1957 |
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23rd January |
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Order placed with Harland & Wolff |
23 September |
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First keel plates laid (yard number 1621) |
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1958 |
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17 March |
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Ship's name announced as "Canberra" |
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1959 |
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Construction continues |
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1960 |
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16 March |
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Launched by Dame Pattie Menzies |
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1961 |
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29 April |
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Leaves Belfast for first time for builder's trials |
1 May |
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Arrives in Southampton for dry docking |
16 May |
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Leaves Southampton for acceptance trials |
18 May |
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Achieved maximum speed of 29.7 knots on trials |
19 May |
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Officially handed over to P&O |
2 June |
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Leaves Southampton on maiden voyage |
4 September |
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Arrives back in Southampton after maiden voyage |
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1962 |
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11 June |
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First transit of Panama Canal (fee £11,500) |
21 June |
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First refit in Southampton |
1 November |
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Minor collision with a steel barge in Vancouver |
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1963 |
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4 January |
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Electrician causes fire in main switchboard - all power lost |
5 January |
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Arrives Grand Harbour Malta under own steam |
7 January |
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Aircraft start to fly passengers to onward destinations |
14 January |
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Leaves Malta under own steam for proper repairs in Belfast |
21 January |
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Arrives in Belfast for repairs to switchboard |
11 May |
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Leaves Belfast after repairs |
24th May |
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Leaves Southampton on first post-repair voyage |
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1965 |
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1 March |
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Tug line snaps in Sydney harbour causing ship to drift under Harbour Bridge, bending mast |
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1966 |
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16 May |
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Seaman's strike causes ship to be stranded in Southampton |
2 July |
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Strike over - ship sails on world cruise |
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1967 |
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5 June |
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Whilst approaching Port Said, Canberra is diverted around the Cape of Good Hope with the outbreak of the Six Day Way. |
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1972 |
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27 September |
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Damage suffered to a draught fan forcing a speed reduction |
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1973 |
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24 January |
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Leaves Southampton to be based out of New York |
30 January |
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Arrives New York to begin cruise season |
31 January |
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Leaves on first cruise ex New York, but bookings very low |
27 February |
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Ship is laid up in mouth of Cape Fear River, North Carolina |
20 March |
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Leaves anchorage to return to New York to complete season |
1 June |
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P&O announce ship to be withdrawn from service |
12 July |
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Ship runs aground while anchoring in Grenada |
15 July |
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Ship finally freed from Lloyd Shoal after four days being stranded |
14 August |
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(1) Ship runs aground in St Thomas due to high winds (2) P&O reverse decision to scrap ship |
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1974 |
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Ship converted to one-class operation and capacity reduced to 1,737 |
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1979 |
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August |
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Two 15-year old boys stow away & remain undetected for 12 days |
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1980 |
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30 November |
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Start of refit, during which time smaller propellers are to be fitted to reduce speed |
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1981 |
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2 May |
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Dock strike forces ship to disembark passengers by ferry at Portsmouth |
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1982 |
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4 April |
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Ship requisitioned by government to carry troops to Falklands |
7 April |
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Arrives in Southampton after world cruise, conversion to troopship begins |
9 April |
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Leaves Southampton with Paras & Marines on board |
17 April |
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Arrives Freetown to bunker and take on stores |
20 April |
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Anchors at Ascension Island awaiting orders |
7 May |
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Leaves Ascension Island for Falkland Islands |
21 May |
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Anchors in San Carlos Water to dismebark military forces |
27 May |
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Rendezvous with QE2 at South Georgia to take more troops back to Falklands |
2 June |
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Anchors in San Carlos Water again to disembark more troops |
19 June |
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Arrives Puerto Madryn, Argentina, to repatriate 4,167 POW's |
25 June |
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Leaves Falklands carrying 2,500 Royal Marines destined for home |
11 July |
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Arrives back Southampton after 94 days |
11 September |
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First cruise after refit following Falklands conflict |
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1986 |
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May |
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Ship assumes title "Cock of the Fleet" after retirement of Oriana - Canberra now fastest |
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1987 |
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24 January |
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Ship rescues family of five whose yacht has sunk off coast of Mexico |
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Dinner on board to celebrate 150th Anniversary of P&O and 5th Anniversary of service in Falklands |
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1994 |
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20 March |
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Five badly burned seaman taken on board and treated after explosion on their tanker |
5 June |
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Memorial service held on board for D-Day veterans to commemorate 50th Anniversary |
7 December |
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Ship loses power and drifts towards St Catherine's Point. Power regained 4 miles from shore |
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1996 |
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25 June |
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P&O announce Canberra will retire at the end of September 1997 |
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1997 |
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6 January |
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Leaves Southampton on last world cruise |
23 February |
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Final call at Sydney |
10 September |
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Leaves Southampton on 'Farewell Cruise' |
25 September |
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In Cannes, "Cock of the Fleet" title passes on to Oriana |
30 September |
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Arrives in Southampton for last time |
1 October |
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De-Storing commences |
10 October |
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Leaves Southampton for breakers in Pakistan |
31 October |
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At 0940hrs, Canberra is run ashore at Gadani Beach, Pakistan to be broken up for scrap |
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