WikiWirral its great, register, enjoy and welcome.
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,522
Posts1,034,234
Members14,942
Most Online121,890
Sep 24th, 2025
Who's Online Now
5 members (1 invisible), 29,205 guests, and 776 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,811
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
CarrStrubbe, Podgew1, Jfray, Mikerd, JonDickinson
14,942 Registered Users
New General Forums
Do we need Trident?
by derekdwc - 20th Jan 2016 1:11pm
New Wirral History
Heswall and "Yowlers"
by neil1024 - 22nd Jan 2025 11:36am
Top Posters(30 Days)
mikeeb 1
Topic Replies
Bin Collections Xmas 2025
by diggingdeeper - 23rd Dec 2025 9:50am
Kimpri (Joe)
by johncon - 18th Dec 2025 4:14pm
Moreton mere brickworks
by StellaSimmons - 18th Dec 2025 11:16am
Can anyone beat the word Jigger for all its different meanings
by diggingdeeper - 13th Dec 2025 12:28am
Willaston
by Gizbeech - 12th Dec 2025 10:54am
Heswall and "Yowlers"
by neil1024 - 12th Dec 2025 10:22am
Do we need Trident?
by diggingdeeper - 10th Dec 2025 4:35pm
January
M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 29
Mark 4
casper 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#639127 16th Dec 2011 10:09pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Wiki Master
OP Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Forgotten about the Empress of Canada - good reminder thumbsup would love to see some more pics


Attached Images

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Google Ads
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29
Wiki Veteran
Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29
Empress of Canada 1961.

Attached Images
canada.jpg (271.56 KB, 228 downloads)

God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
bert1 #639255 17th Dec 2011 8:29am
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 683
Likes: 1
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 683
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by bert1
Empress of Canada 1961.


That's the 'new' Epress of Canada which made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Canada on 24th April 1961. The one that caught fire in the No 1 branch of Gladston Dock on 25th January 1953 was built as the Duchess of Richmond in 1928, and became the second Empress of Canada following a re-fit in 1947.

Attached Images
empresscanada2.jpg (148.64 KB, 230 downloads)
P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
As a young lad I went for a few runs on the Overhead, just to get a good view of the blackend hulk of the Empress of Canada in Glastone (I think) Dock. From memory, she lay on her side for ages before she was righted.

Last edited by Pinzgauer; 17th Dec 2011 8:43am.
#639267 17th Dec 2011 9:01am
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 683
Likes: 1
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 683
Likes: 1
It took more than a year to re-float the Empress, she was finally winched upright, after removal of masts and funnels, in March 1954 and re-floated in May of the same year. She was then towed to Genoa for breaking up.

Attached Images
canada2.jpg (139.74 KB, 224 downloads)
Canada1.jpg (206.5 KB, 224 downloads)
#639268 17th Dec 2011 9:02am
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29
Wiki Veteran
Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29


God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
Brilliant ! Thanks Bert/upton.

Last edited by Pinzgauer; 17th Dec 2011 9:12am.
#639321 17th Dec 2011 12:10pm
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,390
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,390
Seem to remember watching the 'Empresses' in and out of the river as a child. We used to call them the 'banana boats'.

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Wiki Master
OP Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
I'm curious why she keeled over, or was she purposely scuttled to reduce risk of the fire spreading around the dock?


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
From memory (scratch scratch) she keeled over due to massive amount of water poured into her to try and get to the seat of the fire. I don't think the fire was put out until she went glug-glug into the dock!

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Wiki Master
OP Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Ta thumbsup


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 338
Old Hand
Offline
Old Hand
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 338
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
I'm curious why she keeled over, or was she purposely scuttled to reduce risk of the fire spreading around the dock?


Full story HERE

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Wiki Master
OP Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,559
Likes: 35
Wow, that's comprehensive, good find thumbsup


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 190
Enthusiast
Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 190
My Uncle served on the Empress of Canada, he was adrift for 3 days in a lifeboat before being picked up, he was found to be to young to serve !. when he reached the required age he then served in malaya.

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29
Wiki Veteran
Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,826
Likes: 29
Originally Posted by Historybook
My Uncle served on the Empress of Canada, he was adrift for 3 days in a lifeboat before being picked up, he was found to be to young to serve !. when he reached the required age he then served in malaya.


That would be the first Empress of Canada.

copied from elsewhere.
RMS Empress of Canada (1922), a 21,517-ton 653-foot (199 m) ship built in Glasgow, Scotland; Vancouver-based ship served the Far East; served as troopship in World War II; torpedoed and sunk off Africa by an Italian submarine in 1943; 392 of 1,800 aboard perished
RMS Empress of Canada (1928), originally the Duchess of Richmond; served as troopship in World War II; renamed Empress of Canada in 1947; caught fire and capsized in Liverpool in 1953; scrapped the following year
RMS Empress of Canada (1961), transatlantic liner providing service between Canada and the United Kingdom during the summer and cruising from New York City to the Caribbean in the winter; made 121 Atlantic crossings before being sold to Carnival Cruise Lines in 1971; later Mardi Gras, and Apollo


God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Bin Collections Xmas 2025
by diggingdeeper - 23rd Dec 2025 9:50am
Moreton mere brickworks
by Gizbeech - 12th Dec 2025 10:31am
Kimpri (Joe)
by derekdwc - 20th Nov 2025 10:51am
Heswall and "Yowlers"
by neil1024 - 22nd Jan 2025 11:36am
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
eggandchips
eggandchips
wallasey
Posts: 2,695
Joined: November 2011
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
News : New Topics
Bin Collections Xmas 2025
by diggingdeeper - 23rd Dec 2025 9:50am
Kimpri (Joe)
by derekdwc - 20th Nov 2025 10:51am
New Enthusiast Forums
Moreton mere brickworks
by Gizbeech - 12th Dec 2025 10:31am
Willaston
by Erainn - 19th Jun 2020 2:48pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,770,845 CW Chat room thread
5,919,234 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,643,163 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5