# What ship and where



## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

I found the attached photograph in an album that my mother has and was wondering if anyone has any idea where it was taken, or indeed what the name of the ship was. From a post card they embarked from the ship in Hong Kong before travelling up country to the China Tibet boarder.
I am sorry for the scant information, but I am sure the brains of the site will know instantly the answers.

Best regards

Dave.


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## Bruce Carson (Jun 14, 2005)

I would think a Dutch liner, possibly 'Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft' of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'Nederland' .


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

Bruce, 
By-eck that was quick, yes I will agree with you on that one, I have looked at some other pictures on the web.
I am curious, the ship appears to be at anchor / stuck on buoys and there appears to be a floating walkway to get to the gangway, I have never seen anything like it anywhere. The two men stood in the foreground appear to be wearing European dress; however there appears to be a number of “Bum-boats” clustered around the stern. 
Can anyone have a stab at where the photograph was taken?

Dave


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

Aden?


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

The plot thickens; I have found another photograph of the same ship which indicates that it is the Empress of France and is in Singapore. Looking at the EOF on various sites there are some glaring differences. Has one of my ancestors been telling porkies!

There is also a night view of Hong Kong in 1928 which may be of interest.

Dave


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## AncientBrit (Oct 6, 2007)

Are you sure they are saying this is the EOF and not a ship they took photos of while they were on the EOF? Just a thought!
If you look behind the couple in the top right photo, there does seem to be another large vessel in the near-bys.
AB


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## randcmackenzie (Aug 31, 2005)

The port in the first could be Port Said, I remember seeing floating walkways connecting the passenger ships to the bank.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

That doesn't look like the Empress of France when compared to *this*.


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## 12548 (Mar 23, 2007)

*Empress of France*

Heres another old Pic of the Empress of France going through the isthmus of Panama does this resemble the Original Pic in question?

Picture Source
http://iancoombe.tripod.com/id6.html


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## Bruce Carson (Jun 14, 2005)

Not proof positive, but the cranes would point towards Dutch rather than British.


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

randcmackenzie said:


> The port in the first could be Port Said, I remember seeing floating walkways connecting the passenger ships to the bank.


Spot on sir, there is a picture in the gallery by “picchio23” titled Port Said showing the floating walkways.


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## John Williams 56-65 (Feb 12, 2008)

Dave Woods said:


> Bruce,
> By-eck that was quick, yes I will agree with you on that one, I have looked at some other pictures on the web.
> I am curious, the ship appears to be at anchor / stuck on buoys and there appears to be a floating walkway to get to the gangway, I have never seen anything like it anywhere. The two men stood in the foreground appear to be wearing European dress; however there appears to be a number of “Bum-boats” clustered around the stern.
> Can anyone have a stab at where the photograph was taken?
> ...


I`m surprised that Dave hasn`t seen one of these floating walkways during his travels. They used to be quite a common sight when I was at sea and we used them a lot when disembarking troops at various ports. Two ports in particular come to mind. The first was Port Said where I used one myself to board the troopship "Cheshire" on my return after service in Egypt. This was in 1955 I don`t know if the practice of mooring up stern to the quay is still in use there but that is where these walkways came in handy. The other place was Malta where we also used them and we also tied up stern first.
However I seem to remember there was an outcry from the local Dghaisa owners that they were losing business, so the practice of stern first to the quay was discontinued and the ships were made to tie up between buoys, and everyone had to pay the boatmen to be ferried ashore. Quite a profit to be made with a thousand troops wanting to go ashore, and later on when the cruise ships started going there.


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

John Williams 56-65 said:


> I`m surprised that Dave hasn`t seen one of these floating walkways during his travels. They used to be quite a common sight when I was at sea and we used them a lot when disembarking troops at various ports. Two ports in particular come to mind. The first was Port Said where I used one myself to board the troopship "Cheshire" on my return after service in Egypt. This was in 1955 I don`t know if the practice of mooring up stern to the quay is still in use there but that is where these walkways came in handy. The other place was Malta where we also used them and we also tied up stern first.
> However I seem to remember there was an outcry from the local Dghaisa owners that they were losing business, so the practice of stern first to the quay was discontinued and the ships were made to tie up between buoys, and everyone had to pay the boatmen to be ferried ashore. Quite a profit to be made with a thousand troops wanting to go ashore, and later on when the cruise ships started going there.


Sorry John, I have spent a rather sheltered life for the past 41 years, I have only been through the ditch twice, not stopping both times


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Anybody know if the Empress of France sailed to the Far East in the winter? After her North American-Europe Summer run.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...tMarker=61&fldSearchNumber=20246&SearchInit=1


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## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Ian,
30/10/28. Empress of France1 left Southampton for Hong Kong.
She did 5 Transpacific trips between H.K. and Vancouver. Also 8 cruises
in the Pacific before leaving Hong Kong and returning to Liverpool on 17/10/.
Barney.


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## dom (Feb 10, 2006)

*dom*

the Empress boat in the panama differs from the boat in question,the boat in question has gravity boat davits the "Empress" has radial davits and a white hull band


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## Roger Jordan (May 9, 2008)

The numerous identification points in this image make this EXACTLY right for the Nederland Line passenger liner “Marnix van Sint Aldegonde”, which differs very slightly from its sistership “Johan van Oldenbarnevelt”. Only problem is, both of these Dutch liners were completed in 1930. With regard to the stern area and the positions of lifeboats, there are significant differences between these vessels and the slightly older and smaller “Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft” (1926) and “Christiaan Huygens” (1927), 
There are numerous photographs of the “Marnix” in, for example, “Great Passenger Ships of the World, Volume 3”, “Wartime Disasters at Sea”, and “Der Schepen van de Nederland”.


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

My family are still finding things about my Great Uncle and some of the voyages he was on. We have found a prayer book which was presented to him on board SS Carthage on the 23rd May 1934. Could someone please tell me how to find where the ship was/ or where she was coming from and going to. I have tried all the usual searches, but anything for 1934 is blank.(A)


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## eddyw (Nov 6, 2007)

Hi, Dave. Agree with Roger. Liner(s) depicted must be either Marnix van Sint Aldegonde or Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (both 1930). Dates inscribed on album must be incorrect. 
Regards


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