# HMT Nevasa 1935



## Snikwas (Jan 12, 2006)

Any info on this ship docking at Southampton Jan 1935 from Cairo? I'm doing a family history project - currently on my father's (RAF officer) return on this ship from 5 years in Cairo ?


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

*HMT Nevasa*

HMT Nevasa (2) British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd
Built 1913. 9200 GRT. Scrapped Bo'ness 1948.


One of 2 troopers provided by the British India until the specially designed ships appeared just before the war. Twin-screw, quadruple-expansion engines, 7 boilers. 1,515 tons fuel. In later years carried parties of school children on visits to the Norwegian fjords.

Rgds
Hugh


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy Snikwas,



*NEVASA 1912* 
9071 gross tons, length 480.5ft x beam 58.1ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 128-1st and 98-2nd class pasengers. Launched 12th Dec.1912 by Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow for British India Steam Navigation Co., she started her maiden voyage from London to East Africa and Calcutta on 22nd Mar.1913. In Aug.1914 she was taken over and converted to a troopship, and from Jan.1915 to 1918 was fitted as a 660 bed hospital ship. Used in the East Africa, Persian Gulf, Salonika and Mesopotamia campaigns. Later in 1918 she was used as a North Atlantic troopship, ferrrying US troops and later repatriating Allied forces. In late 1919 she resumed commercial service on the UK - East Africa and UK - Calcutta services. 1925 rebuilt as a permanent troopship with capacity for 1,000 men. In 1935-37 she carried out a series of off-season educational cruises for the School Journey's Association, London and in 1937 attended the Spithead Coronation Naval Review. Between 1939 and 1945 she trooped steadily and was used between the UK, India, Basra, Madagascar and for the Normandy Landings. She resumed commercial service in 1946 but was basically a troopship..Jan.1948 laid up in the River Blackwater and then scrapped at Bo'ness. Photo in "Sea Safari" by Peter C. Kohler, ISBN 1-872006-05-1


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

*Nevasa 1956*



Hugh MacLean said:


> HMT Nevasa (2) British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd
> Built 1913. 9200 GRT. Scrapped Bo'ness 1948.
> 
> 
> ...


Hugh,

The 'Nevasa' that became famous for the school cruises was a later vessel, delivered to BI in their centenary year, 1956. She too started life as a troopship before moving to the "educational cruise" market. Used to see her regularly in Southampton in the early 1960s.

Ron


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Ron Stringer said:


> Hugh,
> 
> The 'Nevasa' that became famous for the school cruises was a later vessel, delivered to BI in their centenary year, 1956. She too started life as a troopship before moving to the "educational cruise" market. Used to see her regularly in Southampton in the early 1960s.
> 
> Ron


Hi Ron,

Thanks for that clarification. I am still a little confused though. I got my info from Talbot Booth, Merchant Ships 1942. The book has no information on it indicating a reprinted version and its condition would indicate that it is quite old.

But, clearly, how could a 1942 edition say that: "In later years carried parties of school children on visits to the Norwegian fjords".

Thanks again, Ron. Sorry for the confusion.

Rgds
Hugh


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

No need to apologise Hugh, we may both be right (or wrong). It is possible that the 1912 Nevasa, when she resumed commercial service in 1946, made school cruises as well as being a trooper. After all she didn't go to the breakers until '48/'49. From my memories of the economic climate in those early post-war years, it seems a little unlikely though - my parents had enough trouble getting enough to eat and finding fuel to heat the home, without sending kids on cruises. Much of Europe was in the same, or worse state. 

Was the book perhaps a later reprint of the 1942 edition? If not, you seem to have uncovered another mystery of the sea.

Ron


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi Ron,

Looked at the book again, I think it is the original and not a reprint.
I think the quote: ("In later years carried parties of school children on visits to the Norwegian fjords") may refer to after 1913 when she was built.

I saw somewhere a site which refered to British India ships doing educational trips pre WWII - granted there was no mention of Nevasa.

Again we may both be right or (wrong). The mystery continues...

Hugh


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## firey (Dec 1, 2005)

ah memories, I sailed on the Nevasa as a school kid early 70's, I can remember 10 CC's record "Rubber Bullets " was a hit at the time. As stated it was educational cruises but not of the acedemic kind in a lot of cases. 
Port of calls were sailed Liverpool , La Corruna .Lisbon, Maderia and Azores and home. Accom was very basic metal bunkbeds in large dorms, and it certainately wasn't cruise class food.
That was my first ever trip to sea and I can't say it encouraged me to choose it as a career,that happened by chance.

The Nevasa I sailed on was not the HMT Nevasa but the next version from her. On my first trip to the big sea I saw my Nevasa under tow at Cape town on route to be scrapped I think in India but I could be wrong. It was a sad sight. What stories she could tell if only she could speak.

To see my Nevasa search in the gallery she's in there.

Cheers 

Firey


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## Snikwas (Jan 12, 2006)

Tks Ruud - it sounds as if the docking at S'ton early Jan 1935 was one of the last troop carrying exercises if she went into ferrying schoolchildren to the Norwegian fijords! At least I have a photo now to include in the saga. Snikwas


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## Martin Young (Oct 23, 2005)

Nevasa and her sister Neuralia were both used I believe as educational cruise ships in the 1930s. the first such cruise taking place in 1932. WW2 obviously interrupted the cruises!

Neuralia sank in 1945 after hitting a mine. Nevasa lasted until 1948.

The later Nevasa was launched as a troopship in 1955 and operated as such until the end of sea trooping in 1962. She then went into educational cruising until rising costs forced her retirement in 1975.

Nevasa's companion troopship was Bibby Line's Oxfordshire which served as the cruise liner Fairstar after her retirement from military use and lasted until 1997.


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## Dontscott (Jul 4, 2019)

I served as an Engineer on SS Nevasa (Mk2) in 1959. She was then Southampton to Hong Kong run. She later took on school duties. I think she was scrapped in 1975.


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## SmithWornar (May 13, 2019)

HMT Nevasa Speed: 33 km/h 
It was built in 1913. 
It was basically a British India ship.
This ship was used during 1st World War
It travel in many places like East Africa, Persian Gulf and other parts of the world.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Lookee here...
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1204621/title/nevasa/cat/520


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