RMS Arabia

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The RMS Arabia was a P&O passenger liner torpedoed on November 6, 1916 by the German submarine UB-43.

She was built 1898 at Caird & Co in Greenock to carry 480 passengers and served mostly on the Australian trade. There are very few records of the vessel, but a sister ship, (the Egypt) is described as length 500ft x beam 54.4ft, two funnels, single screw, speed 16 knots.

It was on a homeward bound journey from Fremantle and was destined for England when it was sunk without warning by a German U-boat 300 miles off the coast of Malta towards the Greek peninsula Cape Matapan. Eleven of the crew were killed in the sinking. 187 Australians were on board the Arabia, and the sinking helped surge volunteer enlistment in the Australian armed forces.

[edit] References

• Survivor's account of the sinking
• P&O ships list