Known as fabulous flotilla, the scotowned company was the largest private fleet in the world see alister mcraes irrawaddy flotilla. Detailed listing of some 1200 vessels, steamers, barges. A book that brings back to life a way of life now long forgotten in a country almost forgotten by the world, and yet its about ordinary folk about two generations ago. The irrawaddy flotilla company was formed in 1865 as the irrawaddy flotilla and burmese steam navigation co ltd, in contract with the government of british. The irrawaddy flotilla company ifc was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the irrawaddy river in burma, now myanmar. Strachan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available. Yangon boasts the largest collections of colonial buildings in southeast asia. The irrawaddy flotilla company limited, 18651950 chubb, captain h. The setting of the george orwells book burmese days and also the place where hundreds of the irrawaddy flotilla company ships were scuttled in 1942 before the japanese could seize them.
Mandalay ava bagan 1 night 2 days upstream cruise line. As paul puts it how not to run a company, and yet a must read for old boffs and new, who are in love with the east, or historians keen on the culture or the history of colonial times. The same would have happened in burma had it not been for the assistants. Jun 12, 2020 the irrawaddy steamer by paul strachan june 12, 2020 pandaw founder, paul strachan continues his series of blogs on the history of the irrawaddy flotilla company and here tells the fascinating story of the evolution of the irrawaddy steamer that had far reaching consequences for ship design at large and river navigation across the world. Irrawaddy flotilla by mccrae alister prentice alan abebooks. Has anyone booked directly with irrawaddy flotilla company who seems to own pandaw river expeditions.
The irrawaddy flotilla company, founded in 1865 in burma myanmar, grew to become the greatest river fleet on earth with over 600 vessels carrying some 9 million passengers a year along the irrawaddy river of burma at its peak in the 1920s. Nov 15, 2020 a short scion seaplane at the rangoon slipway by wei yan aung 15 november 2020 yangon on this day in 1934, the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc, which monopolized inland river trade during the colonial period in myanmar then burma, launched the firstever air transport business in the country. The poem is set in colonial burma, then part of british india. Irrawaddy flotilla company limited, 18651950 author. The irrawaddy flotilla company ifc monopolized inland river trade during the colonial period in myanmar then burma. There he was verbally reprimanded for risking the steamer crew, the steamer itself which was the property of the irrawaddy flotilla company, and for destroying oil installations that were the property of the burmah oil company. Photograph of a group of british officers on board the irrawaddy flotilla companys steamer irrawaddy, in burma myanmar, taken by willoughby wallace. Fortunately a large number of lightdraught river steamers and barges or flats, belonging to the irrawaddy flotilla company, were available at rangoon, and the local knowledge of the company s officers of the difficult river navigation was at the disposal of the government. And then there is the extraordinary tale of the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc. Some were 93 metres 305 feet long with deck capacity for 3,000 passengers. T he irrawaddy flotilla company another piece on the history of the company written in 1950 and mentions various people, but we do not know the author though it could perhaps have been capt. History of the company and its services on the irrawaddy river in burma. We know pandaw river cruises will truly give you a unique flavor of what it was like during the colonial period in southeast asia. Great bales of cotton, bags of rice, blocks of jade, lacquerware, silk, tamarind, elephants sometimes, wo ven mats, maize, jaggery, bullocks, marble buddhas, oil cake, tobacco, timber.
At its peak in the late 1920s, the ifc fleet was the largest fleet of river boats in the world, consisting of over 600 vessels carrying some 89 million. Pandaw river expeditions, irrawaddy flotilla company. The floatillas old 100metre long siam class steamers carried 4200 deckclass passengers and more in staterooms. The inland water transport board building was built for the corporate headquarters of the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc. It was a familyowned business and by the 1920s they operated over 650 vessels. An historical account of the irrawaddy flotilla company of myanmar, burma irrawaddy river cruise, myanmar burma. The irrawaddy flotilla company ifc, which operated in burma from 1865 until the late 1940s, was once the finest river fleet in the world. For two decades, the irrawaddy flotilla company imported its coal directly from britain. Full references will appear in chapter 4 of my forthcoming book, crossing the bay of bengal. Group of officers taken on board the irrawaddy flotilla cos steamer.
Irrawaddy flotilla company history of myanmar info. Mrs audrey winifred groves account of her evacuation from rangoon. By the 1920s the company ran over 650 vessels on the rivers of burma, then a british colony. The rio platanese flotilla was plagued with losses and with lack of financial control money just flowed away. At its peak in the late 1920s, the ifc fleet was the largest fleet of river boats in the world, consisting of over 600 vessels carrying some 89 million passengers and 1. This is arguably the greatest uncelebrated scottish epic, a tale. Jun 11, 2010 that fleet of 650 boats, an astonishing creation of the british empire, which annexed burma in three wars between 1824 and 1885 and ruled it as a colony until 1948, was built by a glasgow shipyard, founded in 1865, called the irrawaddy flotilla company. The pacification of burma by sir charles crosthwaite, kcsi.
Irrawaddy river flotilla company, the greatest river fleet on earth. It had become the largest privately owned fleet of ships in the world. When the investors of the irrawaddy flotilla company attempted to set up an almost identical operation in argentina in 1886 the project was destined to fail. A company pamphlet from the 1930s described the diversity of cargo. To be convenient, the british formed the irrawaddy flotilla company in 1865 to convey troops, mail, and stores to riverine stations of british burma. A truly classic experience from the irrawaddy flotilla company. From the headquarters of irrawaddy flotilla to the office of british empire the secretariat, the sight of colonial buildings in yangon is a sight you will never get tired of. After researching ta, we are considering booking a river cruise with pandaw, but were not sure of the best way to book. They grew their business servicing the emigrant trade between britain and canada, the united states and new zealand. The irrawaddy flotilla company ifc was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the irrawaddy river in myanmar under the british from 1865 until the late 1940s. Contact us to check availabilities, different cabin types and our. Jun 16, 2015 the company now trades under the name pandaw, after the clydebuilt paddle steamer it restored in burma. The irrawaddy flotilla company ifc was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the irrawaddy river in burma. The irrawaddy flotilla company was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the irrawaddy river in burma, now myanmar.
Chubb, christian leslie dyce duckworth national maritime museum, 1973 inland water transportation 177 pages. The protagonist is a cockney workingclass soldier, back in grey restrictive london, recalling the time he felt free and had a burmese girlfriend, now unattainably far away. Stuart macdonald was the last manager of the rangoon irrawaddy flotilla company. The irawaddy flotilla company and the books download as pdf. The irrawaddy steamer by paul strachan late cruise news. At its peak in 1930, the company had 602 ships running from rangoon to upper burma. A narrative, with a unique insight into a country which has only just in the last 10 years opened up to. Fred kennedy, as with all assistants joining, was given a sound training in book keeping and his first appointment was as cashier in rangoon. Starting with four steamers, the company had more than 600 vessels in service by 1940. At its peak in the late 1920s, it was the largest fleet of river boats in the world. The irrawaddy flotilla company became known at the time as the greatest river fleet in the world. The pandaw ships, their very local crew and even the food served on board pandaw will provide guests with an experience that takes you back into the. When the japanese invaded burma in 1942, the british sank.
Jan 29, 2017 a gang of dacoits being conveyed down the river from mandalay to rangoon on board one of the irrawaddy flotilla company s steamers. Returning a few years later to write a book about the stunning monuments of bagan, which has since been put forward. Download irrawaddy book pdf epub mobi tuebl and read online books. At its peak, in the late 1920s, the ifc fleet was the largest fleet of river boats in the world, with over 600 vessels carrying some 89 million. The irawaddy flotilla company and the rivers of myanmar by paul strachan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
To find people with the right skill set to undertake such challenges must in itself have been a challenge. The firms founders, the henderson brothers from fife in scotland, were experienced shippers. The british troops stationed in burma travelled up and down the irrawaddy river on paddle steamers run by the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc. The irrawaddy flotilla company was one of burmas largest employers, as. Detailed listing of some 1200 vessels, steamers, barges, hulks etc. A narrative, with a unique insight into a country which has only just in the last 10 years opened up to tourism, and with continual issues. In 1865 the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc, which was glasgow based and run by a character called paddy henderson, began services on the irrawaddy river with four steamers and three cargo flats attached barges in 1868 king mindon mandalay allowed services to the upper reaches, and by 1869 a service started to bhamo.
Riverboat captains that spent one year on board with their wives as the only company. Duckworth national maritime museum london wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Includes lists of the main river stations and milage and also a map of the irrawaddy river. River transport in burma and the history of the irrawaddy flotilla company. Mandalay to bagan 1night river cruise myanmar city star. Buy irrawaddy flotilla 1st by mccrae, alistair, prentice, alan isbn. Sep 24, 2015 both add colour, conflict and sometimes comedy to his book, the pandaw story, published in june, in which he provides a detailed account of reviving burmas irrawaddy flotilla company. The irrawaddy flotilla became a private enterprise in 1865 and grew into the greatest river fleet the world has ever known up to world war two. Aug, 2011 known as fabulous flotilla, the scotowned company was the largest private fleet in the world see alister mcraes irrawaddy flotilla. Resurrecting the irrawaddy flotilla dvb multimedia group.
In 1948 the company was renamed the inland water transport company. Irrawaddy flotilla co rangoon 1933 phayre street, rang flickr. Download irrawaddy book pdf epub mobi tuebl and read. Cecil hampshires book on hazardous service provides the best description published of force vipers operational activities in burma. This company was established in scotland by paddy henderson and associates, and successfully operated flatbottomed river boats many of which were built by denny on the irrawaddy river. Katha was the final resting place of the old flotilla and here over a hundred ships were scuppered in 1942 in an act of denial before the advancing japanese.
The furies of nature and the fortunes of migrants harvard university press, 20. In turns hilarious, shocking, moving and often highly provocative, this book celebrates the 20th anniversary of the revived irrawaddy flotilla company and the 150th anniversary of the founding of the original irrawaddy flotilla. The irrawaddy flotilla company was established by scots merchants in 1865. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the irrawaddy flotilla company ifc was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the irrawaddy river in burma, now myanmar. Formed in 1852 with four paddle steamers sent by the bengal marine to burma for the prosecution of the second burma war. It was a scottish company which plied 650 ships up and down that.
Britishowned, the company operated until the 1940s. Pandaw the irrawaddy flotilla company stateroom type price per person from main deck twin sharing. Irrawaddy flotilla by alister mccrae and alan prentice. The irrawaddy flotilla company dominated river trade during the colonial period from its headquarters on strand road, which is the myanma. Where the old flotilla lay, the irawaddy flotilla company grew from four paddle steamers deployed in the second burmese war in 1852 to a commercial fleet of 650 vessels. Cecil hampshires book on hazardous service provides the best description. The excellent book scots in burma by alister mccrae gives the personal account of a flotilla assistant in the 1930s. The day seaplanes began flying in myanmar the irrawaddy. British library when the british captured armed gangs, they were all considered dacoits, despite many being just villagers hiding in the jungle. The irrawaddy flotilla company another piece on the history of the company written in 1950 and mentions various people, but we do not know the author though it could perhaps have been capt. By paul strachan, pandaw founder having struggled over the past twentyfive years to keep a few boats running on the irrawaddy river it defies understanding quite how the irrawaddy flotilla company managed to keep several hundred running. Mainly paddle steamers, the largest class of vessels were 350ft long and licensed for 4,000 passengers. The story of his evacuation has been donated by his nephew charles groves. Of interested are the fire stations collections of the irrawaddy flotilla company s ships bells taken from sunken ships in the second war.
Seven out of the eight marines aboard one of the boats were drowned when a sudden storm on the irrawaddy quickly capsized the vessel. An historical account of the irrawaddy flotilla company of myanmar, burma. Commissioner company s complete continued court creeks crews deck delta early east elephants engineer established feet flats fleet flotilla company followed force french frontier further glasgow government important india irrawaddy flotilla japanese john journey kennedy king kings. Rangoon to mandalay was a 700 km 435 mi trip, and during the third angloburmese war of 1885, 9,000 british and indian soldiers were transported by a fleet of paddle steamers the old flotilla of. Mandalay is a poem by rudyard kipling, written and published in 1890, and first collected in barrackroom ballads, and other verses in 1892. Signed by alister mccrae on the title page, together with a compliments slip and handwritten personal note to the former owner. We are pandaw river cruise experts find pandaw river cruises. Mainly a picture book, but also the story of the riverboats in burma, by the man who revived the service in 1995. Pagan and the upper irrawaddy upstream pandaw 2021. Price displayed is brochure price for a window cabin based on double occupancy.
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