Thomas,

Thank you for the information. I left the Paras/airborne (that does NOT
mean infantry) prior to the Falklands war, but my younger brother did
not: we were in the same unit, but he 'disappeared', he did not leave
the army, but did end up in that part of the world before most others
from the UK got there!!!

He, being 'the blue eyed boy' (in my parents' eyes) was also far closer
to mother than I was, except when it came to sorting out the bits and
pieces when I was expected to get it all sorted out, which is why I'll
hang on to the badge.

Perhaps I'd better try and find him again - maybe it wasn't just
bull**** on his part after all...

Thanks,

Ricardo


Thomas Schoene wrote:
Ricardo wrote:

If I'm in the wrong place I apologise, but I'm looking for any
information on the SS UGANDA. Amongst many items in my late mother's
estate is a small metal lapel badge bearing this name and a flag with
a white background and a diagonal cross in red.

The name seems to ring a bell as 'troopship' comes to mind, but I
can't recall anything else, nor have I been able to discover more
elsewhere.


A Google search on the term "SS Uganda" will turn up lots of
information. And sci.military.naval might be a better forum for more
details. But here's a short history for you.

SS Uganda was built in 1952 and spend about 15 years as a passenger
liner on the UK-to-East Africa route. In 1967 she was converted to be
an educational cruise ship carrying school children on cruises around
Scandinavia or the Mediterranean. I'd guess that the badge might be a
souvenir from such a cruise. (The white flag with red cross saltaire was
the house flag of the British India Steam Navigation company, Uganda's
original owner.)

In 1982, Uganda served as a hospital ship for the Falklands war. From
1983 to 1985 she was chartered as a troop ship shuttling troops and
supplies between Ascension Island and the new Falklands garrison. She
was then retired and scrapped around 1987.