Royal Mail Ship

Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer), usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840[1], is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail. Any vessel designated as RMS has the right to both fly the pennant of the Royal Mail when sailing and to include the Royal Mail "crown" logo with any identifying device and/or design for the ship.[2][3][4]

It was used by many shipping lines, but is often associated in particular with the Cunard Line,[2][5] Royal Mail Lines and Union-Castle Line, which held a number of high-profile mail contracts, and which traditionally prefixed the names of many of their ships with the initials "RMS".

While some lines in the past, particularly the Royal Mail Lines, called all their ships RMS, technically a ship would use the prefix only while contracted to carry mail, and would revert at other times to a standard designation such as "SS".[6]

One of the best-known ships to have carried the prefix was RMS Titanic.

Contents

History

Originally the Admiralty operated these ships.[7]

The designation "RMS" has been used since 1840.[8] In 1850 contracts were awarded to private companies. Having the title "RMS" was seen as a mark of quality and a competitive advantage, because the mail had to be on time.

The most valuable route, with the highest volume, was between Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), in Ireland, and Holyhead in Wales. The City of Dublin Steam Packet Company (CDSPCo) won the contract. They purchased RMS Saint Columa and RMS Llwywllyn from the Admiralty, to supplement their Prince Arthur.

In the CDSPCo contract, in 1860, there was a penalty clause of £1 1s 4d for every minute's delay.

The Canadian Pacific Railway's trans-Pacific Royal Mail contract required the construction of the first three of a fleet of steamships—the RMS Empress of China, the RMS Empress of India, and the RMS Empress of Britain which regularly sailed between Vancouver and Asia beginning in 1891.[9]

The White Star Line sisters RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic were Royal Mail Ships.

Modern times

In recent years the shift to air transport for mail has left only three ships with the right to the prefix; RMS Segwun, which serves as a passenger vessel in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada, RMS St Helena, which serves the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic,[10] and RMS Queen Mary 2. QM2 was conferred "RMS" by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 on the Southampton to New York route as a gesture to Cunard's history.[2] However, when Cunard changed the registry of the ship to Bermuda in November 2011, the ship automatically lost the prestigious designation (Bermuda have their own Post service), and all mention of it was deleted from Cunards Web page (confirming that the status has been lost).

The Royal Mail continues a form of this tradition on modern day airliners. The UK's flag carrier airline, British Airways is contracted to carry mail on some of its scheduled long-distance routes. Aircraft operating these routes with the facilities to carry mail are allowed to display the Royal Mail's logo and crest on their fuselage, usually alongside their registration markings.

Other designations

The less-common designations RMMV, for Royal Mail Motor Vessel, and RMMS, for Royal Mail Motor Ship, were used for a period when RMS was restricted to steam-ships. Motor Ship indicates that propulsion is provided by diesel rather than steam.

List of RMS ships

Name Line Maiden voyage Left service Fate
Adriatic White Star 1907 1934 broken-up
Alcantara Royal Mail Lines 1913 1916 sunk (enemy action)
Alcantara Royal Mail Lines 1926 1958 broken-up
Andes Royal Mail Lines 1913 1929 Broken-up after becoming Atlantis cruise ship
Andes Royal Mail Lines 1939 1959 Broken-up after becoming cruise ship
Aquitania Cunard 1914 1950 broken-up
Arabia Peninsular and Oriental 1898 1916 sunk (enemy action)
Arlanza Royal Mail Lines 1912 1938 broken-up
Atlantic White Star 1871 1873 sunk (collision with rocks)
Baltic White Star 1904 1933 broken-up
Ben-my-Chree Isle of Man Steam Packet 1927 1965 broken-up
Berengaria Cunard 1913 1938 broken-up
Britannia Cunard 1840 1880 sunk (military target practice)
Britannic White Star 1915 1916 sunk (enemy action)
Britannic White Star 1929 1960 broken-up
Carpathia Cunard 1903 1918 sunk (enemy action)
Caronia Cunard White Star 1949 1974 broken-up
Celtic White Star 1901 1933 broken-up
Cedric White Star 1903 1932 broken-up
Dunottar Castle Union Castle 1890 1915 sunk (bad weather, failure to close scuttles)
Ebro Royal Mail Lines 1914 1954 Broken-up after becoming N/T Serpa Pinto
Empress of Asia[11] Canadian Pacific 1913 1942[11] sunk (enemy action)
Empress of Australia[6] Canadian Pacific 1922 1952[12] broken-up
Empress of Australia Canadian Pacific 1953 1956 broken-up
Empress of Britain Canadian Pacific 1906 1930 broken-up
Empress of Britain Canadian Pacific 1931 1940[13] sunk (enemy action)
Empress of Britain Canadian Pacific 1956 1965 broken-up
Empress of Canada Canadian Pacific 1922 1943[14] sunk (enemy action)
Empress of Canada Canadian Pacific 1929 1953 broken-up
Empress of Canada[15] Canadian Pacific 1961 . broken-up
Empress of China[16] Canadian Pacific 1891 1912 broken-up
Empress of England[17] Canadian Pacific 1957 1970 broken-up
Empress of France Canadian Pacific 1914 1931 broken-up
Empress of India[16] Canadian Pacific 1891 1919 broken-up
Empress of India Canadian Pacific 1908 1928 broken-up
Empress of Ireland Canadian Pacific 1906 1914 Sunk (collision with another ship)
Empress of Japan[16] Canadian Pacific 1891 1926[18] broken-up
Empress of Japan Canadian Pacific 1930 1966 Caught fire and scrapped
Empress of Russia[14] Canadian Pacific 1913 1945[14] caught fire and scrapped
Empress of Scotland Canadian Pacific 1906 1930 broken-up
Empress of Scotland Canadian Pacific 1930 1966 Caught fire and scrapped
Etruria Cunard 1885 1909 broken-up
Fenella Isle of Man Steam Packet 1937  ?  ?
Georgic White Star 1933 1954 broken-up
Homeric White Star 1922 1935 broken-up
King Orry Isle of Man Steam Packet 1911  ?  ?
Laconia Cunard 1912 1917 sunk (enemy action)
Laconia Cunard 1922 1942 sunk (enemy action)
Lady of Mann Isle of Man Steam Packet 1930  ?  ?
Leinster City of Dublin Steam Packet 1896 1918 sunk (enemy action)
Lucania Cunard 1893 1909 broken-up
Lusitania Cunard 1907 1915 sunk (enemy action)
Majestic White Star 1922 1940 broken-up
Maloja Peninsular and Oriental 1923 1954 broken-up
Mauretania Cunard White Star 1906 1935 broken-up
Mauretania Cunard White Star 1939 1965 broken-up
Medina Peninsular and Oriental 1911 1917 sunk (enemy action)
Mona's Queen Isle of Man Steam Packet 1934  ?  ?
Mooltan Peninsular and Oriental 1923 1953 broken-up
Niagara Union Steamship 1912 1940 sunk (enemy action)
Oceanic White Star 1871 1896 broken-up
Oceanic White Star 1899 1914 broken-up
Olympic White Star 1911 1935 broken-up
Peel Castle Isle of Man Steam Packet 1894  ?  ?
Pendennis Castle Union-Castle 1959 1980 broken-up
Queen Elizabeth Cunard White Star 1940 1968 Caught fire and scrapped; destroyed by arson
Queen Elizabeth 2 Cunard 1969 2008 Currently laid up
Queen Mary Cunard White Star 1936 1967 retired, museum ship, hotel
Queen Mary 2 Cunard 2004 Changed registry and lost the status, still in service as MS
Royal Adelaide City of Dublin Steam Packet 1838 1849 sunk
St Helena HM Government 1990 In service
Scythia Cunard 1921 1958 broken-up
Segwun Muskoka Steamships 1887 restored and returned to service
Servia Cunard 1881 1901 broken-up
Snaefell Isle of Man Steam Packet 1910 1918 sunk (enemy action)
Tayleur White Star (not OSNC) 1853 1853 ran aground
Titanic White Star 1912 1912 sunk (collision with iceberg)
Trent Royal Mail Steam Packet 1841 1865 broken-up
Tynwald Isle of Man Steam Packet 1937  ?  ?
Umbria Cunard 1884 1910 broken-up
Viceroy of India Peninsular and Oriental 1927 1942 sunk (enemy action)
Victoria East African Railways & Harbours 1961  ? In service as MV Victoria
Windsor Castle Union-Castle 1960 1998 broken-up

See also

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Notes

  1. ^ The first citation in the Times is from 18 August 1840
  2. ^ a b c Royal Mails employees Courier newspaper page 20 August 2007
  3. ^ QM2
  4. ^ United Kingdom - Royal Mail
  5. ^ Maxtone-Graham, John et al. (2004). Queen Mary 2, p. 184.
  6. ^ a b By Wireless from R.M.S. Empress of Australia. "Royal Gifts Gladden 172 On Lonely Atlantic Island" (Tristan da Cunya)," New York Times. 24 March 1935; Robinson, Samuel. (1924). Official report of Capt. S. Robinson, R.N.R.,: Commander of the Canadian Pacific S.S. "Empress of Australia", on the Japanese earthquake, the fire and subsequent relief operations.
  7. ^ The Admiralty took over the Packet Service from the General Post Office in 1823.
  8. ^ The first citation in the Times is from 18 August 1840
  9. ^ Kennedy, John. (1903). The History of Steam Navigation, pp. 147- 151.
  10. ^ Neilan, Terence P. "Q and A," New York Times. 29 October 1989.
  11. ^ a b "Empress of Asia Sunk Last 4 Feb.; Canadian Pacific Liner Hit by Five Bombs in Flight From Singapore MOST OF TROOPS ESCAPED 16,909-Ton Ship Abandoned After Four-Day Fires Had Ruined Her Interior," New York Times. 20 May 1942.
  12. ^ 40-year-old Ship Makes Last Trip; Empress of Australia, Luxury Liner and Troop Carrier, on Way to Scrap Heap," New York Times. 1 May 1952.
  13. ^ "British Announce Empress Ship Loss; Admiralty Fixes Death Toll at 45 Out of 643 Aboard Canadian Pacific Liner TORPEDOES FINISH JOB U-Boat Overtakes Burning Ship in Tow and Completes Task Started by Bomber Ship Attacked Three Times Women and Children Calm," New York Times. 29 October 1940.
  14. ^ a b c "Pacific Air Routes Replace Ship Line; Canadian Company Abandons Pre-War Service of Fleet, Maps Overseas Flights," New York Times. 10 April 1949.
  15. ^ "Transport News and Notes; Empress of France Will Be Retired," New York Times. 27 November 1960.
  16. ^ a b c Kennedy, p. 150.
  17. ^ "Lady Eden to Launch Ship," New York Times. 5 May 1956.
  18. ^ Kirsten Weisenburger, Kirsten and Marc Dinsdale. "First Class Warrior Empress," Pacific Rim Online Magazine (Vancouver, British Columbia). 1998.

References

External links