This picture of the City of London passing through the Suez Canal made a fine advertisement for Ellerman's City Line in the Commercial year book of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce & Manufactures in 1915. The firm was managed from the offices of George Smith & Sons in Bothwell Street.
The City Line had its origins in Glasgow with the foundation in 1840 of George Smith & Sons, which traded with India and later worldwide. The firm was incorporated in 1892 as City Line Ltd. In 1901 the company was sold to J R Ellerman and became Ellerman's City Line.
The 8,815 tons City of London, the third ship to carry the name, was built in 1907 by Workman, Clarke of Belfast for the Bombay - London service. In 1916 she was converted to serve as an armed merchant cruiser during the First World War. In 1919 the ship resumed her voyages to India, having been rebuilt with accommodation for 300 passengers. She served as a troopship in the Second World War before she was scrapped in 1946.
Reference: Mitchell Library, G 381
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
armed merchant cruisers, camels, City Line, City of London, Ellerman's City Line, First World War, George Smith & Sons, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, J R Ellerman, liners, passenger ships, Second World War, shipping lines, Suez Canal, troopships
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