Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: Martin (Admin) on April 25, 2008, 10:07:05 am
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Can I ask a question, why was Titanic "RMS" Titanic?
Who, why, how was RMS added to a ship?
RMS = Royal Mail Ship.... I had to look that up! ::)
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Maybe a tax dodge.
Or some regulatory dodge no doubt.
I heard there was some complaints from the passengers about having to wear labels like Paddington Bear.
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"R.M.S., the prefix, short for Royal Mail Ship, placed before the name of a British merchant ship with a licence to carry the Royal Mails. It was the granting of mail licences to commercial shipowners during the 19th century which gave so great a fillip to British shipbuilding and made possible the formation of the big steamship lines, Cunard, P&O, etc. Until that time the oversea mails had been carried in sailing packets owned and operated by the Post Office, but with the introduction of steam propulsion it proved too great a financial burden on the Post Office to build new steamships, and thus the carriage of the mails was farmed out to commercial shipowners. Only the fastest ships, which were normally passenger liners, received the licence and thus the right to use the prefix R.M.S."
However some alternative interpretations of the definition of R.M.S. have its meaning as Royal Mail Steamship and motor ships had the prefix R.M.M.V. with this meaning Royal Mail Motor Vessel. There are very few true R.M.S. ships today as they tended to stop carrying the Royal Mails in the 1970s after Royal Mail began to use aeroplanes. However some remote British overseas territories are still served by R.M.S. vessels for example the RMS St Helena which sails from Portland to Ascension Island and St Helena continuing on to Cape Town. Notably this ship's route is the direct replacement for the Union-Castle Line route.
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Did it also having anything to do with the fact the government financed some of the building of the 3 ships , so that in time of War they could be used.. Or was that the other Company. ??
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I Cun - ard- ly believe that. ;)
P&O - Post and Office springs to mind.
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P&O - Peninsula and Orient steam ship company, used to be called Pandoro.
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Well thats enlightened me ,i thought R M S stood for Rhein, Maas + See O0.
daz
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It wasn't just the big boys that got the RMS prefix. Newhaven/Dieppe was, for many years, the route used by the Royal Mail for the mail service from the UK to France. Our vessels were known as the 'mailboats' rather than ferries. The old adage that 'the mail has to get through' certainly applied and timekeeping was strict and the ships went out in the foulest of weathers. The N/D ships were ruddy fast, too, all thanks to that mail contract, with speeds of 25knots being common. Mind you, the amount of fuel they used at that speed was astronomic.
Andy
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I think, but wouldn't swear to it, but ALL of the IOMSPCo ships were designated also as Royal mail ships?