HMS Ophir originally sailed under the white ensign in 1901 as a Royal Yacht, she was commisioned as a Armed Merchant Cruiser in January 1915 - she had eight 6" guns. By 1918 the Admiralty converted her into a Hospital Ship. In July 1919 she was paid off and laid up in the Clyde as surplus.

During her service as a Hospital Ship would any of you knowledgeable 'old salts' know whose crew manned her. As a Hospital Ship she surely wouldn't have had a military crew (other than the medical staff)?

A photo of her in 1901 can be found at http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/wars...sel.asp?id=4528

Chris

Hello Chris,
Ophir is no. 636 in the Dec. 1918 Navy List [re-commissioned 10th February 1918], but not in the section listing Hospital Ships which starts with no. 1139 Agadir. She is listed with only one medical officer, a Surg. Lieut. [Tempy]. However, also listed is a Chief Gunner who was appointed to her on 7/2/15, which seems odd for a Hospital Ship.
British Warships 1914 - 1919 has her listed as an A.M.C. with no mention of her being a Hospital Ship.
Regards,
ARABIS.

Hi there,

Thanks for the above. I was looking at the URL which I mentioned in my original question which says "On 26/1/1915 was commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. In 1918 she was purchased by the Admiralty and converted to a hospital ship. 29/7/1919 she was paid off laid up in the River Clyde with other surplus ships"

The name Ophir appears in the Navy List for WW2 as a Hospital ship. If she was laid up in July 1919 as claimed as surplus I can't see they are the same ships. Strange though the name appears twice as a hospital ship so many years apart.

I will have to dig further into more copies of the Navy List for around 1918 to 1920.

Chris

Hi Chris,
The full entry for the history of Ophir in British Warships 1914-1919 is:-
26.1.15-Purchased 26.2.15; paid off 29.7.19 and sold 8.21 to BU [breaking up].
Hope this helps,
ARABIS.

Ophir

1891 Napier Glasgow
London to Melbourne and Syney (Last sailing 20/6/13)
1915 Commisioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
1918 Purchased by the Admiralty. Converted to a Hospital ship.
1919 Laid up in the Clyde.
1922 Broken up at Troon.

From 'North Star to Southern Cross'

Regards John

Hi Chris

From Stake Schell files:
OPHIR, 6,910 passenger ship, completed by R. Napier & Sons, Glasgow in 1891 for Orient Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., Glasgow.
In 1915 - The Admiralty - Armed merchant cruiser
Sold for scrapping August 1921, Broken up at Troon 1922

No mention of hospital ship ?

Cheers Ron