I've managed to dig up quite a bit of information about the S.S. Lurline. It was built at the Bethlehem Shipyards in Quincey, Massachusetts in 1932 for the Matson Shipping Lines. It was used in the San Fransisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles service. After the attack on Pearl harbor, it became a troop transport. Returned to Matson in 1948, it returned to the Hawaii cruise routes. Sold in February of 1963, it was renamed the Ellinis and sailed out of Rotterdam. For more info, go to www.maritimematters.com/lurline32.html The photograph looks like it's of people on a dock, waiting for the Lurline to either arrive or depart port. The life preserver has LAHD printed on it. I'm sure the LA stands for Los Angeles, but HD? Hawaii dock, maybe? My guess, from the early to mid fifties.
The Lurline was a pleasure boat between San Francisco and Hawaii before WWII. It was built for a capacity of 715 passengers; 475 1st class, 240 tourist class and 359 crew. My mother was an Australian war bride who was shipped to the States from Brisbane, Australia in July & Aug 1944 to San Francisco on the Lurline along with 3,000 wounded and 'psycho' military personnel on board and 375 war brides with 75 children. 8 girls shared a cabin & it was so crowded most time they slept on deck. The previous ship with 37 war brides was sunk by the Japanese
ReplyDeleteI believe L.A.H.D. stands for Los Angeles Harbor Department.
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