Φρύνη [Worthing, Brigader, Worthing, Phryne]

[Nicholas Peppas]

As you can guess, I am trying to complete "stories" for all the 1945-70 passenger ships. From time to time, I discover one important ship that is missing such as Latsis' Phryne (Φρύνη) which is presented here. Note this ship is also spelled in foreign literature also as Phryni, Fryni and (believe it or not) Phyrni (!) in one site... She graced the Greek waters from 1955 to roughly 1960, although officially she was not scrapped until 1965. Now, why a nice passenger ship of 22 knots (!) and more than 2,000 tins was scrapped at the age of 37, while others such as Moschanthi or Glaros or Kyknos lived longer, I do not know. Perhaps those closer to Piraeus will have the answer. But she was an extremely fast ship with her 22 knots...

Phryne was built as Worthing in June 1928 by William Denny and Bros shipyards in Dumbarton, Scotland. She had 93.7 m length, 11.8 m width and very impressive tonnage and speed, 2,288 tons and 22 knots, respectively.

On August 30, 1928, she started a very famous route for her owners, the Southern Railways Co of Southampton, England, the Newhaven to Dieppe route where she "worked" for 12 years.

There are numerous wonderful photographs and postcards from that period, that I would like to present here.

Worthing 1928.jpg

It is clear from all the above that Phryne/Worthing was one of these great British passenger ships that served the various lines from England to France, Belgium or the Netherlands before the World War II, ships like the great prewar Ierax and numerous postwar ships including Philippos... Phryne was in the same group!

Here she is again in two great photographs

Worthing3.jpg

Worthing 2.jpg

Here are her characteristics from Miramar

PHRYNE

IDNo: 5527750 Year: 1928
Name: WORTHING Launch Date: 3.5.28
Type: Passenger ship Date of completion: 8.28
Flag: GBR Keel:
Tons: 2288 Link: 1576
DWT: Yard No: 1203
Length overall: Ship Design:
LPP: 90.7 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 11.8 Builder: Denny, W.
Material of build: Location of yard: Dumbarton
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 2ST-22
Naval or paramilitary marking :
Subsequent History: 40 BRIGADIER - 46 WORTHING - 55 PHRYNI
Disposal Data: BU Greece 1964

Name Tons Change Registered Owner
WORTHING 2288 1928 Southern Railway
BRIGADIER 2288 1940 British Navy
PHRYNE 2288 1955 J.S. Latsis

One more postcard

Worthing7.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

And two more photographs (the second after World War II)

Worthing4.jpg

Worthing 6.jpg

In 1939, Worthing was requisitioned by the British government as a troop transporter and was renamed Brigadier (see also her special Wikipedia articl ein http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Worthing).

In fact, as the Worthing, she became part of the British Expeditionary Force in France and received her orders to be in Southampton in September 1939. She was a troop carrier crossing to Cherbourg, France a total of six times. Brigadier sailed for the Navy until March 1945.

Here she is as Brigadier in Dieppe in the early 1940s

Brigadier.jpg
Reference: http://www.ournewhaven.org.uk/page_i...69p87p70p.aspx

Brigadier participated in the D-Day Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944 (see http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_direc...the_d_day.html)

Here is one more photograph as Brigadier

Brigadier2.jpg
These are shown with permission and blessings!

I worked for many years moving T O E trailers to and from the port. I now have the hobby of collecting old postcards and have recently found some old ones of ferries, among which is a 1961 card of the ferry 'Liseux' at Newhaven with her sister ship. if you would like a copy for your website you would be most welcome free of charge! Kind regards

Jimmy Juggernaut

By Jim Butland
On 05/10/2008

Here is another photograph of Brigadier

Brigadier3.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

Having finished the War, the ship returned to Southern railways and was again named Worthing! As such, she did many more trips from Newhaven to Dieppe and back...

Her she is in her glory after World War II

Worthing 11.jpg

Having finished the War, the ship returned to Southern railways and was again named Worthing! As such, she did many more trips from Newhaven to Dieppe and back...

Here is a photo in Dieppe after a very rough gale at sea...

Worthing10.jpg

More photos of Worthing... Here leaving Newhaven

Worthing 13.jpg

And here is one of the last postcards of Worthing before transferring to Greece. It was taken in 1955 and shows her during the slowly declining days of her route from Newhaven to Dieppe.... When she left for Greece, she had served 22 years in just one route and 6 in the Navy. Go to Dieppe and ask about Worthing (pronounced there as Wertheén) and you will see the people's reaction even now!

Worthing 1950s.jpg

And the route Newhaven-Dieppe

ND.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

In June 1955, Phryne was sold to John Latsis and arrived in Piraeus. She spent only one month in Perama for some external beautification, was painted white and started her trips in Greece.

Enjoy her first announcements in Greece on August 12, 1955, just in time for Dekapentaugoustos in Tenos... Please note how many trips she could do and how fast. Also she could carry 1,500 passengers!

19550812 Fryni.jpg

And then (with permission by Antonis Molos) I will duplicate a photograph of the all-white Phryne that was published in Eikones on November 21, 1955. Original in http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showpos...&postcount=319

Phryne2.jpg

In June 1955, Phryne was sold to John Latsis Enjoy her first announcements in Greece on August 12, 1955, just in time for Dekapentaugoustos in Tenos...

As an extra little present for all my friends, here is the complete listing of schedules on August 12, 1955.... It is so impressive to see all the great ships together...

Για να μαθαινουν οι νεωτεροι...

F1.jpg
F2.jpg

Phryne's schedules were in just two or three important routes

--- Piraeus - Tinos - Mykonos.
--- Piraeus - Chania - Rethymnon
--- Piraeus - Heraklion - Rethymnon - Chania.

But her stay in Greece was short-lived. In 1956 Latsis chartered her to carry pilgrims from Libya to Jeddah!

She stopped operating in 1960 and was scrapped in 1964. Does anyone know what happened?

Meanwhile, we have also this great painting of Antonis Milanos...

PHRYNE.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

Something quite interesting is that international sites consider Worthing a very important ship of the middle century. In the Web site http://www.oceanlinermuseum.co.uk/John%20S%20Latsis.htm a list of notable ships that made it in the Latsis Fleet... And these included Phryne/Worthing

Some of the notable ships that have ended up in the Latsis Fleet:
S/S Groote Beer (1945) - Holland America Line
Sold to John S. Latsis in 1963 and renamed Marianna IV in 1964, returned to Groote Beer in 1965, in 1968 she returned to being Marianna IV. In 1968 she was laid up at Piraeus and was scrapped in 1970 at Eleusis, Greece.
M/S Alexander (1966)
Luxury private yacht owned by John S. Latsis since about 1983, famously loaned to HRH The Prince of Wales and other celebrities.
S/S Worthing (1928) - Southern Railway
Sold to John S. Latsis in 1955 eventually scrapped in 1964.
S/S Barbic (1918) - White Star Line
Sold to John Latsis in 1937 who renamed her Marathon.
S/S Waterman (1945) - Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line
Sold to John S Latsis in 1964, withdrawn and scrapped in 1969 / 1970.
RMS Strathmore (1935) - P&O Line
Sold to John S. Latsis in 1963 and renamed Marianna Latsis and used for occasional pilgrim voyages, such as from West Africa and Libya to Jeddah and as a hotel ship in Jeddah. In 1966 she was renamed Henrietta Latsis. In 1967 she was laid up at Eleusis, Greece and in 1969 was scrapped at La Spezia in Italy.
RMS Stratheden (1937) - P&O Line
Sold to John S Latsis in 1964 and renamed Henrietta Latsis, 1966 renamed Marianna Latsis and scrapped at La Spezia in Italy in 1969.
S/S Principe Perfeito (1961) - Companhia Nacionial de Navegacao's (CNN), Portugal.
Sold to Latsis in 1982 and renamed Marianna IX for use as a hotel ship at Jeddah. In 1985 she was renamed Marianna 9 and in 1989 was donated to the Greek government for use to house earthquake victims at Kalamata. In 1990 she was laid up at Eleusis Bay, Piraeus, Greece along with the former Windsor Castle. In 1998 she was put up for sale with other Latsis ships but sadly in 2001 was sold for scrap in India.
M/S Aureol (1951) - Elder Dempster Lines.
Sold to Latsis in 1974 and renamed Marianna VI for use as an office and leisure centre at Jeddah for the Petrola Int. S.A. Construction Company. In 1979 she was replaced by the former RMS Windsor Castle and remained laid up at Jeddah. In 1989 she was laid up at Eleusis Bay, Piraeus, Greece before being sold for scrap in India in 2001.
RMS Windsor Castle (1959) - Union Castle Line
Sold to John S. Latsis in 1977 and renamed Margarita L and used variously as an accommodation ship in Saudi Arabia etc. Laid up at Eleusis Bay, Piraeus, Greece in 1990 and was eventually sold for scrap in India in 2005.

In an old site http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu...3983/index.htm, it is said that

It has been said that John Latsis became rich because he was the first European businessman to understand the Arab mind. Indeed, after buying his first ship in 1955, Greek-born Latsis established contact with potential customers from the Middle East by waiting hours -- days, if necessary -- to be received. Perseverance paid off: His current holdings are so vast they are called the ''galaxy'' by Genevans in the know. Latsis has been known to conduct business from his ''swimming headquarters,'' a pair of converted freighters anchored at Jiddah. Married, three children.

I do not know if that first ship was Phryne.

But we all know that before this he had small Argosaronikos ships including the little Erietta. I assume all of you know that Erietta was the name of his wife, who survived him

[Nicholas Peppas]

Phryne on September 3, 1955

19550903 Fryni.jpg

[johny1940]

In 1939, Worthing was requisitioned by the British government as a troop transporter and was renamed Brigadier (see also her special Wikipedia articl ein http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Worthing).

In fact, as the Worthing, she became part of the British Expeditionary Force in France and received her orders to be in Southampton in September 1939. She was a troop carrier crossing to Cherbourg, France a total of six times. Brigadier sailed for the Navy until March 1945.

Για να είμαστε ακριβείς θα πρέπει να αναφέρουμε οτι το WORTHING διασκευάστηκε σε πλοίο μεταφοράς τραυματιών (Hospital Carrier) το Νοέμβριο του 1939 και το διάστημα Ιανουάριος-Ιούνιος 1940 μετέφερε τραυματίες από τη Δουνκέρκη στο Νιούχεϊβεν.
Στις 2/6/1940 υπέστη επίθεση από δώδεκα αεροσκάφη και υπέστη βλάβες από τα παρολίγο χτυπήματα τους.
Και να πως ήταν σε αυτά του τα καθήκοντα σε φωτογραφία του Dave Aston.
Worthing.jpg

Τον Αύγουστο του 1940 ο ρόλος του άλλαξε και έγινε πλοίο - στόχος για την εκπαίδευση πιλότων. Τo Δεκέμβριο του 1940 μετονομάστηκε ΗΜS BRIGADIER. Εδώ το βλέπουμε με δυο αεροσκάφη τύπου Swordfish.
Brigadier with Swordfish 11-1941.jpg

Στα μέσα του 1942 έπαψε αυτός ο ρόλος και διασκευάστηκε σε πλοίο απόβασης πεζικού LSI(H).

[T.S.S. APOLLON]

Ενδιαφεροντα τα ντοκουμεντα που μας παρουσιασες φιλε johny1940!