# Cunards "Parthia" in August 1960



## clydesiderman (Nov 28, 2004)

On 19th August 1960 Cunards "Parthia" arrived in the Clyde. Does anyone know where she was coming from, and where she would be loading for?
Thanks, Douglas


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

You can get the information about ports visited or to be visited from the ship's Voyage Record Card (VRC). However the VRC is only a record of ship movements and makes no reference to cargo.

The "Voyage Record Cards" (VRCs) held in archive by the Guildhall Library are not quite what the name might suggest. They are not really records of ship's voyages, they are merely index cards created to assist people to locate information in back copies of Lloyd's List. The archive was donated by Lloyd's List (i.e. the daily newspaper that gives details of ship movements, incidents etc. and other information relevant to insurance activities at Lloyd's). However the filing system used to archive the cards is rather complex, making it necessary for Library staff to recover them for consultation by the public.

They are from an era pre-dating computers and take the form of simple index cards. For each ship there is a card (or cards) in the vessel's name starting when the vessel was named/renamed or handed over from the builders. On each card a clerk has written (or typed on later issues) or even pasted-in clippings from the newspaper, an entry of the date whenever the vessel's name appeared in the Lloyd's List. 

The idea was to provide a shortcut to references to a vessel in the Lloyd's List. To research a vessel for insurance purposes, it was necessary to refer to its history as recorded in back issues of Lloyd's List. Rather than read through the bound volumes of back issues of Lloyd's List, it was only necessary to pull Voyage Record Cards for that vessel and scan them for the significant dates. Only the back issues for those specific dates need then be consulted. 

On each card is a sub-heading for the year in question, under which is listed, in date order, all the dates in that year when the ship was mentioned in Lloyd's List. So the entries go: "27/2 arr. Valparaiso" "9/3 sld Valparaiso" "20/3 Panama Canal" and so on. If there was an 'incident' - collision, grounding, fire etc., the date entry is marked with an asterix * for emphasis, but only the date appears, without any details - remember that this is only an index card. To see the details of the incident, it is necessary to consult the Lloyd's List back issues for the date concerned.

Within their limitations the cards are valuable aids. If you are in London you can visit the Library (very close to Moorgate underground station) and view the cards yourself. However you need to advise the librarians of the names of the ships and the voyage dates required (e.g. mv Nonsuch, May '54 to Feb '55) at least 2 working days in advance of your visit so that they can pull the relevant cards from the archives. There are coin-in-the-slot photocopying machines available to make copies of cards. For a small fee, the library staff will make photocopies of card entris between the requested dates and mail them to you.

Anyone wanting to use the service and understand the background can see much more information in these two .pdf files:

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/r...0-8629-B75010AB0BE3/0/LH_CL_voyagerecords.pdf
and 
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/r...46CD-BD27-A27DA16F2B38/0/LH_CL_lloydslist.pdf


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

*Parthia.*

I was on the Parthia in 1956 and one trip returning from New York we went into the Clyde before arriving in Liverpool the following day.I believe we dropped some passengers off. Though by that time we didnt have many. I realise that its 4 years before your sighting but it serves to indicate that she did go there on occasions.


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## melliget (Dec 3, 2006)

Douglas.

This info from the Movements of Liners section of The Times:

19 Aug 1960
Movements of Liners
PARTHIA, fm. N.Y., due L'pool 20.

[Note: Members of crew of Parthia joined seamen's strike when they arrived at Liverpool.]

22 Aug 1960
Movements of Liners
PARTHIA, fm. N.Y., arrd. L'pool 20.

And this was a news item:

28 Aug 1960
[Despite the strike] "..Cunard succeeded in getting away the passenger and cargo liner Parthia from the Mersey for New York fully manned by a crew of 180 yesterday.."

regards,
Martin


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## clydesiderman (Nov 28, 2004)

*Cunards "Parthia" in August 1960*

Thanks Ron, Holland and Martin.
The timing is quite perplexing. Harbour radio log shows Parthia calling at 1100 on 19th advising that she was inbound to the Clyde and due at the ***brae Pilots at 1300. But Martins message shows the newspaper quoting arriving at Liverpool on the 20th.
The arrival time and unloading at the Clyde then sailing to Liverpool all within 31 hours in those days seems a bit fast. But I'll go with Martin and the newspaper and log her as coming from NYork. 
Thanks to all Douglas.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

From memory, it was fairly common practice for Cunarders and CP passenger ships to embark/disembark trans-Atlantic passengers and mail by lighter at the Tail o' the Bank or Greenock. For the faster ships, it would be possible for such a flying visit to the lower Clyde on one day permitting arrival in the Mersey on the following day (or vice versa).


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## rivet (Feb 18, 2006)

In 1961 the 'Parthia' was sold to the P&O group where she was converted for the NZ & Australian service . In 1960 she was at the end of her days with
Cunard. She entered service with the NZSC in 1962, renamed 'Remuera', but
she proved to be uneconomic on this run. In 1965 she was transferred to
Eastern Australian Shipping Co. and renamed 'Aramac'. She was broken up in 1969. There is a good shot of her two days out of Panama passing the 'Rakaia' on route to NZ in 1963. in Snowbows vidio Ships to New Zealand.
Rivet


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

The next Cunard Parthia was built in Dundee ( one of the so called Mickey Mouse Boats ; on the North Atlantic trade .)

I joined her May 1971 as 2nd Engineer . 24th May she was renamed Staship 1 Liverpool . She was delivered to Hong Kong 5th July 71 and handed over to new Owners ( Western Australian Shipping ; offices in Perth I believe )

Regards Derek 

There are other threads in which this particular Parthia is mentioned ; she ids the vessel who lost her rudder Mid Atlantic in a storm .


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## PRES (Jul 11, 2009)

Parthia:Remuera:Aramac----Kaohsiung Nov 1969

Passed 21 year survey in Hong Kong as well as stabiliser repairs in 1967.

Detailed info re Media and Pathia at:
http://www.liverpoolships.org/media_and_parthia_cunard_line.html


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## kingorry (Aug 13, 2010)

I was sailing with the Cunard Line as an assistant purser at this time. Cunard very occasionally put the PARTHIA (or the MEDIA) into the Clyde in mid/late August to coincide with the Edinburgh Festival and to allow passengers easy access to Edinburgh. The photograph of the PARTHIA arriving at Little ***brae pilot station is included on my website, the MEDIA / PARTHIA section, at: www.liverpoolships.org. (kingorry)


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

Interesting site,thanks for posting.


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## david l brooks (May 9, 2010)

i was on the esso chelsea march 3rd to march 28th, 1962,the union hall told me i would see the world and to report to tilbury docks;at 18 i was pretty green ,we delivered oil to southhampton power plant then back to tilbury twice aweak


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I took this in the early 60's of the Parthia leaving the landing stage in Liverpool.

David
+


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## R396040 (Sep 30, 2008)

Didnt realise this was the restart of a much older post. Yes she was sold to NZSC in 1961 and renamed Remuera,made her first voyage with in 1952 and coulde have been in Clyde for refit ? See posts 7 & 8/ Cargo ship Parthia came along in 1963 and I sailed on her later in that decade
Stuart H


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