Mecca,photo taken in 1963, Great Bitter Lake. Owned by by the Egyptian National Shipping Co. A real old stager. Our pilot told us she was mostly on the Alexandria, Suez, Saudi run with pilgrims. Origionally built for CN shipping as the "Lady Nelson" on the West Indies services. CN had built five vessels in two slighty different configurations and the sisters 'Lady Nelson' and 'Lady Rodney' each belonged to a different group. The other three ships were lost to torpedoes in WWII.
Built in 1928, the 'Lady Nelson', like all of the five, was built by by Cammell, Laird at Birkenhead.
7,970GT, 419' x 50', twin screw, turbines, 14 knots service speed.
130 1st, 32 2nd, 56 3rd and 120 deck passengers as built.
Sold Egytian in 1953, refitted at Alexandria and renamed 'Mecca' for an east-west mediterranean service. Accommodation altered to carry about 1,300 'tween decks steerage.
Scuttled in the Canal by the Egyptians in 1967, she was cut up by the US Navy in 1974 and carted away in pieces for scrap
Sorry about the photo quality, resurected from an almost bleached to nothing slide. I thought she was interesting enough to post anyway.