The Gallant Six Hundred.

[Fouro]

The Gallant Six Hundred.

This is a very interesting story for those of you who now live in Australia.

The Sabre |

FOURO.

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks FOURO yes very interesting!
Cheers

[Fouro]

The Cunard steamship company was founded in 1840 by Samuel Cunard with the express intention of tendering for the lucrative transatlantic mail contract. In 1840 contracts were signed and so was born the special relationship between the British government and Cunard. As Cunard prospered, his fleet grew and so did his subsidies. However, the Admiralty stipulated that in the event of war they could requisition his fleet. When the Crimean War broke out, the Admiralty called on Cunard for his fleet. Cunard supplied eleven of his sixteen ships to the Admiralty during this war for the purpose of troop transport. When this war was over, Cunard returned to commercial routes.
In 1903 the Cunard company and the Admiralty signed an agreement which would tie the two together. This meant that Cunard were at the mercy of the British Admiralty in all aspects of their shipbuilding programme and their fleet placed at the disposal of the Admiralty in time of war.

FOURO.