HMT Abbassieh

Sicilian Prince, later Abbassieh

Sicilian Prince, later the Abbassieh

Abbassieh, one of the evacuation troop-carriers.

Originally named the Sicilian Prince, she was built in 1889 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 3199grt, a length of 363ft 6in, a beam of 42ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Napolitan Prince she was launched in November 1889 as the Mocambique for Mala Real Portugeza. Like her sister, when she entered service in March 1900 she failed to compete with the Cia. Nacional and in 1902 was sold to W. MacAndrew of Lisbon who renamed her Alvarez Cabral. MacAndrew's sold her immediately to Prince Line for their Livorno-Genoa-Naples-Palermo-New York service and on 30th September 1902 commenced her first sailing as the Sicilian Prince. She began her final sailing on 18th March 1908 before being chartered to Northwest Transport on 12th December for whom she made four round voyages from Rotterdam to New York with a call at Halifax. In June 1910 she was sold to Khedivial Steam Ship & Graving Dock Co. of London and was renamed Abbassieh for management by Lord Edward Hamilton

She appears to have a regular troop run from Mudros to the Dardanelles.

On their withdrawl from Suvla Bay, 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers embarked on SS ‘Abbasieh’ 30 Sept 1915 and disembarked at Mudros on the Island of Lemnos on 1 Oct 1915. .

After a further twenty one years service she was broken up in Italy during 1931.

 

7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers