The ship's keel was laid down to be the SS
Washington, but she was renamed SS
Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm before her launch. She was built in 1907–1908 for
Norddeutscher Lloyd Line by
Joh. C. Tecklenborg in Gestemunde, Germany. The 16,992-ton vessel had a length of 590.1 feet, and her beam was 68.3 feet. Her last voyage as
Prinz Frederick Wilhelm was begun on June 13, 1914. At the outbreak of war in August 1914, she cut short a pleasure cruise and sought refuge at
Odda, Norway. After the war, the ship was surrendered on March 31, 1919, to the British. For a short period, she was commissioned in the
US Navy as a troop transport. From April into August Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm made five trips from France and the U.S., carrying over 15,000 passengers, mainly U.S. Army personnel. She was decommissioned in November 1919 and transferred to the U.S. Shipping Board. In 1920, she was chartered to Canadian Pacific; and she sailed between
Liverpool and
Quebec beginning on July 14, 1920. Within weeks, the vessel would be renamed yet again as the SS
Empress of India, becoming the second of two CP vessels to be named
Empress of India.., the SS
Empress of India, and
SS Empress of Britain. Note the curved bow of the 1891
Empress of Britain in contrast with the straight-sided bows of the newer ships in the CP fleet. (1926) On August 25, 1921, the SS
Empress of India was chartered to
Cunard. She completed two round-trip voyages between Southampton and New York. Then Cunard returned her to Canadian Pacific. On June 23, 1922, she set out on what would be the first of only two Liverpool-Quebec voyages. On August 21, 1922, the
Empress set out for what would become her sole opportunity to sail the Southampton-Cherbourg-Quebec route.
Montlaurier & Monteith The ship was renamed once more—this time as the SS
Montlaurier. She was rebuilt to carry cabin-class and 3rd-class passengers. On May 4, 1923, she sailed from Liverpool for Quebec; but she was forced to return to England because of boiler trouble. After repairs were completed, she left port again on June 29, 1923. Her last voyage from Liverpool to
Saint John, New Brunswick began on January 24, 1925. What was expected to have been a return voyage was cut short in February when she encountered steering gear trouble near
Fastnet Rock off the southern coast of Ireland. The mechanical malfunction forced the ship to return to
Queenstown (now known as Cobh). She was then towed to Liverpool. On April 14, 1925, she was damaged by fire as she lay in port under repair by
Cammell, Laird & Co., but the fire-damage was not so extensive that she couldn't be restored. On June 5, 1925, the ship was renamed the SS
Monteith, but she never sailed under this name.
Montnairn On July 2, 1925, the ship was again renamed—this time as the SS
Montnairn. She sailed for the next few months between Liverpool and Quebec. In July 1926, she was converted to cabin-class, tourist-class and 3rd-class accommodations. On May 4, 1927, she began sailing the
Antwerp - Southampton - Quebec route. On 16/9/1928 she commenced her final sailing from Hamburg to Southampton, Cherbourg and Quebec. This ship was laid up at Southampton, having successfully completed 62 round-trip North Atlantic voyages as a CP-flagged ocean liner. On December 23, 1929, SS
Montnairn was sold for the last time, and the vessel was scrapped at
Genoa. ==Notes==