White Star Line career
Medic was launched at Belfast on 15 December 1898, but her completion was delayed until 6 July the following year, so that improvements that were being made to her earlier sister SS Afric could be incorporated into her construction.[3]
Medic inaugurated White Star's new Australia service with her maiden voyage, which started from Liverpool on 3 August 1899, she was then the largest ship ever to sail to Australia.[4][5] Although Afric was the first ship built for the service, she did not make her first voyage to Australia until the following month. On board the maiden voyage was Charles Lightoller on his first assignment as fourth mate, he would later become the only senior officer to survive the sinking of the Titanic.[3] Upon Medic's arrival in Australia she was greeted with a rapturous reception. Lightoller wrote:
On her first return trip to the UK, Medic carried Australian troops to South Africa for the Boer War which had started in October 1899, and continued to carry troops to the conflict until it concluded in 1902. In October 1900, while Medic was anchored in Neutral Bay, Sydney Harbour, Charles Lightoller and some shipmates were involved in the "Fort Denison Incident", a prank intended to fool locals into believing a Boer raiding party was attacking the city. The culprits were never apprehended but Lightoller confessed to his company's superiors, after which he was transferred to the Atlantic route.[6][7] On 15 June 1907 Medic collided with the 4,134-ton petroleum tank steamer Turbo in fog in the English Channel off the Kent coast while sailing from London to Liverpool. The Turbo was seriously damaged and had to be towed to harbour:[8] The damage to Medic at first appeared to only consist of a crack above the waterline, and so she continued her voyage to Liverpool where she was dry docked for a more thorough examination of the damage: Here it was discovered that Medic had a 5 sqft hole below the waterline; several lumber plates having been loosened and displaced.[9]
Medic initially continued on her scheduled commercial service following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, because of her large refrigerated meat carrying capacity; however, she also carried Australian troops to Britain, as such she gained the designation HMAT (His Majesty's Australian Transport) A7. In November 1914 John Simpson Kirkpatrick departed Australia on board Medic, he would later become famous for his role as a stretcher bearer during the Gallipoli Campaign. In May 1915 Medic was refitted at Sydney to carry 531 troops and 500 horses, to make her better suited to her wartime role.[10] Medic was later commandeered under the British Liner Requisition Scheme in October 1917, and was used as a troopship, until being released from government service in March 1919, after which she returned to the Australian service.[3]
In 1920, Medic underwent a refit where her passenger accommodation was modernised and reconfigured to carry 260 passengers in second class.[4] She continued in service on the Australian route for most of the 1920s, in consort with the SS Persic, SS Runic (1900) and SS Suevic. She made her last voyage for White Star on this route in December 1927; following her return she was laid up for disposal after 28 years of service.[3]
- "She was a show ship, the biggest that had ever been out there, and the people in Australia gave us the time of our lives. Everything and everywhere it was Medic"[3]
