Medic
Ship Number
323
Vessel Type
Passenger / Cargo Ship
Built
Belfast
Slip Number
1
Launch Date
15 December 1898
Delivered
6 July 1899
Owner
Oceanic Steam Navigation Co.
Weight
11985 grt
BP Length
550 feet
Breadth
63 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
14 knots
Propulsion
quadruple expansion constructed in Belfast
Official No.
110573
Registered
Liverpool
Fate
Torpedoed
Medic

Medic was the second of the "Jubilee Class" of ships designed to permit White Star to run a monthly service to Australia, but the first of them to actually sail to Australia. Medic made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Sydney via Cape Town, on 3rd August 1899, while her older sister, Afric, was still at Belfast for modifications after her maiden voyage, which had been to New York.
 
Medic remained in commercial service during World War I because of her large frozen meat capacity, although she was operated under the Liner Requisition Scheme for two years. She returned to White Star service in 1919, and remained on the Australia route until 1917.
 
In January 1928, she was sold and converted into a whale factory ship named Hektoria.
 
Hektoria was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic by U-608 on 11th September 1942, while serving as a Ministry of War Transport oil tanker.