Last Voyage
She was requisitioned during the Second World War to bring supplies to the United Kingdom. Her last voyage, under the command of her Master, William A. Rogerson, was to take her from Bombay, which she departed on 1 October 1942 to the UK, via Durban, Cape Town and Pernambuco, Brazil.
City of Cairo departed Cape Town at 06:00 on the morning of 1 November, carrying 101 passengers, of which 28 women and 19 children. Also onboard were 10 D.E.M.S. (Defence Equipped Merchant Ships) Gunners from the Army and Royal Navy. Among the total complement were two spare Lascar crews recruited in India for service on British ships. She was carrying 7,422 tons of general cargo, including pig iron, timber, wool, cotton, manganese ore and 2,000 boxes of silver coins. She travelled north for 800 miles (1,300 km), zig-zagging during the day and keeping about 45 miles (72 km) off the African coast, before turning westwards across the South Atlantic towards Brazil and her next port of call. She was unescorted and only capable of 12 knots (22 km/h). Her problems were exacerbated by the excessive smokiness of her engines which increased her visibility.
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