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Photo #  NH 105072:  Ferry lighter Nomadic (left) and Traffic alongside USS Imperator in Brest harbor, France, 10 June 1919


Online Library of Selected Images:
-- CIVILIAN SHIPS --

Nomadic (Anglo-French Ferry Lighter, 1911).
Later renamed Ingenieur Minard

Nomadic, a 1273 gross ton coastal and harbor steamer, was built for the White Star Line at Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1910-1911 to carry passengers to and from trans-Atlantic liners at Cherbourg, France. In April 1912 Nomadic took First and Second Class passengers out to the new liner Titanic, whose tragic iceberg encounter some days later took the lives of more than fifteen hundred people.

In 1917-1919, following the American entry into World War I, the French Government used Nomadic as a ferry lighter at Brest, moving U.S. troops and other personnel between the shore and transport steamers anchored out in that port's harbor. She returned to Cherbourg in mid-1919 to again function as a civilian passenger liner tender. The ship was sold to French owners in 1929 and renamed Ingenieur Minard. She operated in British waters during most of the Second World War, then again took up work at Cherbourg.

Retired in 1968, Nomadic was later taken to Paris and converted to a floating restaurant. She played that role from 1977 until the end of the Twentieth Century. Following several years of inactivity, she returned to salt water and in 2006 was moved to Belfast, her birthplace, to become a museum ship. As such, the historic Nomadic commemorates the great era of trans-Atlantic passenger ship traffic. She also serves as a physical link to the Titanic disaster and to the immense effort that brought more than two million Americans overseas to participate in the "Great War".

You can use any general Internet search engine to find more information on SS Nomadic and the ongoing effort to preserve her.

This page features the only views we have concerning the ferry lighter Nomadic.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 105072

White Star Line ferry lighters Nomadic
(inboard)
and Traffic (outboard)

Transferring troops to USS Imperator (ID # 4080) at Brest, France, for passage home to the United States, 10 June 1919.
The stern of the U.S. Navy personnel lighter Rin Tin Tin is in the right foreground. The small ship in the middle distance is the personnel lighter Amackassin. Faintly visible in the center distance is a U.S. Navy cruiser, either USS Saint Louis (Cruiser # 20) or USS Charleston (Cruiser # 22).
The original photograph was printed on post card ("AZO") stock.

Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2007.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 75KB; 450 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 104812

"Gobs Coaling at Brest, 6-10-19"


U.S. Navy Sailors coaling USS Imperator (ID # 4080) at Brest, France, on 10 June 1919.
In addition to the coal barges, three ferry lighters are alongside Imperator and another is in the middle distance. That closest to the camera, alongside one of the coal barges, is Rin Tin Tin. The other three lighters are crowded with troops awaiting transfer to the transport for passage to the United States. The two directly aft of Rin Tin Tin are the White Star Line's Nomadic (inboard) and Traffic (outboard). That in the middle distance is Amackassin. The ship faintly visible in the center distance is either USS Saint Louis (Cruiser # 20) or USS Charleston (Cruiser # 22).
The original photograph was printed on post card ("AZO") stock.

Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 81KB; 445 x 765 pixels

 



NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 26 February 2010
    Minor caption error corrected 27 December 2010