Theme Collections

Nautical and Naval

Photos and Postcards - Troopships

Photos

This section contains two photos of R.M.S. Olympic in Halifax Harbour, October, 1916.

The R.M.S. Olympic was a British transatlantic ocean liner of the White Star Line, a sister ship of R.M.S. Titanic. Her career spanned from 1911 to 1935. During World War One, Olympic was fitted with deck guns and converted to a troopship. She was nicknamed "Old Reliable". At the time, she was one of the largest ocean liners in the world. From 1916 to 1917, Olympic was chartered by the Canadian Government to transport troops from Halifax to Britain. It was Olympic that carried the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade overseas in 1916. She later transported American troops overseas and returned troops home after the war. Olympic was a common site in Halifax Harbour during the war.

In May, 1918, while enroute to Europe with American troops, Olympic encountered U-103, a German u-boat. Before the u-boat could fire torpedoes, the Olympic’s deck guns opened fire and she attempted to ram the surfaced u-boat. The u-boat dived but not before Olympic’s propeller ruptured the u-boat’s hull resulting in her loss. Thirty one German crew members were later picked up by an American ship. The Olympic’s captain, Bertram Fox Hayes, was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his actions.

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