Oxfordshire
The Oxfordshire (1) was a passenger-cargo vessel built in 1912 for Bibby Line's Eastern service. As the oldest and smallest of Bibby's four "Shire" class vessels, she served through both World Wars as a hospital ship and later carried migrants to Australia before ending her career as a pilgrim transport.
Construction and Design
Built by Harland & Wolff Ltd in Belfast, the Oxfordshire was completed in 1912 for Bibby Line's service between Britain and Burma. She featured the distinctive four-masted profile that had become Bibby's trademark since the company's founding in 1821.
Commercial Service and WWI
The vessel initially operated between Liverpool and Rangoon carrying first-class passengers. In 1914, while voyaging between London and Liverpool, she was requisitioned for military service. Converted to a hospital ship at Scapa Flow, she performed 235 mercy missions over three years, covering 172,000 miles and transporting over 50,000 wounded personnel. Her wartime service included operations at Gallipoli, the Bombay-Basra shuttle for Mesopotamia Forces, and four transatlantic voyages.
Interwar Period and WWII
Returning to commercial service in 1918 on the Liverpool-Rangoon route, she operated alongside seven new "Shire" vessels. During World War II, she was again requisitioned as a hospital ship, serving with the Mediterranean invasion fleet in November 1942.
Post-War Migration Service
After WWII, the Oxfordshire was modified to accommodate 400 passengers for the government-sponsored migration service to Australia. From 1949-1950, she made multiple voyages including:
- April 1949: Suez to Fremantle and Adelaide
- 1950: Naples to Newcastle
- 1950: Bremerhaven to Fremantle
- August 1950: Liverpool to Australia
Final Years
After six months as a troopship between Trieste and Suez, the 39-year-old vessel was sold to Islamic Steamship Co. of Pakistan. Renamed Safina-e-Arab, she spent her final seven years on pilgrim routes before being broken up in Karachi in 1958.
Key Facts
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Tonnage | 8,600 GRT |
| Dimensions | 474ft x 55ft (144.5m x 16.8m) |
| Draught | 29ft (8.8m) |
| Engine | Quadruple-expansion (900 NHP) |
| Speed | 15 knots |
| Passenger Capacity | Initially 210 first class; later 400 |
| Crew | 190 |
| Registry | Liverpool |