The Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company had been formed out of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, a trading partnership of the ScotsWilliam Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie, to carry mail between Calcutta and Rangoon. It became British India SN Co in 1862. Under the hand of Lord Inchcape, who had become chairman in 1913, the company became part of the P&O group of companies in 1914 through a complex amalgamation, but continued with its own identity and organisation for another nearly 60 years until 1972, when it was entirely absorbed into P&O.
Fleet and routes
As one of the largest shipowners of all time, the company owned more than 500 ships and managed 150 more for other owners. At its height in 1922, BI had more than 160 ships in the fleet, many built on Clydeside, Scotland. The main shipping routes of the line were: Britain to India, Australia, Kenya, Tanganyika. The company ran services from India to Pakistan, Ceylon, Bay of Bengal, Singapore, Malaya, Java, Thailand, Japan, Persian Gulf, East Africa and South Africa. BI had a long history of service to the British and Indian governments through trooping and other military contracts. In the last decade of its operational existence BI carried thousands of school children on educational cruises.
Mantola was sunk in February 1917 by a torpedo from a German submarine off the coast of Ireland with a substantial cargo of silver bullion.
The cargo ship Gairsoppa, carrying silver bullion, pig iron and tea, which was sunk at great depth by the German submarine U-101 in February 1941 some 300 nautical miles (560 km; 350 mi) southwest of Galway Bay, Ireland, carried the richest cargo of any sunken ship in world history.[1]
Some of the company's better known passenger ships included Rajula, Dunera, Scindia, Sirdhana, Leicestershire, Dwarka, Dumra, the sister ships Kampala and Karanja, and Kenya and Uganda, and Dara, which was sunk by a terrorist bomb in 1961.
Nevasa of 1956 was the final passenger ship built for BI. Serving as a troopship until redundant in 1962, Nevasa was assigned new duties with the BI educational cruise ship flotilla until 1974, when she became uneconomic[2] due a four fold increase in crude oil prices and was scrapped in 1975 having earlier been joined in this trade by the more economic Uganda. The highly popular Uganda was taken up (STUFT) by the British Ministry of Defence in 1982 as a hospital ship during the Falklands war with Argentina. Returning to BI's tradition of government service again in 1983 – this time as a troopship – Uganda was "the last BI" when finally withdrawn in 1985. Dwarka holds the distinction of closing British-India's true "liner" services, when withdrawn from the company's Persian Gulf local trades in 1982, in her 35th year.
C. Michael Hogan. 2011. SS Gairsoppa recovery. Topic ed. P.Saundry. Ed.-in-chief C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC
british, india, steam, navigation, company, formed, 1856, calcutta, burmah, steam, navigation, company, souvenir, badge, from, nevasa, showing, house, flag, white, swallowtail, with, saltiretypeship, owner, ship, operatorindustrytransportfounded1856defunct1972. British India Steam Navigation Company BI was formed in 1856 as the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company British India Steam Navigation CompanySouvenir badge from Nevasa showing the BI house flag a white swallowtail with a red saltireTypeship owner and ship operatorIndustrytransportFounded1856Defunct1972SuccessorP amp OProductspassenger and cargo shippingParentP amp O 1914 onwards Websitehttp www poheritage com our history company guides british india steam navigation company Contents 1 History 2 Fleet and routes 3 Company timeline 4 Rank badges of ship s complement 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditThe Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company had been formed out of Mackinnon Mackenzie amp Co a trading partnership of the Scots William Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie to carry mail between Calcutta and Rangoon It became British India SN Co in 1862 Under the hand of Lord Inchcape who had become chairman in 1913 the company became part of the P amp O group of companies in 1914 through a complex amalgamation but continued with its own identity and organisation for another nearly 60 years until 1972 when it was entirely absorbed into P amp O Fleet and routes EditAs one of the largest shipowners of all time the company owned more than 500 ships and managed 150 more for other owners At its height in 1922 BI had more than 160 ships in the fleet many built on Clydeside Scotland The main shipping routes of the line were Britain to India Australia Kenya Tanganyika The company ran services from India to Pakistan Ceylon Bay of Bengal Singapore Malaya Java Thailand Japan Persian Gulf East Africa and South Africa BI had a long history of service to the British and Indian governments through trooping and other military contracts In the last decade of its operational existence BI carried thousands of school children on educational cruises Mantola was sunk in February 1917 by a torpedo from a German submarine off the coast of Ireland with a substantial cargo of silver bullion The cargo ship Gairsoppa carrying silver bullion pig iron and tea which was sunk at great depth by the German submarine U 101 in February 1941 some 300 nautical miles 560 km 350 mi southwest of Galway Bay Ireland carried the richest cargo of any sunken ship in world history 1 Some of the company s better known passenger ships included Rajula Dunera Scindia Sirdhana Leicestershire Dwarka Dumra the sister ships Kampala and Karanja and Kenya and Uganda and Dara which was sunk by a terrorist bomb in 1961 Nevasa of 1956 was the final passenger ship built for BI Serving as a troopship until redundant in 1962 Nevasa was assigned new duties with the BI educational cruise ship flotilla until 1974 when she became uneconomic 2 due a four fold increase in crude oil prices and was scrapped in 1975 having earlier been joined in this trade by the more economic Uganda The highly popular Uganda was taken up STUFT by the British Ministry of Defence in 1982 as a hospital ship during the Falklands war with Argentina Returning to BI s tradition of government service again in 1983 this time as a troopship Uganda was the last BI when finally withdrawn in 1985 Dwarka holds the distinction of closing British India s true liner services when withdrawn from the company s Persian Gulf local trades in 1982 in her 35th year Company timeline Edit Rank badges of ship s complement Edit Commander Chief Officerwith superior certificate Chief Officerwith certificate of rank Second Officerwith superior certificate Second Officerwith certificate of rank Third Officerwith certificate of rank Fourth Officerwith certificate of rank Third amp Fourth Officerwithout certificate Cadet Chief Engineer Officer Second Engineer Officerwith superior certificate Second Engineer Officerwith certificate of rank Third Engineer Officerwith certificate Third Engineer Officer Fourth Engineer Officer Junior Engineer Officer Senior Electrician Second Electrician Junior Electrician Senior Purser Purser Assistant Purser Chief Steward Second Steward Extra Second Steward Doctor Nursing Sister Matron Assistant MatronSource 3 References Edit C Michael Hogan 2011 Ship Fact Sheet Nevasa 1956 PDF P amp O Heritage Retrieved 20 September 2020 BIShip 2022 09 01 C Michael Hogan 2011 SS Gairsoppa recovery Topic ed P Saundry Ed in chief C J Cleveland Encyclopedia of Earth National Council for Science and the Environment Washington DCExternal links Edit Companies portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to British India Steam Navigation Company BI Ship Site A Short History of British India Steam Navigation Clydeside built BI ships Miller William H The Last Blue Water Liners Conway Press London 1986 ISBN 0 85177 400 8 Morton Michael Quentin The British India Line in the Arabian Gulf 1862 82 Liwa journal December 2013 Vol 5 No 10 pp 40 63 1 Documents and clippings about British India Steam Navigation Company in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title British India Steam Navigation Company amp oldid 1138914491, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
