Hello First timer here

[robin weeden]

Hello... Im trying to find out information re my father He served on the above ship in the 20s Ive lots of photos from around Europe from his time on board How can I find out what his job was ? I was 14 when he died so never got the chance to ask.... Can anyone help ?

Ive found out info re the ship apparently the first Arcadian was sunk in WW1 in the Med. Another one was refurbished by the Royal Mail and renamed after the war this was the Arcadian he was on fortunately

[Ron B Manderson]

Welcome to the site Robin.
Mate, be ready to repell borders.
I'm sure the members will come up with some info.
Ron The batcave

[Chris Allman]

Good evening Robin and welcome to the site - in order to find out more about your father, members will need to know his full name - DOB and any further information you can supply about him, I have researched the ship for you as follows :-

Arcadian - Off No 124669 - Passenger Liner - built 1907 by Harland & Wolff for Royal Mail - launched as Asturias - 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted as a Hospital Ship renamed HMHS Asturias - 1917 torpedoed and beached - salvaged and towed to Plymouth - declared a Total Loss - used as Ammunition Hulk 1917 to 1919 - 1920 Hulk returned to owners and repaired and converted to Cruise Liner renamed Arcadian - 12,015 GRT - LOA 520' 3" ( 158.6m ) - Beam - 62' 3" ( 19m ) - Draught 31' 8" ( 9.7m ) - Twin Screws - 1930 laid up - 1933 broken up in Japan.

Hope this helps.

[Doc Vernon]

Yes Welcome Robin and as suggested by our Moderator Chris we will need all that info so as we may be of some help.
Will await your reply.
Cheers
Hope you Enjoy what we have on offer here

[j.sabourn]

#3... Just out of interest when you quote draft figures and statistics as mentioned,these must have. All been converted from linear measurements of feet and inches .There was no such things as metric. measurements in British ships in those days. I always sailed deepsea with draft figures being 6 inches and other measurements one could understand. All depths on charts were in fathoms and feet not metres as today. They were. Changed to make it easier for some I suppose. Maybe in line with E.U. commands ? The conversions to such must alone have cost huge amounts of money. Even when talking about weight there were long tons or short tons, the metric ton was a stowaway not really taken as a threat until too late. For many on this site who left the sea prior to 1970 their knowledge of the likes of the deep sea lead and hand lead would do them no good ,as no one would. Understand what they were talking about. This knowledge is not going off the subject but may be of help to Robin when he is trying to visualise some of the future figures as regards. Ships he may be given. Cheers JS.

[Chris Allman]

Point taken John - I have further researched the ship from Harland and Wolff records and supplied the dimensions in feet and inches. See above.

[j.sabourn]

May even get round to the bent bananas yet. Leave that for those off the freezer ships. JS

[robin weeden]

Hello Gents... thank you for your welcome and prompt research. Re the info you require. His name was Ernest Weeden DOB 13 August 1900 from West London The only photo I have of him in uniform shows him in what I would call a plain uniform with a white peaked cap. As he took so many photos he might have been a ships photographer as I think his ship delivered mail and took fee paying tourists on board. Ive no photos of any tourists though. As far as I know he didn't return to sea after his time on this ship

[Doc Vernon]

Ernest Weeden Discharge Book Number R24341
Assistant Photographer
Ship Arcadian O/N 124669 Discharged on 1/2/1927

Weeden E.jpg

Arcadian 1927.jpg

Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works

[j.sabourn]

Robin ref. The white peaked cap. The only definite information one can get from your hat is that the photo was taken in the summertime. Previous to about about 1960. The RN used to only wear the white cap cover in the UK in the summer months , otherwise it was just the plain black cap with no cap cover. The MN followed this tradition. In later years the white cover was worn all year round. Who knows !!! maybe that was was the real start of climate change. Cheers JS