage: 4min 54secs |
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Chusan sailed on Far Eastern routes to Singapore, Hong Kong
and Japan. At the time of her launch, she was the largest
and most modern liner operating on those routes. Later in
her life, Chusan was refitted for cruising.
We have film of two departures from Hong Kong ¨C both
filmed from the quayside and showing her lovely lines.
There are various scenes on-board and at harbour in Madeira
and Aden. Finally we watch a long sequence, filmed from
a Red Funnel steamer, as she makes her way slowly down
Southampton Water towards the English Channel.
Himalaya
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| Operating
life: 1949 - 1974 |
| Tonnage:
27,955 |
| Passengers:
1,159 |
| Constructed:
Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |
| Our
footage: 4mins 2secs |
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When built, Himalaya was the
largest and fastest of the P&O liners. Himalaya
was slightly larger than Chusan and had only one
mast. She started life on routes to Australia, and
in 1958 inaugurated the trans-Pacific service from
Sydney and Auckland to North America. Himalaya spent
her last years cruising in the Mediterranean.
We open with shots of Himalaya
at berth in a sunny Mediterranean port. There are
various shots of Himalaya at sea and in harbour.
A superb shot taken from an overhead cable-car shows
the liner stretched out below. The film ends with
an extended sequence of her leaving Southampton
escorted by tugs.
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Arcadia
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| Operating
life: 1954-1979 |
| Tonnage:
29,734 |
| Passengers:
1,410 |
| Constructed:
J.Brown & Co., Clydebank |
| Our
footage: 2mins 30secs |
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Arcadia was named after a famous
P&O liner that operated around the turn of the
century. She operated on routes to Australia and the
trans-Pacific service. She also cruised extensively
in the Mediterranean and latterly in the Caribbean.
A new Arcadia is under construction in the Fincantieri
shipyard near Venice and should join P&O's fleet
in April 2005.
Our opening shots show Arcadia,
dressed overall, departing stern first from her
berth in Southampton at the start of a long voyage.
There is a good sequence of her passing Orcades
at sea on her way to Yokohama. A final shot shows
her in Southampton, berthed next to the QE2. This
film was taken during the seamen's strike of 1966.
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Iberia
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| Operating
life: 1954 - 1972 |
| Tonnage:
29,614 |
| Passengers:
1,406 |
| Constructed:
Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Our
footage: 3mins 13secs |
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The last of six liners ordered
for Australian routes under P&O's post-war building
programme, Iberia was launched in Janauary 1954.
A sister to Arcadia, she shared the unique extension
to her "A" deck
aft.
The
film opens with Iberia in Southampton Water surrounded
by tugs of the Alexander Towing Company and Red
Funnell. Later shots show deck-scenes and some good
close-ups of her stern. A quayside scene shows Himalaya
working cargo in Adelaide and we close with good
shots of the ship from a tender leaving for the
shore.
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Canberra (Video)
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| Operating
life: 1961 - 1997 |
| Tonnage:
45,270 |
| Passengers:
2,198 |
| Constructed:
Harland & Wolff, Belfast |
| Our
footage: 4mins 29secs |
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The last "super" liner
to be built in the UK, Canberra was also the last
liner to be built for the passenger trade to Australia
and, hence, marked the end of an era in post-war ship
design. From now on, ships would be built for cruising
and the sleek, graceful lines of the post-war liners
would be exchanged for top-heavy superstructures and
crowded decks.
Our coverage ranges from film
taken in the late 90's with modern video cameras
to cine footage of her early days on a passage to
Australia. We have stirring images of her return
from the Falklands and more tranquil pictures of
her cruising in the Caribbean.
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Chitral
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| Operating
life: 1956 - 1975 |
| Tonnage:
13,724 |
| Passengers:
300 |
| Constructed:
Penhoet, St. Nazaire, France |
| Our
footage: 2mins 27secs |
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Chitral and her sister Cathay were
bought from the Belgians to fill a gap on the Far
East run. Chitral was originally named Jadotville
and was built in France.
Our film shows a "man overboard"
drill on-board and later a dragon dance performed
by Chinese crew members. Other shots show Chitral
passing Cathay at sea.
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