For the remembering of World War I the New Zealand post issued a set of 10 stamps and 2 miniature sheets in 2014, one of this stamps the 80c shows us the New Zealand troopship LIMERICK departing from Wellington in 1914. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo ... roops-1914 gives the photo after which the stamp is designed.
By the stamp is given: The LIMERICK, also known as HMNZT 7, was one of ten troopships that took the NZEF, their horses and equipment to Egypt in 1914 meeting up with the Australian Imperial Forces en route.
Built as a cargo- passenger-reefer vessel under yard No 148 by Workman Clark & Co. Ltd., Belfast for the Rippingham Grange Steamship Co. Ltd., (managed by Houlder Bros & Co. Ltd.), London.
18 April 1898 launched as the RIPPINGHAM GRANGE named after an Irish county.
Tonnage 5,790 gross, dim. 128.0 (bpp.) x 16.5 m
One triple expansion steam engine, 558 nhp, one shaft, speed 11.5 knots.
Passenger accommodation for ? passengers.
08 October 1898 completed. She was built for the Australian trade.
16 March 1899 was she transferred to the Houlder Line Ltd.
1911 Chartered by the British India Steam Navigation Co, for their service between the U.K. and Queensland, Australia.
1912 Transferred to the Federal-Houlder-Shire Line consortium.
1912 Sold to the New Zealand Shipping Co., London after they bought the Federal Line, renamed LIMERICK. She was bought together with three other Houlder ships.
1913 The management was transferred to Union SS Co. of New Zealand.
When World War I broke out fitted out as a troopship with No HMNZT 7.
16 October 1914 the LIMERICK sailed from Wellington with other transports. On board the N.Z. Field Artillery Brigade, 21 Officers, Naval Transport Officer, Medical Officers, Chaplain, 495 men and 348 horses and their equipment.
The ships assembled in the King George’s Sound, Albany Western Australia and together with Australian transports she transported the First Detachment of the Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces to Egypt. The convoy of 38 transports and 3 British warships and 1 Japanese cruiser the IBUKI sailed from the King George’s Sound on 1st November 1914.
The LIMERICK thereafter was not more used as troopship but returned to the liner service of the Union SS Co.
28 May 1917 on a voyage from Sydney to London with frozen meat and general cargo she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-86 in position 48 53N 9.45W about 140 miles SW of Bishop Rock. She sunk with the loss of 8 men of her crew.
New Zealand 2014 80c sg?, scott?
Source: North Star to Southern Cross by J.A. Maber . Union Fleet by Ian Farquhar. Various web-sites.