SS Uganda was a British steamship that had a varied and notable career. She was built in 1952 as a passenger liner, and successively served as a cruise ship, hospital ship, troop ship and stores ship. She was laid up in 1985 and scrapped in 1992.

Passenger liner

Barclay Curle and Company of Whiteinch, Glasgow built Uganda for the British-India Steam Navigation Company (BI). She was a passenger and cargo liner with capacity for 167 first class and 133 tourist class passengers and of cargo. Her original tonnages were , and . Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company built her two Parsons steam turbines, which between them developed 12,300 shp.

Uganda was launched on 15 January 1952, completed six months later and made her sea trials on 16 July. On trial she achieved a top speed of , but in service she normally cruised at . Her route was between London and East Africa, calling at Gibraltar, Naples, Port Said, Aden, Mombasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanga and Beira.

Uganda had a three-day refit in Gibraltar where a helicopter platform, fittings for replenishment at sea, satellite communications and wards and operating theatres were installed. Two additional water distillers were fitted on the sports deck. In accordance with the Geneva Convention she was painted white and eight red crosses were painted, two on each side of the hull, one facing forward on the bridge superstructure, one on the upper deck visible from the air, and one on either side of her funnel. A team of 136 medical staff including 12 doctors, operating theatre staff and 40 members of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service, left Portsmouth to join her taking large quantities of medical supplies with them.

The survey vessels , and were converted to ambulance ships to work with Uganda. She received her first casualties on 12 May: wounded men from the Type 42 destroyer . Uganda sailed to and fro between "Red Cross Box 2" – at position and Middle Bay, taking on casualties, both British and Argentine, transferring those who were well enough to the converted survey ships for passage to Montevideo. On 28 May 1982 the land battles started and Uganda anchored in Grantham Sound, 11 miles northwest of Goose Green, where casualties from both sides arrived by helicopter and were treated. By 31 May 1982 she had 132 casualties aboard.

Uganda co-ordinated the movements of the three British and three Argentine ambulance ships , and . She conducted 504 surgical operations, treated 730 casualties including 150 Argentinians, and made four rendezvous with the Argentine ships.

By 10 July 1982 her role as a hospital ship was over and the crew held a party for 92 Falkland children more in keeping with her peacetime role. On 13 July 1982 Uganda was deregistered as a hospital ship and the red crosses were painted out.

References

  • SS Uganda cruise ship log, details and reminiscences of Uganda
  • SS Uganda photos from cruise no. 171 in 1981
  • The SS Uganda Trust
  • British-India SN Company history