Arandora Star

(Albatros AL-140)

Service: Built for Blue Star Line (British flag) as Arandora, last of of five sisters, for London-east coast of South America service, 1927-28. Rebuilt as cruise ship at Fairfield shipyard, Govan, and renamed Arandora Star, 1928-29. First cruise 15 Jun 1929 Immingham-Norway. Refitted again in 1934 at Southampton and again in 1936 to configuration shown here. On her 125th cruise, bound for NewYork, she was recalled to Southampton on the outbreak of war 3 Sep 1939. Laid up at Falmouth 29 Sep; used as test ship for net defenses against torpedo attack at Avonmouth. Later converted for service as a troopship. Evacuated 1,600 men from Narvik to Glasgow, 4 Jun 1940. Then proceeded to Brest and Quiberon Bay to evacuate troops from France to England, Then to Bayonne for more evacuation duty, while under constant air attack. Yet another trip to St. Jean de Luz to carry 1,700 troops, including Polish Army soldiers and staff, back to Liverpool by 29 Jun, completing an extraordinary month's work.
Torpedoed and sunk by U 47 off Ireland on 2 Jul 1940, while carrying to Canada 1,178 German and Italian internees together with an armed guard of 254 and crew of 176. Canadian destroyer St. Laurent picked up survivors, but 805 lives were lost. All four of her sisters, Almeda Star, Andalucia Star, Avila Star and Avelona Star were sunk by German U-boats during the war.