QSMV Dominion Monarch — BrandWiki

QSMV Dominion Monarch

Overview

*Dominion Monarch (1939–62) *Dominion Monarch Maru (1962)

completed
country	United Kingdom
owner	Shaw, Savill & Albion Line (1939–62) Mitsui (1962)
route	1939 and 1947–55: London – Las Palmas – Cape Town – Fremantle – Melbourne – Sydney – Wellington 1955–61: As above, plus: Wellington – Suva – Papeete – Panama – Curaçao – London
builder	Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson
original cost	£1,500,000
yard number	1547
laid down	14 July 1937
launched	27 July 1938

QSMV Dominion Monarch was a UK passenger and refrigerated cargo liner. Her name was a reference to the Dominion of New Zealand. The prefix "QSMV" stood for quadruple-screw motor vessel.

The ship was built in England in 1937–39, and when new, she set a number of records for her size and power. She operated between Britain and New Zealand via Australia in civilian service 1938–40 and 1948–62 and was a troop ship 1940–47. She spent half of 1962 in the Port of Seattle as a floating hotel for the Century 21 Exposition, and was then scrapped in Japan.

Building

Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson of Wallsend, built Dominion Monarch as yard number 1547 for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line.[1] Her keel was laid on 14 July 1937 in one of Swan Hunter's West Yards.[2] She represented a transition in steel shipbuilding, as the decks and butts of her topside plating were assembled by electric welding (then relatively new in British shipyards) but the rest of her hull were assembled by the more traditional method of rivetting.

maiden voyage	17 February 1939

out of service	21 April 1962

fate	Scrapped in 1962, Osaka, Japan

registry	Southampton

identification	UK official number 166828 Call sign: GRGG *

Second World War service

On her third voyage from Britain Dominion Monarch was en route from Fremantle to Melbourne on 3 September 1939, the day that France and Britain declared war on Germany. Her crew began painting her grey, and on 8–9 September she called at Sydney, where she was armed with two guns. One was an obsolescent BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun that had been salvaged from the 1899 battleship HMS Venerable (1899) when she was scrapped in 1920; the other was an anti-aircraft gun whose field of fire had to be limited to avoid hitting the liner's own funnels. She reached Wellington on 12 September, spent 17–23 September in Lyttelton for cargo, called at Wellington again on 28 September, and berthed at Auckland for a week from 30 September to embark passengers. On 7 October she left for Britain, calling at Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town in South Africa and Freetown in Sierra Leone before reaching The Downs in the North Sea off Kent on 28 November. The Admiralty considered requisitioning her as a troop ship, but at this stage rejected her as too luxurious.[5]

Dominion Monarch was laid up for six weeks in Tilbury but then resumed her route, sailing on 9 January 1940 via Cape Town, Fremantle and Melbourne to Sydney, where she arrived on 12 February. This time, she did not continue to New Zealand, but spent 11 days at Sydney before starting her return voyage on 23 February. Because of the German submarine threat, she attracted few passengers in either direction, so on the return voyage from Australia, much of her passenger accommodation carried extra cargo. Her public rooms were stacked with crates of fruit and vegetables, and bales of wool were stowed on her games deck.[5] She called at Melbourne and Cape Town, and reached The Downs on 1 April.[15]

The ship left Britain again on 28 April 1940. In wartime merchant and naval ships were blacked out, including their navigation lights. In May Dominion Monarch collided with a coaster that was part of a convoy in the English Channel.[5] Damage seems to have been slight, as she continued via Cape Town to Australia, calling at Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne before reaching Sydney on 6 June.[15]

On her return voyage Dominion Monarch embarked 100 Australian soldiers in Sydney and brought them via Melbourne, Cape Town and Freetown to Liverpool in England, where she arrived on 29 July. At this time, she was still an unconverted civilian liner, so the 100 troops enjoyed accommodation that was designed for 525 first class passengers.[5]

Troop ship

In June 1940 Italy entered the war and France surrendered to Germany, which neutralised the French Navy, gave the Kriegsmarine submarine bases on the French Atlantic coast, and made the Mediterranean almost impassable for Allied shipping. Allied merchant and troop ships had to take much more circuitous routes to reduce the risk of submarine attack, so more ships were needed to move the same number of personnel, and amount of goods and material. The need for troop ships was therefore increased, and in August 1940 the Admiralty requisitioned Dominion Monarch at Liverpool. She then spent six weeks in Liverpool while she was converted to carry 142 officers and 1,341 other ranks.[5]

On 10 September the ship left Liverpool carrying an anti-aircraft regiment to Egypt. To avoid the Mediterranean she sailed with Convoy AP 3/1 via Cape Town, reaching Suez in Egypt on 22 October.[16] She was then sent via Colombo in Ceylon, and Fremantle and Melbourne, to Sydney where she arrived on 22 November.[15] There she was drydocked at Cockatoo Island Dockyard

Post-war civilian service

Dominion Monarch returned to the Tyne where Swan Hunter refitted her as a civilian liner again. This took 15 months, during which she was converted to carry 508 passengers, all First Class.[5] The refit cost £1,500,000 – as much as she had cost to build.[4] She resumed civilian service on 16 December 1948, leaving Britain with passengers and 10,000 tons of cargo for Australia and New Zealand. The crew was a motley collection, there were fights among them and the ship was nicknamed the "Dominion Maniac" or "The Bucket of Blood".[5]

Of the 508 passenger berths, 100 were set aside for passengers between Britain and Cape Town. These were priced at £150 8s 0d, only slightly more than the fare on the competing Union-Castle Line service.[5]

The New Zealand cricket team sailed from Wellington on Dominion Monarch on 26 February 1949 for their summer tour of England.[41] They arrived at Southampton on 2 April.[42] Following a tour of South Africa, the All Blacks rugby union team left Durban on 23 September 1949 for their return home.[43] In 1950 the ship was fitted with a new set of propellers, which gave her quieter running. She spent 5–23 May 1953 at Wallsend slipway for an extensive overhaul.[5] The South African cricket team arrived at Perth, Australia on Dominion Monarch on 14 October 1953 for a tour series.[44]

In 1955, the SS Southern Cross (1955) was completed and joined the Shaw Savill fleet, displacing Dominion Monarch as flagship. The two ships inaugurated a round the world service in alternate directions, extending the London – Cape Town – Australia – Wellington route via Fiji, French Polynesia, Panama and Curaçao back to London.[5]

On one occasion in the latter part of 1961, Dominion Monarch collided with the end of the pier in Sydney Harbour. The damage caused minor flooding in the crew quarters during a storm while crossing the Great Australian Bight.[5]

On 27 June 1961, Vickers-Armstrongs on the Tyne launched Dominion Monarch's replacement, the SS Northern Star (1962).[45] Dominion Monarch left London for the last time on 30 December 1961. In February 1962 she was sold to Mitsui for £400,000 and on 15 March she left Wellington for the last time.[5] She arrived at Southampton on or about 22 April. After disembarking her passengers, she sailed to London to unload her cargo.[46] On 10 July Northern Star entered service in her stead.[45]

References

New 27,000-ton liner 20 December 1937^
Reuben Goossens. QSMV Dominion Monarch ssMaritime, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships Lloyd's Register, 1940, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Many new liners 1 January 1949^
Marcus Castell. Q.S.M.V. Dominion Monarch The New Zealand Maritime Record, 3 September 2007, retrieved 4 August 2014^
New motor liner launched 28 July 1938^
Special train to Tyneside Launch 26 July 1938^
Children's dining saloon, Dominion Monarch Te Ara; The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Government of New Zealand, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Luxurious Ship: Comfort a Feature of Dominion Monarch The Mercury, National Library of Australia, 6 June 1938, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Willian Doxford & Sons 31 October 1938^
Largest ship docked in the Tyne 13 January 1939^
New liner from the Tyne 30 January 1939^
Developments at the Port of London 30 May 1939^
Voyage of Dominion Monarch 20 March 1939^
Arnold Hague. Dominion Monarch Ship Movements, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy AP.3/1 AP Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy US.8 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy US.8 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy WS.8A Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy TC.12B TC Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy WS.12 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy WS.12J Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy WS.12V Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Slader. 1988^
Arnold Hague. Convoy NA.3 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Arnold Hague. Convoy NA.13 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy WS.22B Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy WS.26B Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy CF.13 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy CF.13A Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy CF.13B Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy MKF.22 MKF Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy KMF.25 KMF Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy XIF.3 Shorter Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy MKF.25A MKF Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy UC.45B UC Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy UC.68A UC Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy DS.56 DS Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Convoy SD.56 SD Convoy Series, Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Traditional Ceremonial and Feast: Maori Battalion welcomed home The Illustrated London News, 2 March 1946^
The New Zealand team 28 February 1949^
Arrival of New Zealand team 4 April 1949^
Dr. Malan's cable to All Blacks 24 September 1949^
Cricket 15 October 1953^
Marcus Castell. Northern Star 1961–1975 The New Zealand Maritime Record, 20 June 2007, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Last homecoming of Dominion Monarch 23 April 1962^
Paul Dorpat. Seattle Now & Then: Dominion Monarch Dorpat Sherrard Momont, retrieved 4 August 2014^
Paul Dorpat. Ocean liner was a 'botel' during 1962 World's Fair Pacific North West Magazine, The Seattle Times Company, 10 August 2012, retrieved 6 August 2014^
World's Fair The Spokesman-Review, Cowles Publishing Company, 19 March 1962, retrieved 13 July 2015^
1946 Peace Stamps NZ, retrieved 6 August 2014^
Bon Voyage Philatelism, retrieved 6 August 2014^

Three times around the world

Britain, her Allies and the United States were increasingly concerned at Japanese aggression in the Far East. Dominion Monarch embarked 1,672 troops – 238 more than her usual capacity – and on 29 September left Liverpool in Convoy WS 12, which was carrying more than 41,500 troops to the Far East. WS 12 had 19 troop ships, including Holland America Line's SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1937), P&O's RMS Strathaird and four Canadian Pacific troop ships: RMS Empress of Japan (1930), RMS Empress of Canada (1922), Empress of Russia and Duchess of Richmond. WS 12 reached Freetown on 14 October,[21] where Dominion Monarch left five days later for Cape Town and the Indian Ocean. At sea on 17 November the cruiser HMS Glasgow (C21) met a group of ships from Convoy WS 12 – Dominion Monarch, Empress of Canada and Duchess of Richmond and the cargo liner Perseus – to form Convoy WS 12J to Colombo,[22] whence Dominion Monarch and Empress of Canada continued with Glasgow and the destroyer HMS Dragon (D46) as Convoy WS 12V, reaching Singapore on 28 November.[23]

At Singapore Shaw, Savill and Albion had Dominion Monarch drydocked and her engines stripped down for overhaul,[24] but on 7 December Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the next day it invaded Hong Kong and Malaya. Japanese forces rapidly gained air superiority and mounted increasing air raids on Singapore. Dominion Monarch's engines had been dismantled, but her chief engineer and crew rapidly got them reassembled[24] and on 10 December[15] she sailed for the relative safety of New Zealand. Two months later in the Battle of Singapore most of the troops that she had taken to Singapore were either killed or captured and spent the next three and a half years as prisoners of war of the Japanese.

Dominion Monarch reached Auckland on 22 December and spent Christmas 1941 and New Year 1942 there. On 8 January she left carrying 1,157 troops to Britain. Again she crossed the Pacific and passed through the Panama Canal, and on 3 February she reached Halifax to await a convoy. On 11 February she and the Royal Mail Lines troop ship RMS Alcantara (1926) left with three destroyers as Convoy NA 3 to the Firth of Clyde. Dominion Monarch continued to Liverpool, arrived on 19 February and stayed in port 27 days for repairs.[25]

On 22 March 1942 Dominion Monarch left Liverpool for Orsay, Inner Hebrides, where she became part of Convoy WS 17 to South Africa. WS 17 included Alcantara and several other British troop ships, Netherland Line's MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the US troop ship SS Brazil (1928). It called at Freetown and reached Cape Town on 19 April, whence Dominion Monarch sailed independently across the Indian Ocean and reached Bombay on 6 May. She left Bombay on 15 May, called at Colombo, Fremantle and Sydney and reached Auckland on 12 June. She left on Auckland for Britain on 22 June, again going through the Panama Canal and stopping at Halifax to await a suitable convoy. On 21 July she and the liner SS Letitia left with four destroyers as Convoy NA 13 to the Firth of Clyde. Dominion Monarch continued to Liverpool, arrived on 29 July and stayed in port 24 days for repairs.[26]

On 26 August Dominion Monarch left Liverpool for the Firth of Clyde, where she became part of Convoy WS 22 to India. The convoy's several troop ships included Royal Mail Lines' Alcantara and RMS Andes (1939) and Orient Line's SS Orcades (1936). WS 22 left the Clyde on 29 August and reached Freetown on 9 September, where Dominion Monarch left four days later for Cape Town and the Indian Ocean. At sea on 11 October the cruiser HMS Hawkins (D86) met a group of ships from Convoy WS 22 – Dominion Monarch, Cunard's troop ship RMS Franconia (1922), Anchor Line's SS California (1923) and four Dutch troop ships including Johan van Oldenbarnevelt – to form Convoy WS 22B, reaching Bombay on 17 October.[27] A week later Dominion Monarch left Bombay for New Zealand, calling at Fremantle and Sydney, reaching Auckland on 16 November and then spending 12 days in port. On 28 November she left for her fourth troop voyage to Britain via the Panama Canal. This time instead of sailing via Halifax to join an eastbound convoy she crossed the Atlantic unescorted, reaching Liverpool on 28 December.[15]

Indian Ocean, Egypt and Mediterranean

The ship spent New Year 1943 in Liverpool, and after three weeks in port sailed to the Firth of Clyde to start another voyage to the Indian Ocean. Convoy WS 26 to Freetown included Empress of Canada, Duchess of Richmond, Stratheden and California, plus P&O's troop ship RMS Mooltan, Union-Castle Line's troop ship RMS Arundel Castle and several others, four of them Dutch. It left the Clyde on 24 January and reached Freetown on 6 February, whence Dominion Monarch continued via Durban to the Indian Ocean. At sea on 11 March HMS Hawkins met a group of ships from Convoy WS 26 – Dominion Monarch, Stratheden, Mooltan, California, Royal Rotterdam Lloyd's Dempo and British-India Line's Chyebassa – to form Convoy WS 26B, reaching Bombay on 17 March.[28]

After 10 days in Bombay Dominion Monarch sailed unescorted to Durban, and then to Wellington where she arrived on 30 April. By now her accommodation seems to have been increased, for as well as loading 8,000 tons of cargo and 3,000 bags of mail she embarked 3,535 troops; more than twice the number for which she had been converted in 1940. After a fortnight in port she sailed for Fremantle, where she arrived on 23 May. Jim Smythe notes in his war diary that "it was a fine day, sea very calm" and that the "ship berthed at 1700hrs". There she and Nieuw Amsterdam formed Convoy US 19, which was just the two troop ships sailing together to Colombo. Dominion Monarch continued independently via Aden, and reached Suez on 11 June. Five days later she sailed via Colombo to Cape Town, where she arrived on 10 July[15] and stayed in port for three and a half weeks.

In Cape Town she joined Canadian-Australasian Line's MV Aorangi (1924) and the battleships HMS Revenge (06) and HMS Resolution (09) to form Convoy CF 13, which sailed on 4 August.[29] It called at Pointe-Noire, French Congo on 11–13 August whence it continued as Convoy CF 13A, reaching Freetown on 24 August.[30] There the four ships were joined by the Dutch troop ship Dempo and became Convoy CF 13B, which left Freetown the next day and reached Gibraltar on 31 August.[31]

By then the Allies had won the North African Campaign and invaded Sicily, and had resumed normal convoys between Egypt and Britain through the Mediterranean. The ship joined Convoy MKF 22, which was on its way from Port Said to the Firth of Clyde, and Dominion Monarch reached Liverpool on 9 September. There, she landed 3,429 troops and remained for a further 25 days for drydocking.[32]

The ship then joined Convoy KMF 25, which left Liverpool on 16 October, went through the Mediterranean bound for Alexandria. Dominion Monarch continued to Port Said, arriving on 31 October.[33] Two days later she sailed in Convoy XIF 3 to Italy, and on 6 November reached Augusta, Sicily[34] where she embarked 3,630 troops. She joined Convoy MKF 25A, which was en route from Port Said to the Firth of Clyde, arriving on 24 November. Dominion Monarch reached Liverpool the next day and spent the next nine days under repair.[35]

QSMV Dominion Monarch

Building

Pre-war service

Second World War service

Troop ship

Post-war civilian service

Century 21 Exposition and scrapping

Postage stamps

In popular culture

Sources and further reading

External links

References

Three times around the world

Indian Ocean, Egypt and Mediterranean

Transatlantic convoys

The end of hostilities