Tuesday, December 8, 2015

the 'Paraguay Star' in Lisbon, Portugal


This was one of four passenger/refrigerated cargo ships built for the UK - South American service under the Blue Star Line at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England.

The ships would be on a regular service via Lisbon, Madeira, to the major ports along the east coast of South America. They would return to UK loaded with chilled beef from Fray Bentos at Buenos Aires, and that meat would then be delivered to the Dewhursts chain throughout the UK. All three companies came under the Vestey banner.

The SS Paraguay Star met with a severe engine room fire while at Royal Victoria Dock, London, on 8 August 1969 and was declared a total loss; she was towed to Hamburg a month later for breaking up.

The scene shows her arriving at Lisbon outbound from UK in the mid 1960s. An oil painting commissioned of Wallace Trickett on 15x30'' canvas board which hangs in London.

No comments: