Strathaird

The Strathaird was a notable passenger liner built for P&O Line, launched in 1931 at Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness. Named in honor of Sir W. Mackinnon, Baronet of Strathaird, she was one of the celebrated "White Sisters" that revolutionized P&O's passenger service to Australia.

Construction and Design

Strathaird was completed in January 1932, joining her sister ship Strathnaver in service just four months after the latter's debut. She featured the same proven turbo-electric power plant first utilized in the Viceroy of India of 1929. Together with Strathnaver, Strathallan, Stratheden, and Strathhew, she formed part of P&O's distinctive "White Sisters" fleet.

Pre-war Service (1932-1940)

The vessel operated primarily on the Australian service alongside her sister ships and other P&O vessels including Cathay (2), Comorin, Mooltan (3), Maloja (2), and Narkunda. During off-peak seasons, she conducted short cruises from Tilbury to the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Canary Islands.

Wartime Service (1940-1946)

In June 1940, Strathaird was converted for military service as a troop transport. One of her most notable wartime achievements occurred at Brest, where she evacuated over 6,000 armed service personnel, hundreds of civilian refugees, and the entire bullion reserves of Continental branch offices of British banking companies, successfully escaping despite coming under air attack. She continued serving in dangerous waters throughout World War II, remarkably emerging unscathed.

Post-war Service (1946-1961)

Following a refit in early 1946, during which her fore and aft tunnels were removed, Strathaird resumed civilian service in January 1948, becoming the second "Strath" to return to regular operations. After P&O introduced the new 30,000-ton Arcadia (2) and Iberia (3) between 1954 and 1955, she was reclassified as a one-class vessel accommodating 1,242 passengers. Her final round trip commenced on March 28, 1961, and she was demolished in Hong Kong in July of the same year.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Built by	Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness
Gross Tonnage	22,568
Dimensions	666ft x 80ft (203m x 24.4m)
Draught	29ft (8.8m)
Power	Turbo-electric motors (28,000 SHP)
Speed	20 knots
Passenger Capacity	Initially 500 first class, 688 tourist class; Later 1,242 tourist class
Crew	480
Passenger Decks	7
Livery	White hull & superstructure, yellow funnels, red boot-topping