The Merchant Navy Crest

ss CITY OF CAIRO

A tribute to the British Merchant Navy - they also served!

The Red Duster

Photos (2)

I am pleased to be able to add the following photos. All are copyright © and courtesy of the Quantrill family and I would particularly like to thank Sarah Quantrill for allowing me to put them on the site.

If you have any photos that you would like to add please get in touch. I do have photos on all of the other pages on the site and I hope you find them of interest.

The following batch of photos were taken on the 20th June 1941 and depict the "crossing the line" ceremony while the ship was on passage from Durban (11/6) to Rangoon (2/7).

The ceremony, "Crossing the Line" is a seafarers tradition carried out on crossing the equator, on anyone in the ship's crew who has not previously done so.

Crossing The Line 20th June 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

captain rogerson

Captain Rogerson

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941

Crossing the Line 1941

crossing the line 1941 - Britt and Whyte

Crossing the Line 1941 - Britt & Whyte

crossing the line certificate

Dr. Quantrill's Crossing the Line Certificate

Know all men by these presents that on the 20th day of June 1941 in Lat, 0, Long 56°16E on board the good ship "CITY OF CAIRO" in accordance with Ancient Maritime Usages & Customs Dr. D.W. Quantrill was tried before a Special Court of his Oceanic Majesty King Neptune, and was found guilty of attempting to invade His Majesty's Territories without pacifying His Oceanic Majesty in the customary manner, and was sentenced to the full penalties of the fathomless deep, and that the said Landlubber underwent these Ordeals with such Conspicuous Bravery that His Oceanic Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant this Diploma to enable the said Dr. D.W. Quantrill to voyage peacefully on the mighty Deep and pass without further molestation as a Loyal and Faithfull Subject of His Majesty.

Given under Our Hand and Seal on the day above and year written

Signed W.A. Rogerson

St. Helena

I have added some postcards and photos of St Helena Island. The postcards were sent by Dr. Quantrill from St Helena in 1943. The photos were also taken around about this time. I am grateful to Sarah Quantrill and the Quantrill family for permission to add to this site.

I am also very grateful to [Peter] Ferdinand Dieckhaus, who was 2 years old when the ship was torpedoed, for contributing photos to this page.

Colour photos were supplied courtesy of Peter Batty - my thanks to him for allowing me to show on this site.

the governer's residence

The Governor's Residence, St Helena

view from St Helena

View from St Helena 1942

The Lace Depot

The Lace Depot, St Helena

Courtesy [Peter] Ferdinand Dieckhaus

Main St, St Helena

Main Street, St Helena

Courtesy [Peter] Ferdinand Dieckhaus

Napoleon's Tomb, St Helena

Napoleon's Tomb, St Helena

Jacobs Ladder, St Helena

Jacob's Ladder, St Helena

Heart Shaped Waterfall, St Helena

Heart Shaped Waterfall, St Helena

Jacobs Ladder

Jacob's Ladder

Copyright © Peter Batty

Jacobs's Ladder from the Warf

Jacob's Ladder from the Warf

Copyright © Peter Batty

Jacobs's Ladder lit up at night

Jacob's Ladder lit up at night

Copyright © Peter Batty

Plantation House - Governor's residence

Plantation House - Governor's residence

Copyright © Peter Batty