Drury Family History

Orient Steam Navigation Company. Built in 1925 by Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, England 20026 tons, 192.63m long x 22.91m wide (632ft x 75ft), 2 propellers, 2 masts, geared turbine, 6 double and 2 single ended boilers which gave a speed of 18 knots. Passengers 1700 and a crew of 420. Jan 9 1926 Maiden voyage to Australia from London via the Suez Canal to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In her first year she ran aground off the Greek coast. In 1939 she was converted to a troopshipand in Nov 1942 was fitted out as an assault ship. She was present at the North African, Sicilian and Italian landings. In 1948 she was refitted as a one class ship by Cammel Laird, Birkenhead, initiating Orient Line's post-War single class service. On July 14th 1949 she resumed her service to Australia and made her final sailing to Sydney via Capetown on 13 Feb 1957. In June 1957 she was sold to be broken up at Faslane, near Glasgow, Scotland.