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Georgic was the last liner built
for the White Star Line before they
merged with Cunard in 1934. The White
Star Line intended this ship to be
operated on the Liverpool - New York run
alongside her near identical sister ship
Britannic while their two larger
liners Olympic and Majestic
provided a service between Southampton
and New York. Georgic’s
maiden voyage from Liverpool - New York
began June 25th 1932. Following the White
Star merger with Cunard, Georgic
and Britannic were relocated to
the London - Southampton and New York run
in 1935. The Cunard/White Star Line
continued to operate Georgic on
that run until the British Admiralty
requisitioned her to serve as a troopship
during the Second World War.
Her first wartime deployments were to
evacuate Allied servicemen from Norway
and France and later to transport troops
from Canada to the Middle East. Whilst at
Port Tewfik/Gulf of Suez in May 1941, a
German aircraft attack succeeded in
hitting Georgic with two bombs.
The extensive damage caused by that
attack forced the crew to run
Georgic aground to prevent her
from sinking. After being salvaged and
undergoing temporary repairs, she set out
for her builders in Britain to undergo
substantial repairs. Georgic put
into Harland & Wolff March 1st 1943
and returned to her trooping duties
seventeen months later. In 1948, a year
after Cunard took full control of the
White Star Line; Georgic was
returned for conversion back to a
passenger liner. Cunard operated her as
an emigrant ship between Liverpool -
Australia and New Zealand until 1951.
From 1951 until Georgic was taken
out of service in 1954, she served on the
Southampton - New York run. The following
months saw her chartered by various
companies before finally being laid up at
Kames Bay - Isle of Bute/Scotland in
December 1955. Georgic was
scrapped at Faslane/Scotland the
following year.
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