Bambra (ship)

Bambra
History
BuilderAKT GES Weser
CompletedAugust 1903
IdentificationOfficial number 139033
FateScrapped
General characteristics
Tonnage3,302 GRT, 2,578 DWT
PropulsionTriple expansion engine
Speed14 knots

Bambra was a ship by AKT GES Weser for Norddeutscher Lloyd in 1903 and subsequently operated by a number of other operators.

History

The ship was completed in August 1903 by AKT GES Weser, Bremen for Norddeutscher Lloyd as the Prinz Sigismund for use on the Singapore to Australia service.[1][2][3]

Upon the outbreak of World War I, it was seized on 4 August 1914 by the Government of Australia in Brisbane at the request of the Government of the United Kingdom.[4] After court action over the ownership of its cargo, it was briefly operated by the Royal Australian Navy renamed the N2. It proved unsatisfactory and was laid up before being chartered to Stateships as a replacement for the Western Australia.[5][6] It arrived in Fremantle in June 1915, being renamed Bambra in June 1916.[1][2][3]

It proved to be too large and deep for ports on the North West Australia service, often running aground and colliding with jetties. Having been replaced by the Koolinda, it was transferred to the Board of Trade, leaving for Harwich in February 1927 and scrapped in 1928.[1][2][3][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stephens, Alan (1977). The Stateships Story 1912 - 1977. Fremantle: Stateships. p. 79. ISBN 0 9500952 3 0.
  2. 1 2 3 Ships of the State Shipping Service Maritime Heritage Association Newsletter March 2006 page 5
  3. 1 2 3 Bambra Maritime Heritage Association Newsletter December 2020 pages 3/4
  4. ↑ Prinz Sigismund Detained Daily Telegraph 20 March 1915 page 13
  5. ↑ The Prinz Sigismund The Telegraph 25 May 1915 page 7
  6. ↑ WA Government takes the Prinz Sigismund Evening News 2 June 1915 page 5
  7. ↑ Bambra Sold Albany Advertiser 30 July 1927 page 2