Hello, and old photo

[Phil Bailey]

Good Morning All. I realise this is a long shot, but this forum looks like the right place. I acquired the attached photo from my father, who acquired it from his father, who was a ship's cook from 1905. On the back of the photo it's noted that it was taken from the Highland Chieftain, who answered an SOS, in 1928. Grandfather's documents show he joined the Chieftain in February 1929 as Chief Cook, so the year may be wrong. I've always wondered what the story behind the photo was. What ship was that? Did she survive? The Highland Chieftain was sailing between Liverpool and the River Plate in those days, so I guess this probably is somewhere in the Atlantic.

Thanks for any thoughts,

Phil

[Richard Quartermaine]

Good evening. You'll find a lot of pals here Phil who have access to a wealth of information. I lived in South Harting, West Sussex in the early 1970s, a beautiful part of the world. Good luck in your quest.
Richard

[Keith at Tregenna]

Most probably:

'Highland Chieftain' Launched on the 21st of June 1928 and delivered on January 26th 1929. She made her maiden voyage on the London River Plate service on the 21st of February and transferred to Royal Mail in 1932. Commenced wartime trooping duties in 1939 and was damaged on the 11th of October, 1940, during a bombing raid on Liverpool. Didn't resume her commercial operations until 1948 on the River Plate service and was sold out of the fleet in January of 1959 to the Calpe Shipping Company of Gibraltar and converted for use in the whaling industry, renamed Calpean Star. In March of 1960 she suffered rudder damage when off Montevideo and after leaving under tow she suffered a boiler room explosion which resulted in her being abandoned, the wreck wasn't cut up for scrap until 1965.


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[Ivan Cloherty]

Keith, the photo of the ship in question was taken FROM the Highland Chieftan, so we need to know the name of the burning ship, if I've read it right!

[Keith at Tregenna]

I would imagine the date on the back of 1928 was the build and joining the ship in 29 fits in with her maiden voyage ? The other ship may take a tad longer ! K


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[Keith at Tregenna]

What ship was that?

Thanks for any thoughts,

Phil

I BELIEVE HER TO BE THE SS L'ATLANTIQUE.

s.s. L´Atlantique fire on Channel - Original footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKZE0MakTRM

also REPORTED AT THIS pdf link: Page 200. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...ws-1935-10.pdf

[Phil Bailey]

I BELIEVE HER TO BE THE SS L'ATLANTIQUE.

s.s. L´Atlantique fire on Channel - Original footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKZE0MakTRM

also REPORTED AT THIS pdf link: Page 200. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...ws-1935-10.pdf

Hello Keith, wow that's quick. That's definitely the one, isn't it -- the photo in the American Radio History article could even be from the same camera. My previous googling had turned up plenty of into on the Highland Chieftain, but no links to this incident. Thank you very much.

Phil

[Doc Vernon]

Very well done there Keith
You are getting very good at all this if I may say so!
Cheers