Hello there;
In looking around on the web I haven't found much about the Hospital Ship Panama but here are a few details:

HMS MAINE ex - Pacific Steam Navigation Company's 'PANAMA' Built in 1902

Purchased 1920., converted 1921, Hospital ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Builder Fairfield Co. Govan, 1902.,
Displacement : 10,100 tons.
Dimensions: length 401ft 3in (p.p)., beam 58ft 4in., draught 23ft 6in/34ft deep load.
Machinery : 2 shaft reciprocating triple expansion, 2 x double ended
boilers, 2 x single ended boilers, I.H.P. 4,000 = 13knots. single funnel.

As an HMHS there is a photo of her here:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/index.php/arc...hip-in-the-navy

She did not become an official HMHS until after purchase in 1920, but the SS Panama was certainly a Hospital Ship before this as a couple of nurses books printed after WW1 relate to the Panama being present off Gallipoli.

Does anyone have more sources on this? Are there any photos of her before conversion to the Maine in 1920?

I have seen a medal card which indicates someones "theatre" served in as the HS Panama and the date is in June 1915 IIRC. Just wanted to know more about the vessel.

Regards
Matt

SS Panama was certainly a Hospital Ship before this as a couple of nurses books printed after WW1 relate to the Panama being present off Gallipoli.

Matt,

Do you have the names of the nurses and of the books?

regards
Michael

Matt,

Are there any photos of her before conversion to the Maine in 1920
This claims to be the Panama c. December 1921;
see http://www.lighthousedepot.com/lite_explor...ails&pk=600


I have seen a medal card which indicates someones "theatre" served in as the HS Panama and the date is in June 1915 IIRC.
Please see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...;accessmethod=5
which appears to indicate that the Panama was sailing between South America and London in mid-1915

I regret that so far, I have seen nothing to connect this ship with the Gallipoli campaign


regards
Michael

Kirkaldie "In Grey and Scarlet" published 1922 Melbourne Austrailia
also see her entry in the Austrailian Dictionary of Biography

North Coast Anzacs Volume 1 by R Gow

Got to find the other pencil notes I made earlier....

Hi Michael;
Interesting. I did a bit of trawling online and there is also a mention of the war service record of a Lt Kenneth Gillies who had been on the staff of the Aberdeen University in their roll of honour, he served on the H.M.H.S Panama and it states sailing between England, Malta, Mudros and Suvla Bay". Perhaps it only went there once? Since Mudros was a staging area for the campaign does it seem plausible it went there? One possible explanation for its sailing from South America to Uk earlier in 1915 could be that is where it actually plied with the Pacific Steam Navigation Co, who had owned it before the Navy took it over?

Here is the entry [post edited to include this]

GILLIES, KENNETH, M.A., M.B.,

s. of John G. ; b. Lochalsh, Ross-shire, 10 Apr. 1866. M.A. (I Cl.), 1891 ; M.B. (Hons.),
1895. Lieut., R.A.M.C., 16 May 1915. Served in H.M.H.S. " Panama " sailing
between Southampton, Malta, Mudros, Suvla Bay, Aug. -Nov. 1915; Malta, Nov. 1915-
Apr. 1916. Final rank, Lieutenant.

According to my Gt Uncle James Keeling's Pension Record following him being wounded in the field 11 August 1916 he went from 21 CCS to 2 Stationary Hospital and was transferred to England on HS Panama 17 August 1916.

He was with 1 N Staffs near Trones Wood when wounded

Jane

Matt,

If the NA records are indeed for the same ship
then it also possible that the June 1915 sailing from South America was her last in that role, before she was taken over as a HS in late summer 1915

Since Mudros was a staging area for the campaign does it seem plausible it went there
If she served as a HS for the Gallipoli campaign then yes,
Wounded from Gallipoli were shipped, at different times, to Lemnos, Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar and the UK

Thanks for the leads re the books etc

regards
Michael

Matt

from: http://www.defence.gov.au/health/infocentr...h_8_1_31-35.pdf
quote: Sister Kirkcaldie paid her own way to England, arriving there in February 1915, where she immediately joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. A month later, she was in the Mediterranean on board the hospital ship Panama. She subsequently cared for wounded from Gallipoli.

If she joined the HS Panama in March 1915 then it does not seem likely that this is the same ship which was on the regular South American run in June 1915.

Michael;
Thanks for that info. It had me wondering last night because the only website that mentions the Panama which became the Maine said she was taken over in 1914 which can't be quite right.
Ah well. The person I am looking for joined HS Panama on 2.9.15.
Now I need to find out more about where she was then!
ttfn

Some other files at Kew:
MT 23/314 S.S. Panama. Suitability of Hospital Ship for Natives. 1914
MT 23/384 Hospital Ship Panama. Requisitioning, fitting out, report on vessel and other matters. 1915
It is possible that there was more than one ship on the name, checking LLoyd's Registers is better than the net.

Hi there

Attached is an image of the Panama before being named RFA Maine.

As the Maine she was never known as the HMS Maine - she wasn't a commissioned ship.

Chris

Chris;
Only just noticed this while revisiting Naval topics. Many thanks, I've never seen that pic before. As the Panama was pretty new to the Pacific Navigation people before the Navy hired her [or whatever they called it] then this does indeed look like the Panama I was after. I can't find a whisper about another Panama connected to the Royal Navy from an earlier time so far. What's the date on your pic?
Many thanks
Matt

Hello;

Saw that this thread has been revived somewhat.
Not much to add about the "Panama" except that my Great uncle, Gnr. A McKie was twice wounded in France, according to his service record.
1st time: "To England on H/S Panama Date: June 10, 1916
2nd time:"England per A ? Panama Date: Sept.14, 1917

So it would appear by that time she was back in "home waters."


George