S.S. Orford

address

Notes

A steamer operated by the Orient Steam Navigation Company.

Events

Date Known

3 April 1929

S.S. Orford steams out of from Melbourne, Australia, with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson aboard. Sources: 1

4 April 1929

S.S. Orford docks in Port Adelaide, Australia at about 23:00, with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson aboard. Sources: 1

6 April 1929

S.S. Orford departs from Adelaide, Australia with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson aboard. The sea is rough for the next few days. Jane occupys herself reading “a Life of Abraham Lincoln, also some speeches of Baldwin's.” Sources: 1

9 April 1929

S.S. Orford docks in Freemantle, Australia at 08.00. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson catch the train to Perth, Australia, to visit Kings Park. They walk along an avenue of oaks, “each planted to commemorate a soldier lost in war. All well watered.” Sources: 1

10 April 1929

S.S. Orford departs Freemantle, Australia with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson aboard. Jane records that the sea is “calm at last, a following wind.” Lifeboat drill in the afternoon: “All had to don life belts and assemble at life boat stations. Life boats were manned and lowered to deck. Life belts very uncomfortable.” Sources: 1

17 April 1929

S.S. Orford docks for the day in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson take a car to Kandy, Sri Lanka. En route they observe rice, rubber, tea and coconut plantations. On their way back, “tired of the everlasting outstretched palm” Jane notes seeing “a beautiful shining blue bird, a large brown butterfly, some huge bat-like creatures, crows and magpies.” Sources: 1

20 April 1929

An “exciting” boat drill aboard S.S. Orford, during which Jane Shaw Blaikley observes a “fair sized shark circled round the ship” as two boats manuouvered to collect buoys dropped overboard. Sources: 1

22 April 1929

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson pass Socotra, Yemen and Cape Guardafui, Somalia aboard S.S. Orford on its way into the Red Sea. Sources: 1

27 April 1929

S.S. Orford enters the Suez Canal, Egypt just after midday. Jane Thomson observes that “the east side is very barren but the west side is watered by a canal from the hole and is quite fertile.” Sources: 1

29 April 1929

Jane Shaw Blaikley sees snow covered mountains from the S.S. Orford as they pass Crete. Another boat drill. “Ted in bed with a temperature.” The ship's dooctor diagnoses flu and prescribes bed rest for two days. Sources: 1

1 May 1929

S.S. Orford stops at Naples, Italy. Edward Allan Thomson stays aboard, still recovering from flu. Jane Thomson goes ashort to climbs Mount Vesuvious by electric train. “We looked right down into the great old crater and in the middle of that was a small cone formed in the eruption of 1906. It was vomiting flame coloured smoke with explosions. There were spouts of steam and sulphur coming out from the sides of the crater.” Sources: 1

3 May 1929

At dawn, S.S. Orford passes Elba, Italy and Jane Shaw Blaikley can see Corsica, France on the other side. By 10pm they have reached Toulon, France. “Anchored outside harbour, very cold.” Sources: 1

5 May 1929

S.S. Orford docks at Gibraltar, United Kingdom and Jane and Edward Allan Thomson go ashore. “The rock face is immense and most imposing.”, observes Jane. “It is a beautifully clean town, with signs of the military occupation everywhere. We saw the no mans land lying between Spain and Gibraltar, the large zinc water catchments, the little Italian village just below them.” Sources: 1

7 May 1929

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson arrive back in England aboard S.S. Orford, passing Cape Finesterre “and other lights” on the way. Jane notes: “Wind and sea somewhat lively. Many passengers incapacitated.” Sources: 3

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