The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company liner "ARAGUAYA" as depicted in the company's 1926 brochure "The Comfort Route" to BERMUDA. Vessel sailings from New York twice weekly from January 1926. Ships "AVON" and "ARAGUAYA".

R.M.S.P.Co's "steel twin screw steamer" ARAGUAYA was built by Workman Clark, Belfast ,N.Ireland in 1906.

Gross Tonnage: 10,537tons.

Displacement: 17,500 tons.

LOA 532 feet

Beam: 61 feet.

Speed 15 knots.

Career:1906-1930

Launched by the Countess of Aberdeen on 5th Jun.1906, she sailed from Southampton on 12th Oct. on her maiden voyage to Brazil, Montevideo and Buenos Aires where she loaded frozen meat. Apart from two Kiel cruises in 1912, she continued on this service until 1917 when she was fitted as a hospital ship.

After one voyage to Halifax and one to Capetown, she was handed over to the Canadian Government as a Canadian Military Hospital Ship and between then and 1920 made 19 voyages between the UK and Canada and transported 15,000 patients.

In 1920 she was handed back to RMSP Co, refitted and on 29th Oct.1920 resumed Southampton - Buenos Aires voyages. On 19th dec.1921 she commenced her first Hamburg - Southampton - New York sailing and made 6 round voyages on this route.

In 1926 she was refitted as a cruise ship with accommodation for 365-1st class passengers.

Due the advent of the slump in 1930, was sold to Jugoslavenska Lloyd (Yugoslav Lloyd) and renamed KRALJICA MARIJA (Queen Maria). She was mainly employed on Black Sea and Mediterranean cruises until 1940 when she went to the French Line and was renamed SAVOIE. Used again on the South America route, she was sunk near Casablanca on 8th Nov.1942 while taking part in the American landings in North Africa. Inf quoted from:[South American Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor] [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.5, Royal Mail & Nelson Line] [Steamers of the Past by J.H.Isherwood, Sea Breezes magazine, Oct.1961]