Lady Rodney's Philately

[And BEFORE you start... No! he hasn't taken to
wearing ladies dresses!... that I know of. 8*P ]

================================================== ==============

I recently came across a scan of an unusual 1930's Canadian
Paquebot (Bahamas) cover.
http://www.pennymead.com/images/1936LadyRodney.jpg

It bore two 1 cent Canadian stamps and was cancelled at Nassau,
Bahamas. It had been posted on board the "Lady Rodney", a ship
owned by Canadian National Steamships (see below) and bears
a violet stamp from the Purser's Office.

A similar 1930's postcard from Lady Rodney had a 2c Canadian
stamp was post marked in Bermuda. It has the Purser's Office
stamp in black.
http://www.pennymead.com/images/Gompel/049.jpg
http://www.pennymead.com/images/Gompel/049a.jpg

Note: The Lady Rodney is named in Watercraft Philately
Vol 23 + 28 (Journal of the Ships on Stamps Unit of the ATA)
The ship appears on Dominica Scott #437 issued SEP 01, 1975.
The stamp can be seen on a cover to Montserrat at:
http://www.postalhistory.com/scans_D/DO751115.jpg


+++ The Ship +++
http://www.mgl.ca/~cpike/ladyrodney.jpg
Lady Rodney in Montreal harbour:
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/_imag...l/CN003133.jpg

The Lady Rodney was a 7500 ton Canadian National Steamships
vessel (named after Canada's Lady Rodney. (I believe she was
built in 1914) The ship was designed for the Canadian -
West Indies service.

In WWII, she was requisitioned by the Navy. While she
retained her regular civilian crew, she was converted
to carry 500 troops.

LCol WE Sutherland headed a small detachment of Provost
and Service Corps personnel which was placed on board to
maintain military discipline and order in case the troops
got unruly.

In 1942, the trip from Halifax to St John's (NFLD)
normally took two and a half days but could stretch to
a week in the case of stormy weather or ice conditions.

Due to the threat of submarine attack there were
"boat drills and the call for "action stations"
several times a day. 20 and 30 foot waves were
often encountered during storms and the stern
of the ship would come down with such force ,
after such a wave, that the passengers would
be thrown out of their bunks.

Frequently, they did not sleep for the whole voyage.
It certainly could not have been considered a "cruise"
even in the best of times.

In 1943 Lady Rodney was operating as ship #44 in convoy HX223.

After WWII the Lady Rodney ferried troops + their families
from Europe to the UK and to Canada.


But who was the mysteriouis "Lady Rodney"?

+++ Noble family in Fort Saskatchewan history +++

Fort Saskatchewan was once graced by royalty of sorts.
Lord and Lady Rodney farmed just across the river from
town from 1919 until retirement in 1960. The couple
were leaders in the area, and of the Boy Scout and
Girl Guide movements in Alberta.

Lady Margery Rodney was the first Alberta Provincial
Commissioner of the Girl Guides.
http://www.fortsaskinfo.com/museum/g...ladyrodney.jpg

Born in 1895, she was the daughter of Lord Lonsdale and
married Lord George Rodney in 1917. She knew little
of cooking, farming or housekeeping when she and her
husband came to settle on land just east of Lamoureux
near the site of Fort Augustus.

They spent their first winter in a tent, and daughter
Diana wrote later that they held nightly bed bug
spearing competitions using hat pins.

They named their farm Cottesmore and set about growing
vegetables and raising cows, pigs and five children.
They were also well known for their garden parties,
where they entertained such people as the Governor
General of the time and Sir Winston Churchill.

They also organized Christmas parties for children
of the community. The couple retired in 1960
and moved to Victoria. Lord Rodney died in 1968
and Lady Rodney died in 1973.

Story courtesy of The Sturgeon Creek Post
Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Canada (NA-2742-5)

Blair Stannard

Thanks Blair,
I'll be away for a few days whilst I digest your posts
Interesting, previously I had always adopted the more
testosteroned vessel the "HMS Rodney"
this beautifully shaped lady scored the first hit on the Bismark.
No problem with the "Lady Rodney" though, she was an
"achiever"

On Tue, 6 Jul 2004 01:36:26 +0800, "Rodney"
wrote:

Thanks Blair,
I'll be away for a few days whilst I digest your posts
Interesting, previously I had always adopted the more
testosteroned vessel the "HMS Rodney"
this beautifully shaped lady scored the first hit on the Bismark.

That was one of my favorite sea stories of all time. That, and the
Battle of Jutland in WWI.

It's amazing how the dreadnoughts came up so fast...

this beautifully shaped lady scored the first hit on the Bismark.

With respect to your namesake - in the prior action with Hood and Prince of
Wales it was the latter that hit the Bismark first.

http://www.navalships.org/dkm02.html

G

I stand corrected,
I immediately went scrabbling on the net, for I was sure I had read
otherwise.
Your site appears authoritative, so I accept.
I have not uncovered the site where I may have read it some years ago
but here is another site that claims contrary,
(albeit a marketing site
Legend, ego and myth at work already
http://www.naval-art.com/rodney.htm


--

(Remove gum to reply)


"Garry Law" wrote in message ...
|
| this beautifully shaped lady scored the first hit on the Bismark.
|
| With respect to your namesake - in the prior action with Hood and Prince of
| Wales it was the latter that hit the Bismark first.
|
| http://www.navalships.org/dkm02.html
|
| G
|
|