What happened to the ship?

[KA]

I don't know which board to put this one on, as it spans several areas, so I'll start off here.

Family history has it that Francis A Carlyon (b. 1885) of London tried to emigrate to Australia just as WW1 started, but the boat was hit and he had to return to UK.  He then tried again when the war was over and made it.  I have a marriage record for him in NSW in 1923.

I have just found him on a passenger list departing UK on 25 September 1914 on the ORSOVA.  I've googled the ship name and come up with lots of information, but nothing to indicate that it was hit by anything, or anything untoward happened on the 1914 voyage.  In fact it was converted into a troopship later in the war.

Does anybody have any information on the Orsova?  Or could shed any light on what could possibly have happened.    Unfortunately the passenger list only states that the boat was bound for Australia, and not a State or a port.  If anybody has any information on which port it might be, so perhaps I could check arrivals it may shed some greater light.

Kind regards

KA

[aghadowey]

Beware that when searching for information on ships that more than one might have carried the name and it was quite common for ships to be renamed.

[Jane MB]

hello,

I've had a look round for info and have come up with a torpedo and beached, but not in the year you are looking for.
ss ORSOVA
~~~~~~~~
built by John Brown Clydebank,
Yard No 383

~~~~~~~~
Last Name: ORSOVA
Port of Registry: London
Propulsion: Steam-8 cyl quad expansion.Speed 18 knots
Launched: Saturday, 07 November 1908
Built: 1909
Ship Type: Passenger Vessel
Ship's Role: London Sydney Brisbane Service
Tonnage: 12036 grt
Length: 552ft
Breadth: 61ft
Owner History:
Orient Line London
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 21/10/1936

Remarks: Maiden voyage 25th June 1909 London via Suez
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane.
Survived torpedo attack and being beached 14th March 1917
Last voyage 20th June 1936
Broken up at Bo'ness

 There is some info on the Great War Forum site which has fab info re army, navy and airforce. Perhaps a search on there may give you more clues.

( i found this stuff in The Great War Forum, under "soldiers and armies of the great war" then "ships and navies" then "TSS Orsova") Once logged in, there is a great search engine that picks up the word on any messages. Its free too!
you may know this, but it could be helpful in the future
Jane

[Jane MB]

also

On the war memorial in my village there is a EDWARDS William John Thomas who was a
 Greaser, Mercantile Marine. H.M.H.T. Orsova (Glasgow). Died 14th March 1917. Age 33. Son of John and Alice Isabelle Edwards of 207 Station Road, Rainham, Kent. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

the same date as the ship was beached!

curiouser and curiouser!

jane
 

[Jane MB]

I have found others who were also on the Orsova in the same year as your relative.
Dame Nellie Melba arrived in Perth 1914 after her celebrated performance at Covent garden. Can't find the month.
EJ Burrows and family arrived in Freemantle on 26th Oct 1914 from London. (same trip?)
William Thomas Ludlow served as a deck boy on the Orsova between 5th June and 12 September 1914, 25th September and 2nd Jan 1915, 7th May and 25th August 1915. On route Tilbury to Australia.
It seems from these dates the ship was still running OK especially as the deck boy did not really have a break in service.
I have also found the 10th general hospital on board in Sydney 14th July 1915 when it had become a troop ship in the April.
I may have made some assumptions here, but what do you think? If the ship had problems and turned back, how did Burrows get to Australia by Oct?

1917 is the year it had problems - could the two events have become mixed in family folklore (as one of my rellies we thought had served on a ship that was violently blown up, even had a picture on the wall of it, but turned out he wasn't on it at all!)

very puzzling!
jane

[hpennings]

The information i have is that the Orsova arrived in Fremantle Australia during February 1915.
It had sailed from London carrying among other passengers my wife's Grandmother and her unborn child. Her father was born 4th Mar 1914 after they had left France late in 1914.
Hope this helps