Built as a passenger- cargo vessel under yard No 664 by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., Barrow for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).
18 July 1931 launched as the STRATHAIRD, named after the district and headland in the south of Isle of Skye in the Hebrides. One sister the STRATHNAVER.
Tonnage 22,544 gross, 13,621 net, 6,230 dwt ton. Dim. 202.4 x 24.4 x 10.08m. Length bpp. 194.7m.
Powered by two steam turbines manufactured by the shipbuilder, connected through electric motors, 28,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 21 knots.
When built she carried three funnels, of which the first and third were dummies.
Passenger accommodation 498 first class, 670 tourist class.
Cargo capacity 441,000 cubic feet.
10 January 1932 ran trials and delivered to owners.
She was built for the service between the U.K. and Australia.
12 February 1932 she left on her maiden voyage from Tilbury on the River Thames and via the Suez Canal sailed to Bombay before she headed south to Australia.
23 December 1932 she left Sydney for a five day cruise to Norfolk Island, she was the first P&O ship what was used as a cruise vessel.
Later during the 1930s during the Northern summer she made cruises from British ports to the fjords of Norway.
26 August 1939 requisitioned by the British Ministry of Shipping for service as a troop transport, converted as a troopship in Liverpool.
STRATHAIRD went after the conversions to Wellington, New Zealand, were in January 1940 New Zealand troops embarked her, she left on 6 January 1940 where after she in convoy sailed via Australia to Suez.
She returned to Australia and arrived Sydney on 7 March , she went to Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company for further conversion from 25 March till 5 April, additional accommodation for troops were made., after the conversion was completed she went to Melbourne were the Australian troops embarked.
15 April 1940 left Melbourne.
22 April she left in convoy US2 Australian waters and via a stopover in Colombo she sailed to Suez, where the convoy arrived on 17 May and berthed 18 May at El Kantara where her troops were disembarked.
She took part in the landings of North Africa in Operation Torch as one in the second wave of convoys to North Africa.
Thereafter she returned to general trooping duties until the end of the war.
20 September 1946 handed back to the P&O Line where after she was reconditioned by her builders.
The two dummy funnels were removed and the other lengthened.
Passenger accommodation for 573 first class and 496 tourist class.
20 December 1947 re-entered commercial service between the U.K. and Australia, and sailed on 22 January 1948 for her first voyage from Tilbury to Australia after the war.
1954 Refitted in a one class vessel with 1242 tourist class passengers; on 08 April 1954 she left Tilbury for the first time as a one class vessel.
28 March 1961 she left for her last voyage Tilbury for Australia, returning back 18 June.
21 July 1961 sold for £382,500 to Shun Fung Ironworks Co., Hong Kong where she arrived on 24 July1961
17 August 1961 demolition commenced.
Norfolk Island 2010 $2.10 sg?, scott?
Source: From Chusan to Sea Princess by Malcolm R Gordon. P&O a Fleet History, World Ship Society.
Migrant Ships to Australia and New Zealand 1900 top 1939 by Peter Plowman. Across the Sea to War by Peter Plowman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Strathaird