# RMMV Reina del Pacifico



## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

My father is 91 and a complete font of knowledge. Last evening we were talking about Colin Campbell, a recently deceased local friend whose family owned McSymon and Potter, ships chandlers based in London, Cardiff and Glasgow who I'm sure many of us on SN will have known.

The talk turned to a man called Ian Brown who worked for the Combustion Engine Development Department in Rugby. They would be given an engine by, say, Ford and would run it to destruction before taking it apart and advising what was required to beef it up for production. 

RMMV Reina del Pacifico was a 17,702 GRT passenger ship of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. Built by Harland and Wolff at Belfast, she was launched on 23 September 1930, and was the largest and fastest motor liner of her time, sailing from Liverpool to the Caribbean, Panama Canal and South America. She became famous in 1937 after the former British Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald died aboard whilst on a cruise at the age of 71, just two years after leaving government.

During the Second World War she was requisitioned as a troopship serving with distinction in landings in North Africa, Sicily and Normandy. In 1947 she was refurbished by Harland and Wolf and my uncle, Bobby Thorburn was part of the team working on the engines. He was invited to go on trials but was required elsewhere. A lucky man for there was a scavenge fire and explosion that killed 28 men. Scavenge fires were not unknown but the death toll made the UK government sit up and take notice.

Ian Brown was appointed to head the inquiry team. His team discovered the fact that the fires occurred because the primary explosion set up conditions for the secondary, more destructive explosion to occur and the danger of oil misting. He was responsible for scavenge ports and trunking and the importance of their maintenance and the insistence that they were maintained and kept clear for now obvious safety reasons.

Brown was described by my father as a bit of lad, "He was not married, but there were always beautiful young women around."

My father was left his cuff links in his will which he still wears, large with purple and green stripes.

In January 1948 Reina del Pacifico returned to her owners, refurbished for the Liverpool-Valparaiso service and after running aground in the Caribbean in 1957 was scrapped in 1958.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

I only saw the REINA just once, 1957. Went with the family in my granddad's boat 'Electra' to see 'Reina on the Rocks'. Made one more voyage down to S. America then scrapped.


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## Samsette (Sep 3, 2005)

Nav, a cousin sailed in her during the war and, I am sure he mentioned her taking troops to Norway in 1940. At the same time his brother, a regular RN man saw action at Narvik in a destroyer, I believe.

In summer of 1950 I joined her in a pierhead jump. Thirty odd ports of call and only tied up in two on the coast, Callao and Valpo.


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## tom roberts (May 4, 2008)

I avoided the Reina del Pacifico when she went thro the pool the skipper had a reputation for dishing out d.r.s for any reason of the smallest misdemeanour.I did however sail on the Pacifico got a dear john from my girl but she married me in the end I digress paid of her Xmas time I think it was her second voyage and when I checked my payoff I found two of the old white fivers stuck together giving me a fiver more than I should have and of course I imediatly gave it back like hell I did.


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