libya-scenic-02b

Memories of Libya 1956 to 1959

Contributed by Trevor STUBBERFIELD 52A

Libyan Scenes Part 2b.

(A selection from a box of my slides, unseen for more than 50 years, but some have unfortunately deteriorated).

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Looking towards the palace of King Idris.

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The palace

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Castle Square, Tripoli. The green bus in the background was a new addition to the Tripoli Army Bus Service (TABS) fleet. The buses were supplied by the Nuffield Foundation.

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A rarity. An immaculate gharry pulled by a well looked after retired race-horse, well worth waiting for on the ‘taxi’ rank.

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Tripoli harbour and the liner in the background shuttled regularly to Italy.

Information Added: 15th October 2016.

I received an e-mail from Alan Calder, residing in Australia, which threw some light on the liner pictured above. It always attracted my attention as it was a very stylish vessel and its sailing times were reported in the local paper, the ‘Sunday Ghibli’. It was a pleasant stroll down to the harbour to watch its departure. Unfortunately I had forgotten its name but Alan refreshed my memory……….

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Hi Trevor,

Under Libyan Scenes Part 2b you said of one photo' "Tripoli Harbour and the liner in the background shuttled regularly to Italy". I would be certain that the name of that ship was the Citta di Tripoli. A friend and I took a trip across to Naples on this ship in mid-August 1958 returning in mid-September 1958 after touring around parts of Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria.

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Receiving the information from Alan revived the more pleasant memories of Tripoli and curiosity set me on the trail to find out a little more of the story of the ‘S.S. Citta di Tripoli’ and, as so often happens, history has a few twists to reveal.

The ship was launched in 1915. It was first owned by the Sicilian company Societa di Navali of Palermo but changed hands a number of times. It was requisitioned by the Italian Government as a troopship. In July 1941, en route to Piraeus in a convoy, it was sunk by torpedoes fired from a British submarine, H.M.S. Torbay. A full report of the action can be read from ‘HERE’.

That should be the end of the story but the ‘Citta di Tripoli’ is pictured above in Tripoli harbour in 1959, eighteen years after it was sunk. In reality, in 1957, another ship the ‘S.S. Filippo Grimani’, launched in 1928, was transferred to the Tirrenia line and renamed the ‘Citta di Tripoli’ to ply between Tripoli, Palermo and Naples. This would be the vessel that both Alan and I would remember from way back. Photos of the standard of accommodation experienced by travellers can be viewed by clicking on the S.S. Filippo Grimani. (external site). It was one of a fleet of ‘Citta’ liners and the photos show the accommodation they had. It was finally scrapped in 1970.

‘S.S. Citta di Tripoli’ – ex S.S. Filippo Grimani,

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With our new addition, enjoying the sun before setting off for the U.K. and home in May 1959.

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Cathedral Square as featured in the film ‘Ice Cold In Alex’ when, at the end of the film, the prisoner was put on board the Bedford MW outside the bar to be driven away.

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Looking out from the bar onto Cathedral Square.

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Shell House.

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There was plenty of greenery in the city of Tripoli.

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In times of trouble our wives were told to go out only in twos. Of course, taking ‘Lassie’ along was an additional, very reassuring, safeguard. Pictured on the roof of our quarters in Old Miaet block, Sciara Zavia, Tripoli.

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‘Lassie’ belonged to our neighbour Cpl. Cyril Nunn and his wife Yvonne (in the background). Cyril was with 38 Coy. R.A.S.C. which supplied the transport for H.Q. Tripolitania District. I was a member of the L.A.D. R.E.M.E. that maintained the fleet of vehicles.

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