Hospital ships

Connor-Ballard, P. (1998). Angels of the Mercy Fleet Nursing the ill and wounded aboard U.S. Navy hospital ships in the Pacific during World War II. Retrieved March 27, 2007 from http // 131.158.7.207/cgi-bin/tsnrp/search3tudies.cgi id=149... 

Fragrances were needed in profusion to combat the olfactory disaster zones of prisons, hospitals, ships, churches, theatres, workshops and, indeed, anywhere where there was a gathering of humming humanity. Major cities sported ooze-smelling rivers, malignant vapours and rank-smelling fogs from industry. Dyers, tanners, butchers and various artisans added to the smoke, coal, sulfur and fetid aromas in the air, and the environment was further fouled by the lax sanitary conditions of the time. 

The American hospital ship Red Cross ex-H iniburf>) at Falmouth in September 1911. linusually, for a World War I hospital ship, she has Ked C rosses on her funnels but not on her sides. She later served as the hospital ship Rowimtan. 

The screw steamer Andes which, with her Cunard fleetmate Cumbria, were the first steam passenf[Pg.9]

Unlike these ships, which were entitled to protection from attack under the Geneva Convention, the Franconia and nineteen other vessels like her were classed as ambulance transports or black hospital ships . These were also equipped to convey and treat sick and wounded but they doubled as troop and stores carriers on return voyages... 

The > real liner hospital ships — the Aquituniii departinj Southampton, assisted by tufjs. (Imperial IVar Museum)... 

Followiiif her period of service as a troopsliip, the Mauretania was repainted in hospital ship colours in September 1913. 

Duriiif World War I the peacetime troopship. 4.s.saye was converted into a hospital ship, as were her sister ships Plassy and Sobraon. iCPL)... 

No battledress, of any variety, was of value in protecting ships from magnetic mines for they distinguished neither friend nor foe. Hiding behind camouflage or displaying hospital ship or neutrality colours made no difference. 

Many more ships were taken over as hospital ships diirinf World War II than in World War I ... 

The Dutch naval hospital ship Tjitjalenfika, number D3. 

The American hospital ship Comfort, rebuilt from the Ward Line Steamsliip Yuaitnn (ex Ihivmm). 

Japan also commissioned a number of hospital ships ... 

Drottninnhohn. In this view, taken in 1910,the Drottningliolm displays the word I ROTKC Tia) on the side of her hull. She was repatriating wounded British prisoners from German prisoner of war camps across the North Sea in consort with the British hospital ship Atlantis. Imperial Bar Museum)... 

The Hritisli India educational cruise ship Vffiindii in hospital ship t uise durintt the Falklands C ampai>[Pg.74]

The VniUfd States was not, in the event, rebuilt as a hospital ship. Instead she continued in lay up at Norfolk, Virj inia. Appropriately, in a book concerned with passeiifier ship colouriiift, it is interestinjj to note how, as her scheme in this May 1980 picture shows, the ship s 1909 refit was abruptly ended when lost subsidies forced the United States Lines to prematurely retire her. 

In place of the United States, the US Navy took up instead the redundant oil tankers Rose City and Worth which were converted into the hospital ships Comfort seen here, and Mercy. 

As to the auxiliaries that tornied part ol the Falklands Task Force, only one, the U ancla, was repainted and this was into the rej>ulation hospital ship colours stipulated by the Geneva Convention. No colour obscuration or concealment was even considered for the converted troopships for the ability of modern missile systems to seek out targets electronically, over the horizon il necessary, rendered visual camouflage largely irrelevant. 

Plumridge, Lt Col J H, Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains (Seeley Service, 1975)... 

United States ( 952) 148. 149 hospital ship model 147 United Slates Military Sealift Command. Rapid Deployment Force 149 United Stales Armv Transports (USAT)... 

In contrast. Royal Mail Fine s Asturias, British hospital ship number 2, does not display a Red Cross on her funnel which is also painted huff, not white. 

Spartan and Trojan, P O s Egypt, the Orcana of the I acific Steam Navi >ation Company and tlie Maine, first of five ships of this name to serve as Britisli hospital ships, all of which were chartered for the duration of the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Two years earlier, the first American hospital ships, the Missouri, Bay State, Belief and Solace, all converted liners, were fitted out for the duration of the Spanish American War (1897). 

The first hospital ship to bear the name Maine, formerly of the Atlantic Transport Line. 

A third type of hospital ship was the hospital carrier. These vessels also wore the regulation hospital ship colours and were protected under the Geneva Convention, but they were not fully fitted out with wards, surgery, dispensary and so on. Outwardly they could not be distinguished from full hospital ships and ultimately many were completely converted. 

When studying photographs, it is interesting to note, considering the quite specific terms of the colouring regulations for hospital ships, that there was considerable variation in the interpretation of these rules. Not all British ships, for instance, displayed the Red Cross symbol on their funnels, which were painted in a buff shade rather than white. 

A view of the Aquitnniii showinf her with rather dirty paintwork near the end of her hospital ship career. Umporiiil War MuHcum)... 

The Britiinnic s hospital ship colours are clearly shown in this view. See the Red Cross flaft flyinfj from her foremast. 

Some smaller World War 1 hospital ships — the Ebani, with hull stripe and colours generally faded and in need of a fresh coat of paint. 

The - quitania swopped her hospital ship dress for this dazzle scheme which is distinguished by bold serrations. Compare this photofjraph with that of the Leviathan, on pa> e 71, whose camouflajje desii n also featured saw tooth patterns. [Imperial IV ar il/useum)... 

The Neuralia, restored to peacetime trooping duties after serving as a hospital ship during World War I. 

The Tnhoni of the Deutsche Ost Afrika in a hospital ship colour scheme that hardly accords with the regulations of the (ieneva Convention. 

The 7V i/re i of British India Line, British J hospital ship number 55, at Port Tewfik, Suez, and. .. (Imperiiil War Museum)... 

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