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Originally she was
built in 1928, as passenger liner for the Panama Pacific Line, and named the
SS Virginia. Then in 1937 she was sold to the Maritime Commission, rebuilt
with one funnel, renamed the SS
Brazil and was operated as a luxury liner by
the Moore – McCormack Lines. Her length was 613 feet, breath 80 feet, with a
displacement of 32,816 tons and, using her twin screws, she achieved a speed
scarcely under 19 knots. Her pre-war passenger capacity was 470, with a crew
complement of 380. She was also fast for her day, and had broken the record from
Buenos Aires to New York; making the trip in 14 days and 12
hours.
The Captain’s
table.
But in March of 1942
the SS Brazil
began her military service – leaving her luxury days behind - and was
transferred to the War Shipping Administration; becoming the USAT Brazil (United States
Army Transport). The luxury state rooms
were stripped out, and filled with pipe sleeping racks to accommodate troops and
their gear. Also from bow to stern she
was painted navy-grey - even her richly appointed mahogany railings, paneling
and bars – and for the black out her glass porthole covers were painted black,
with all interior lights painted blue or purple.
The
SS Brazil being painted
navy-grey.
Additionally she was
armed for self-defense with a 4”/50 single purpose gun mounted on the stern,
a
3"/50 AA gun mounted on the bow,
plus four .50 caliber, and two .30 caliber machine guns.
These weapons were manned by trained gunners from the
U.S. Navy Armed Guard (NAGs) and who were assisted, occasionally, by the
SS Brazil’s merchant crewmen.
The “NAGS” at work.
Her human cargo
capacity had also been significantly increased; when my folks first laid eyes on
her in Bombay Harbor, the SS Brazil had recently delivered
4,000 U.S. troops, including 500 nurses, to Karachi on 12th May 1942. For her return trip to the States she’d be
evacuating a crew of 266, plus 864 passengers, including 177 Chinese Army Cadets and officers, plus
41 torpedoed survivors of the Washingtonian, an American cargo
steamer. The total
number of souls on board came to 1,130 people; including fetal-me and my
family.
The
sadly beat-up USAT Brazil at Victoria Dock,
Bombay.
By this time my mother
was approaching her 5th month of pregnancy with me, and still weak
from the dengue fever and rough traveling.
This impending sea voyage held little appeal for her; especially since
she’d never learned to swim.
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On the crowded dock,
where hordes of passengers and their families impatiently waited to board ship,
Dad, Mom and Pinkie bade a very emotional goodbye to Tuluah-Rhum. They all literally owed their lives to this
ex-Gurkha soldier. Passage on this ship
was mainly an emergency evacuation for U.S. citizens in time of war; hard as my
dad tried the authorities wouldn’t allow my family to bring Tulah-Rhum back to
the States. Instead, my folks gave him
all the left over English money and rupees they had; more than enough to set
Tuluah-Rhum up in business back in Nepal.
In addition, they all wept – even my pop – and it was at this point that
Tulah-Rhum slipped his Gurkha Kukri, in its scabbard, from his belt and handed
it to Dad, saying, “Protect Memsah’b and Missy Baba.”
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