A very strange way to go to war : the Canberra in the Falklands

She was the last icon of an age of leisurely travel fading into memory even as she embarked on her maiden voyage: a luxurious ocean liner vast and brilliant white, a beacon of elegance and opulence. For a decade P&O’s flagship SS Canberra was the standard passage for any Britons travelling to Australia, and subsequently the voyage of a lifetime for well-heeled cruise passengers. But then in March 1982 Britain stirred itself to go to war for the first time in generations in defence of a lonely and little-known outpost of empire, the Falkland Islands, and the Canberra, its round-the-world cruise suddenly interrupted at Gibraltar for the first of the military to board, found itself, surreally, requisitioned as a troopship to carry the Marines and the Paratroops into battle. This is the astonishing story of how a luxury liner and her civilian crew – as close as family – went from pampering affluent retirees in the Mediterranean to taking thousands of soldiers, who pounded circuits of her creaking decks incessantly to keep fit, and took them down into the bitter winter waters of the South Atlantic. On the day troops landed to recapture the Falklands Canberra found herself in the thick of action with Argentine bombs raining down around her. Against the odds she survived, performing a crucial role as a hospital ship, then taking a vanquished and bewildered conscript army home to Buenos Aires before returning to Southampton, grubby and rust-streaked, forever to be fondly known as the Great White Whale, to a tumultuous hero’s welcome. This is the extraordinary story untold until now, of how unlikely combatants like waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners who never in their dreams imagined they could be caught up in a war, found themselves on the front line at the very end of the world. Drawing on dozens of new interviews with those who were there, from the Canberra’s crew to the soldiers and war correspondents who sailed with her, as well as previously unpublished archives, A Very Strange Way To Go To War is a candid, revealing and compelling story of bravery, by turns surprising, tender and deeply moving,. Above all, it is the story of a quintessentially British finest hour, brought about by ordinary men and women, who, when their country called, went all the way.

Vast and brilliant white, P&O's flagship the SS Canberra was a final salute to a bygone era of opulence even as she embarked on her maiden voyage, For a decade she carried passengers between Britain and Australia, a 90-day voyage of pampering and decadence. But in March 1982, Britain went to war to defend the Falkland Islands and the SS Canberra found herself, surreally, requisitioned as a troop ship to carry the Marines and Paratroops into battle.

Against all odds she surived, playing a vital role as a hospital ship, At the end of the war she arrived back in Southampton to a heroes welcome, where she became fondly known as the Great White Whale.

This is the extraordinary and, as yet, untold story of how the crew of a luxury ocean liner: waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners, found themselves suddenly thrust onto the front line. A Very Strange Way to Go to War is a candid and captivating story, drawing from first hand accounts and previously unpublished archives, of the heroic courage of ordinary British men and women in the face of great adversity, at the outpost of empire.

Vast and brilliant white, P&O's flagship the SS Canberra was a final salute to a bygone era of opulence even as she embarked on her maiden voyage, For a decade she carried passengers between Britain and Australia, a 90-day voyage of pampering and decadence. But in March 1982, Britain went to war to defend the Falkland Islands and the SS Canberra found herself, surreally, requisitioned as a troop ship to carry the Marines and Paratroops into battle. Against all odds she surived, playing a vital role as a hospital ship, At the end of the war she arrived back in Southampton to a heroes welcome, where she became fondly known as the Great White Whale. This is the extraordinary and, as yet, untold story of how the crew of a luxury ocean liner: waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners, found themselves suddenly thrust onto the front line. A Very Strange Way to Go to War is a candid and captivating story, drawing from first hand accounts and previously unpublished archives, of the heroic courage of ordinary British men and women in the face of great adversity, at the outpost of empire. A Very Strange Way To Go To War Tells The Astonishing Story Of The Great White Whale, The Luxury Ocean Liner Turned Troopship, Which Was Diverted From The Med To The Heart Of The Falklands War. Unlike The Qe2 (also Requisitioned), The Canberra Went All The Way Into San Carlos Water To Deliver Its Royal Marines Into Battle. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. We Don't Want To Join The Army -- 2. Ship Of The Future -- 3. No Women And No Foreigners -- 4. Give The Argies Some Bargie -- 5. Four Times Round Equals A Mile -- 6. Pinkers And Clausewitz -- 7. Our Lads -- 8. Waiting And Wondering -- 9. Going All The Way -- 10.a Sea Full Of Ships -- 11. Take Cover, Take Cover -- 12. Rendezvous At The End Of The Earth -- 13. All-bran And Peat -- 14. Bringing Her Children Home -- 15. Britain's Favourite Ship. By Andrew Vine. Includes Bibliographical References And Index (pages 307-309) And Index. A Very Strange Way to Go to War tells the astonishing story of the 'Great White Whale', the luxury ocean liner turned troopship, which was diverted from the Med to the heart of the Falklands war. Thirty years ago, after Argentina had invaded the Falkland Islands, a Task Force sailed from Southampton. On it was one of Britain's two flagship ocean liners, P & O's Canberra, stopped in its tracks at Gibraltar on its Mediterranean cruise, refitted as a troopship in a week, and now carrying 2,000 soldiers - as well as almost all of its civilian crew - down to the South Atlantic. Unlike the QE2 (al Content: Cover Title page Dedication Epigraph Contents 1. We Don't Want to Join the Army 2. Ship of the Future 3. No Women and No Foreigners 4. Give the Argies Some Bargie 5. Four Times Round Equals a Mile 6. Pinkers and Clausewitz 7. Our Lads 8. Waiting and Wondering 9. Going All the Way 10. A Sea Full of Ships 11. Take Cover, Take Cover 12. Rendezvous at the End of the Earth 13. All-Bran and Peat 14. Bringing Her Children Home 15. Britain's Favourite Ship Acknowledgements Bibliography Index Copyright.