RMS Campania

The Ship


R.M.S. Campania
Campania was built for Cunard by Fairfield Co., Ltd., of Glasgow, and was launched on 8 September 1892. Her maiden voyage to New York began at Liverpool on 22 April 1893; a month later, her second roundtrip to New York resulted in Campania's first Blue Riband, and her only eastbound record. Campania would twice set westbound records -- in June 1893 and August 1894.
Campania, converted into an armed merchant cruiser, represented Cunard at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Review at Spithead in 1897, and remained on Cunard's Liverpool-New York service until she was retired in April 1914.

After being chartered briefly to Anchor Line, she was temporarily recalled from August to October 1914 while Aquitania served as a troop ship. Sold to shipbreakers in November, she was quickly re-sold to the Admiralty and converted into an armed merchant cruiser with a flight deck and hangar, capable of handling airplanes and observation balloons.

She served as a scouting aide to the Fleet until November 1918, when she sank after colliding with HMS Revenge in the Firth of Forth.



My Postcards

Postally used 11 Aug 1906. The writer was obviously very displeased with D Hammond Esq, calling him a 'blighter of the noblest kind'!
Postcard series: Peacock Brand

 

Return to Postcard Collection

Return to Lindy's Pages