HMT Laomedon

[Alan Baker]

I acquired this cover in the recent Society auction.

Can anyone give me information about the Master of the ship, AS Dodd, and an idea of when the letter might have been posted and from where?

I know the ship spent some time in the Middle East in 1916, as she is mentioned briefly in TE Lawrence and the Red Sea Patrol by John Johnson-Allen, and I believe she was one of the ships used to transport the Portuguese army to France in 1917

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

Nothing in any of my books on the WW1 Laomedon other than the one you mentioned
I notice that the item was miss-described in the FPHS auction as a boom carrier trawler, a ship with the same name was hired in WWII  as a boom carrier.

Frank Schofield

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

Found  another small reference to HMT Laomedon, 6693 tons

On April 2nd 1916, she was attacked by gunfire from a U.Boat in the Med, she beat the submarine off with her own gun

Frank

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

A further check on the WWII Laomedon, listed as a boom carrier in Linton & Colledge at 6490 tons which is about 200 tons lighter that the WW1 Transport, Listed in Lintons  British & Empire Warships as a mercantile conversion, did she lose 200 tons in the conversion?, now an HMS rather than HMT, I think this is the same ship.

Frank

[Alan Baker]

According to theshipslist.com, this was a Blue Funnel Line ship, built in 1912 and scrapped in 1949. 6693 tons. So it is the same ship.

My main question is whether this cover dates from WWI or WWII

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

WW1, in WWII she was HMS and would have been commanded by a Naval Officer

Frank

[Alan Baker]

Just what I wanted to hear!

Next question is when was it posted (no date markings at all) and from where?

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

HMS Laomedon WWII

Taken over Aug 1939. NOT in March 1940 Navy List
1942 List. Her Engineer Officers were appt March 1941 (to help with the conversion?)
Other Officers appt Aug 1941 (mostly RNR)
Commanding Officer, a Cdr (Retd) RN appt Sep 1941

Hopefully attached a scan of Laomedon how she looked when built in 1912
She only had accommodation for 12 passengers, but she had 6 holds, which if troopship cots were made available she could have carried troops in say 4 of them the other two for stores etc

Frank Schofield

[Alan Baker]

Just acquired a photo of the ship taken in 1948. She still looks very much like your scan, 36 years later

[Alan Baker]

Sorry to resurrect this topic, but I am just looking at it again. The cover was sent to a Mrs Thomson in Glasgow. I have also found a reference to a James Mcleod Thomson, Chief Engineer of SS Laomedon, who was awarded the Cross of Chevalier by Portugal, noted in the Edinburgh Gazette of 1921. All the awards listed were for crew members of ships involved in transporting the Portuguese Army to France in 1917.

The question is, how do I establish that it was James McLeod Thomson who sent the letter?

[Alan Baker]

I think I have cracked it. I have found a copy of his medal card, which gives his address as the same as on the cover

What I haven't found is any reference to AS Dodd, Master.... not in any list from 1915