The Viceroy of India

Launched in September 1928, the 2000 ton P&O liner Viceroy of India made her maiden voyage from London on March 29th 1929 bound for Bombay via Marseilles, Malta and Suez.

The Investigators had a number of adventures during their voyage on the Viceroy, encountering new friends, loves and enemies.

She is the first European owned turbo electric ship, and she was ordered in April 1927 from the Glasgow Shipbuilders Alexander Stephen & Sons. Originally it had been intended to name her Taj Mahal, but this was changed to Viceroy of India prior to her launch.

Viceroy has accommodation for 415 first class passengers and 258 second class passengers, she carried a crew of 417.

She is the first liner to have all single berth first class cabins which could be converted into two or three berth rooms by means of interconnecting doors.

The lounge furnishings and decorations are in an 18th century design, as is the music room. The main smoking room is a reproduction of an old baronial hall complete with a huge fireplace, crest, suit of amour and a small museum of medallions and effects of Bonnie Prince Charlie. The first class dining room reproduces an 18th century French style and was paneled in English walnut. There is also an indoor pompeiian-style swimming bath.

One of the Viceroys most interesting features is her main propulsion machinery. The liner is driven by twin electric motors of 17,500 SHP, the power being supplied by two turbo alternators. Steam is provided by six oil fired Yarrow water tube boilers at 350 psi and superheated to 740'F. When cruising at lower power one alternator can supply current to both electric motors enabling two boilers to be shut down, thus obtaining the maximum fuel economy.

Mrs Henrietta Tullis organised this very successful Gilbert and Sullivan recital on the Viceroy of India. All of the passengers from Table 8 took part. The running order was:

1. Three Little Maids From School - Mrs Tullis, Francesca Nicholson & Patricia Berry
2. I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General - Stephen Thomas
3. A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One - Reverend Ian Gore
4. A British Tar is a Soaring Soul - Nathaniel Browne, Captain Withers, Andrew Saunders & Julian Knight

The best singers proved to be Miss Nicholson (who managed a beautiful delivery despite the overacting of Mrs Tullis) and Mr Thomas, though the comedy policeman routine by Reverend Gore (who had obtained a replica policeman's helmet from somewhere) brought the loudest applause.

The “British Tar” number was notable for Withers and Knight attempting to out-sing each other, which happily disguised the lesser talents of Browne and Saunders and made for a better performance overall.