She was built in 1897 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 6287grt, a length of 430ft, a beam of 52ft 2in and a service speed of 12.5 knots.

She was part of the convoy from Capetown carrying the British Garrison, with their families, 27th August 1914, and on 20th October 1914 she was commissioned as a hospital ship with 408 beds.

HMHS Goorkha was mined on the 10th October 1917 off Malta. There were 362 survivors on board, including 17 nursing sisters. The vessel was cleared within 35 minutes and there were no casualties.

She was subsequently towed into the Malta Harbour where on 18th October she was decommissioned and returned to the company for repairs and resumption of commercial services.

She was laid up at Netley, Southampton Water in 1926 and eventually broken up by Thos. W. Ward in 1928.

Roll-of-Honour.com 2002-2015

Service in The Boer War - 1899 to 1902

Regiment

Sailed

Arrived

Army Service Corps - 22nd & 41st Company

8 July at Southampton

2 August at Southampton

Grenadier Guards - 3rd Battalion

25 October from Gibraltar

15 November at Cape Town

Lincolnshire Regiment - 2nd Battalion

King’s Own Scottish Borderers - 1st Battalion

4 January from Southampton

26 January at Cape Town

In August 1914 she became a troopship and took part in the famous six ship Union-Castle convoy which brought 4000 troops to Europe.

Service in WW1

Master

From

To

F J Moseley

6/1897

5/1905

G K Gandy

1901


G W Armstrong

7/1903

2/1904


6/1905

1/1911

J N Culverwell

12/1908

2/1909

L A Millard

6/1909

9/1909

B Burt

3/1911

1/1912

Laid up

2/1912

4/1912

J N Culverwell

5/1912

11/1913

H Strong

11/1913

6/1914

B A Bryan

6/1914

7/1914

J R Whitton

7/1914

11/1916


5/1918

5/1919

S H Owen

3/1919


Vessel

Built

Tonnage

Official No

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

HP

Screws

Goorkha

1897

6287

106917

Harland & Wolff

Belfast

Harland & Wolff

Belfast

2 x Triple Expansion Steam

508 NHP

2750 IHP

2

Career Summary

Goorkha

PTHQ

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