Westernland (ship, 1917)
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The Westernland (II) was a steamship completed in 1917 , which was initially used as a cargo ship and was only completed as a passenger ship in 1920 . It was operated from 1929 to 1935 by the Belgian-American shipping company Red Star Line , which was taken over by the German shipowner Arnold Bernstein in 1935 and operated as Red Star Linie GmbH Hamburg on the old route until his arrest . In 1939 the Westernland and Pennland were sold to the Holland-America Line .
The Westernland served from 1940 in Falmouth as accommodation for the Dutch government in exile. In 1942 the British government bought the ship to use it for various purposes. In 1947 the ship was scrapped.
history
The 16,313 GRT Westernland was built in Glasgow in 1917 on a branch of the Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff . The steamer was launched on April 29, 1917 as a cargo ship with a funnel, a mast and three propellers and was used by the British shipping company Dominion Line under the name Regina . In 1918/19 the ship was also used as a troop transport. It was not until August 1920 that the ship returned to the Harland & Wolff main shipyard in Belfast , where it was converted into a passenger ship. A second chimney, a second mast, a promenade deck and accommodation for 600 passengers in the cabin class and 1,700 in the third class were added. It was now almost identical to the Pittsburgh (built in 1920) of the American Line, also built by Harland & Wolff, and the Doric (built in 1923) of the White Star Line .
On March 16, 1922, the ship ran from Liverpool on its first voyage to Halifax (Canada) and Portland (US state Maine ). At that time it was still painted in the colors of the Dominion Line, but registered with the Leyland Line . These shipping companies were all subordinate to JP Morgans shipping concern International Mercantile Marine Company (IMMC) and it was common for ships to be interchanged.
From April 29, 1922 to November 6, 1925, the steamer drove on the route Liverpool - Quebec - Montreal . On December 12, 1925, she made her first crossing from Liverpool via Halifax to New York under the flag of the White Star Line. In the same year, it was painted in the corporate colors of the White Star Line. In June 1926, the passenger classes cabin, tourist and third class were introduced. On November 1, 1929, the last trip for White Star began on the route Liverpool – Belfast – Glasgow – Québec.
Under the Belgian flag
In December 1929 the steamer was sold to the Red Star Line based in Antwerp . He was still registered with the Leyland Line, painted in the White Star colors and still carried the name of the Dominion Line ( Regina ). In the following year the ship was renamed Westernland and got the paint of the Red Star Line. On January 10, 1930, she left Antwerp for her first voyage for the new owners to Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. In October 1933 Albert Einstein and his wife emigrated to the United States on board the Westernland . The Westernland stayed with Red Star in passenger traffic from Antwerp to New York during the entire period of service. It was laid up after its last departure on this route on November 30, 1934.
Under the German flag
In the wake of the global economic crisis , the Red Star Line went downhill at the beginning of the 1930s. In 1935, the German shipowner and businessman Arnold Bernstein bought the company, which from then on operated under the name Red Star Linie GmbH Hamburg . The Westernland was converted into a single-class ship for 486 tourist class travelers and steamed again from Antwerp via Southampton to New York on March 29, 1935. On May 6, 1939, the last Atlantic crossing for the Red Star Line took place.
Under the Dutch flag
The ship was then sold to Holland-America Line , for which it again commuted between Antwerp, Southampton and New York from June 1939. On April 10, 1940, the Westernland ran out on its last journey in passenger traffic. She then served in Falmouth as accommodation for the Dutch government in exile.
Again under the British flag
From June 1940 the ship was used as a troop transport. In November 1942 the British Admiralty bought the Westernland to convert it into a depot ship for destroyers. But this plan was abandoned.
In 1945 Westernland was returned to the White Star Line , which was now merged with Cunard . Plans to use her again as a passenger ship have been dropped due to her age. In 1946 she was sold for use as a whaling supply ship, but that didn't happen either. In 1947 the Westernland was finally broken up in Blyth .
