Orcades (1937)

RMS "Orcades" was a British built ocean liner that served on the UK-Australia route as a Royal Mail Ship from 1937-1939. "Orcades" was requistioned by the British government as a troopship in 1939.

Torpedoed and sunk by German U-172 on 10 October 1942 with the loss of 48 lives and 1,117 survivors.

The vessel's sister ship was "Orion". The interior fittings of "Orcades" and "Orion" were designed by New Zealand-born modernist architect Brian OʼRorke. [Quartermain]

Orcades is an ancient name [Encyclopedia Britannica] for the Orkney Islands.

References

* Latimer, David W (2002) "Passenger ships of the 20th century: an illustrated encyclopedia", p.259, Colourpoint Books ISBN 1 898392 70 6
* [http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/PhotoSearchSearchResults.asp?I=undefined&browseagain=undefined&refnum=&seriesno=&pagesize=10&Pheading=undefined&Sheading=undefined&S=1&F=1&O=0&T=I&C=5961&M=1&K=orcades National Archives of Australia]
* [http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/b/3/7/doc/b37980.shtml State Library of Victoria]
* [http://www.uboat.net/boats/u172.htm U-172]

Footnotes

1. Quartermain, Peter and Peter, Bruce (2006) "Cruise: Identity, Design and Culture", p.39, Laurence King Publishing ISBN 1 856694 46 1

2. [http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Places/orkencyc.html Encyclopedia Britannica]