Olympic (1934 - 1937 ; 45,342 tons ; Titanic's Sister)

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As with other ships built around this time, extra safety measures were introduced as a result of the Titanic disaster. The outbreak of World War II, in August 1914, meant that work on the ship was suspended. 

In 1919 the ship was handed over to the British Government as part of the war reparations and then bought jointly by White Star and Cunard, it was decided that Bismark would operate under the White Star flag. In 1920 the work on the ship was further delayed as it was badly damaged by a fire. Sabotage was suspected as the Germans had no wish to part with the ship. Work was completed at Hamburg in March 1922 and the ship was delivered to Liverpool at the end of the month. After a period of trials the ship was renamed Majestic on 12th April. She made her maiden voyage for White Star on 10th May on the Southampton & Cherbourg to New York route. In September 1923 the ship broke two records. Firstly she made her fastest crossing, in 5 days, 5 hours and 21 minutes, and secondly on one voyage she carried a total of 2,625 passengers, one of the the company's highest. In 1925 she went on to make a crossing in 5 days flat, at an average speed of 25 knots. 

In 1928 the Majestic went to Boston Navy Dockyard to be refitted. New boilers were fitted, the promenade deck was glassed in, the funnel tops were deepened and the passenger accommodation was altered to house 860 1st class, 705 tourist class and 1,067 3rd class passengers. During the early 1930's she ran summer cruises between New York and Halifax, along with the Olympic. In July 1934 the ship became part of the newly formed Cunard-White Star company and replaced the Mauretania on the Southampton-New York service. In 1935 the Normandie replaced Majestic as the world's largest ship. In February 1936 Majestic made it's last voyage for Cunard and was replaced by the Queen Mary. 

After this the ship was laid up at Southampton and was then sold on May 15th for scrapping. The Admiralty, however, purchased the ship in July to be converted into a Cadets' Training ship. Conversion work was carried out at Southampton, including the shortening of the masts and funnels so that it could fit under the Forth Bridge. After this Majestic was renamed HMS Caledonia. On 8th April 1937 Caledonia left Southampton for her base in Rosyth and she was commissioned on 23rd April with a capacity for 1,500 boys and 500 artificer apprentices. The outbreak of World War II, in September 1939, meant that the cadets were withdrawn to shore accommodation and the ship's berth was vacated for Naval use. Caledonia was temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth whilst its future role was considered. 

On 29th September 1939 the Caledonia caught fire, burnt out and sank at her moorings in Rosyth. In March 1940 she was sold to Thomas W. Ward for demolition and salvage work commenced. It was not until 17th July 1943 that the hulk was raised and towed five miles to the scrap yard. No one knows why an empty ship spontaneously caught fire. ^ TOP
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In same month she was converted to a transport for 3,000 troops. During the war she carried some 180,000 troops and steamed a total of 376,000 miles! In 1947 Britannic was refitted at Liverpool in order to return to peace-time duties.  In May 1948 she began to sail the Liverpool-New York route. On 1st June 1950 she collided with the Pioneer Land in the Ambrose Channel but the damage was only slight and she was able to continue her voyage. Although the White Star name had been dropped, Britannic retained the traditional White Star livery of buff and black funnels through out her service with Cunard - a symbolic reminder of what was once Cunard's greatest rival. 

On 25th November 1960 she made her last commercial voyage from Liverpool to New York. When Britannic arrived back in Liverpool, on December 4th, she had been sold to a ship breakers and set sail for Inverkeithing on December 16th for scrapping, thus ending any ties Cunard once held with the once powerful White Star Line. ^ TOP

Georgic (1934 - 1955 ; 27,759 tons ; Last two sisters of the White Star Line)

The Georgic was the last ship to be built for the White Star fleet and was launched on November 12, 1931. After a period of trials the ship was moved to Liverpool on 12th June 1932 and then made her maiden voyage, from Liverpool to New York, on 25th June. Like her sister ship, the Britannic, she cruised out of New York during the winter months. In September 1932 the Georgic was host to the first of a number annual charity banquets at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool. 

On January 11th, 1933 the ship began to sail the Southampton to New York route. This was mainly in order to replace the larger Olympic during her overhaul. On 10th May 1934 the ship became part of the fleet of the newly amalgamated Cunard-White Star Line. After a minor fire was extinguished in January, the Georgic joined the Britannic on the London, Southampton, New York route. This made the ship the largest to use the Thames. In August 1939 the Georgic returned to the Liverpool to New York route and made five round trips before being requisitioned for trooping duties in the conflicts of World War 2.

At the beginning of April 1940 Georgic sailed to the Clyde and work began to convert it into a troopship for 3,000 men. In May the ship assisted in the evacuation of British troops from Andersfjord and Narvik, in Norway, landing them at the Clyde. Soon after it also assisted in the evacuation of troops from Brest and St.Nazaire. The rest of the year was spent transporting Canadian soldiers and carrying troops to the Middle East. 

During may 1941 the Georgic arrived at Port Tewfik, in the Gulf of Suez, in a convoy that had been left almost unprotected during the hunt for the German battleship, Bismarck. Whilst awaiting Italian internees, on 14th July, the ship was bombed by German aircraft and set on fire. As fires continued to burn and ammunition exploded, wrecking the stern area, the ship was beached on 16th July.

George Frame, who was fighting for the allied forces under the Rhodesian Army, was able to capture this amazing photograph of Georgic ablaze. 

In was not until 14th September that it was decided to try and salvage the burnt out ship. The hulk was raised during October and then towed to Port Sudan by the ships "Clan Campbell" and "City of Sydney". Temporary repairs were carried out here and the ship was made seaworthy. In March 1942 it was towed to Karachi for further repairs. After further cleaning and repairs at Bombay the Georgic sailed for Liverpool on 20th January 1943. 

It arrived at Liverpool on 1st March and then went back to Harland & Wolff to be rebuilt as a troopship. After the refit the tonnage had been reduced to 27,268 tons and the ship now had only one funnel and one mast. During December 1944 she was placed under Cunard-White Star management, and like her sister Britannic, retained the buff and black funnels of White Star Line. During 1945 she carried troops to Italy, the Middle East and India. On December 25th she arrived at Liverpool with troops from the Far East including General Sir William, commander in charge of South East Asia. In July 1948 she arrived at Tyneside for refitting by Palmers Hebburn. It was to be used for the Australian and New Zealand emigrant service. In January 1949 it made its first voyage on a route calling at Liverpool, Suez, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. By May 1950, however, the ship had returned to the Liverpool to New York service for Cunard. During the summer of 1951 the ship sailed on the Southampton to New York route. This continued until 19th October 1954 when the Georgic made its last voyage for Cunard. 

In April 1955 she arrived in Liverpool with troops from Japan and was then offered for sale. In May she was chartered to the Australian Government for use in the "Assisted Passage Scheme". The Georgic made her final voyage on 19th November 1955 from Hong Kong to Liverpool with 800 troops. By December she was laid up at Kames Bay, Isle of Bute pending disposal. She was scrapped in February 1956 at Faslane. ^ TOP
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