Blue Star's  S.S.  "Almeda Star" 1

The Almeda Star was one of five splendid ships ordered by Blue Star Line in 1925, to be named Almeda, Avila, Andalucia, Arandora, and Avelona. Cammell Laird of Birkenhead built the Almeda, Arandora and Andalucia, whereas John Brown of Clydebank built the Avila and Avelona. As built the ships were virtually identical, with a slightly raked cruiser stern and two splendid funnels with Admiralty tops.

Powered by two sets of Parsons combined impulse and reaction turbines developing together some 13,880 shp, driving twin screw at some 120 rpm, giving a full sea speed of 16 kts. Steam was raised by three double-ended cylindrical boilers operating at 200 lbs/sq", these were oil fired although coal bunkers could also be carried.

In later years they were all altered variously, with the removal of the Admiralty tops and in the case of the Almeda the fitting of a Maierform bow. This did nothing for her looks and spoilt the graceful lines she had originally. The Arandora was considerably altered, with the passenger accommodation being extended twice.

In 1929 the Vestey's added the word “Star” to each of the passenger ships, probably to differentiate them from the ailing Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., whose ships’ names bore a close resemblance.

The Almeda was launched on 29th June 1926, and after undergoing trials, sailed on her maiden voyage from London on the 16th February 1927, opening the company’s passenger service to the River Plate, with calls at Boulogne, Madeira, Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. The passage to Buenos Aires was scheduled to take between 18 and 19 days

The Loss of The Almeda Star - 17th January 1941

The Almeda Star, a 16-knot vessel of about 15,000 tons, built in 1926, was normally used for the passenger and refrigerated cargo service between the United Kingdom and South America. During 1939 and 1940 she continued on that service, sailing independently. At 9.0 p.m. on December 22nd, 1940, while lying in the Mersey, she was damaged by a bomb during one of the air raids on Liverpool. The damage cannot have been very serious for on January 15th, 1941, she sailed from Liverpool, commanded by Captain H. G. Howard, Commodore of the Blue Star Line, with a crew of 166 officers and men and 194 passengers. The year 1941 opened with tempestuous weather in the North Atlantic, gale succeeding gale with dismal regularity. It spelt tribulation for all ships at sea. The Almeda Star was unescorted. Suddenly, from out of the blue on January 17th, came her signal of distress. She had been torpedoed. Her position was 58'17'N. 13'40'W.[10], which put her about 35 miles north of Rockall, that lonely hummock of rock some 35 miles to the west of the Outer Hebrides. No further message came through. Destroyers and other vessels were at once ordered to search the area ; but without result. Not even a waterlogged boat was found, no wreckage, no trace of anything. Nothing recognisable as belonging to the Almeda Star was washed ashore. Except that she sent off that one signal of distress giving her position and saying she had been torpedoed, nothing is known of what happened, even from German sources. We do not even know if the ship was abandoned, and the survivors tried to get away in the boats. All that we are aware is that she appears in the official list as having been torpedoed by a submarine in the position given. The weather at the time being very bad with a heavy sea, it is probable that the stricken ship was overwhelmed and sank in a depth of more than 200 fathoms carrying those 360 souls with her.

Pictures & Photographs supplied by Ross Robson, Ronald Robson's son, who had the unusual experience of  boarding the Wellington Star at Pitcairn Island  for a few hours in 1972. He  was at the time an Army Sergeant  tracking satellites at Pitcairn Island for 4 months!