The S.S. Zamzam is coming from master shipwright Collin Glendinning by special request.

Zamzam was sunk off the coast of Africa by the German commerce raider Atlantis in 1941.

I had a boat like that in the bath the other night... didn't last very long against my special plastic penetrating ammo (.22 steel pellets from the air-pistol)

Zamzam was originally SS Leicestershire, a member of the very large Oxford class of liners produced in England.  By the 40s they were serving many countries around the world, including the Japanese....so she can be used in many roles. 

That is a great set of photos on the LIFE site.  Thanks, Doug.

At the time Atlantis opened fire on Zamzam she (Zamzam) was flying no flag and had no markings on her other than the word 'Mizr' painted on her stack.   In the photos of her sinking she is shown flying the Egyptian flag which was raised in response to the attack.  Egypt was a neutral nation at the time, but the ship was carrying ambulances and drivers (and perhaps other 'cargo') destined for England.  The ambulance drivers were American (20 of them) and they were shipped off to Germany when the Dresden landed in France.   We don't know what happened to them.  Some 140 of the passengers were American missionaries of various faiths and professions bound for Mombasa.

As a boy I was fascinated by Lena's stories of the sinking and of Africa on her trips home.  I asked her what she did in the lifeboat after abandoning the Zamzam.  She said she had her knitting with her.    I asked if she had a rifle in Africa for hunting.  No, she said, just a Daisy BB gun with which she shot leopards in the butt when they attempted to get into the chicken coop at night.    I would ask how she got around in the Congo....like on safari?  No, she'd show me photos of her old Dodge nudging it's way through a troop of elephants blocking the dirt road.  She said the horn was quite effective in getting them to move.    Lena Reynolds was a piece of work. 

Survivors of the Zamzam sinking still hold reunions...of course those remaining alive now were small children at the time.

Collin wrote on Nov 14^th, 2010 at 6:37pm:

Hi Collin. Sorry if I've caused you problems. I found another site for you. The "Shire" sister ships are listed on this & the following page. http://www.red-duster.co.uk/BIBBY12.htm

It warms my heart to see you two working together again. 

She'll make an attractive target.....as well as prettying up the scenery.  Keep on keepin' on. Lad. 

Never mind Pat (you back home now?), we can use this as a IJN Trooper if need be.

Just a bit more to do.






regards  Collin

Collin, you do bloody good work. 

The Old Maru 45 is nearing completion.   Shown here on her first shakedown cruise, and on her way to the tailor shop for a DP fitting....Saville Row I might add. 

A bastard filly out of old Zam Zam, she's a beauty in spite of her dubious origins.  She'll probably come with a real wardrobe of deck cargo....and nationalities....ripe for plucking and plunder by packs of marauding Apaches, or fleet class subs. 

Shown here in heavy seas sporting a maxed-out pitch factor.

OK, Collin has finished the fouled-up initial  Zamzam effort as the Old Maru45 (Shots Below) for use in his long anticipated BPF campaign.  (Talk about a tease...I hate to have to wait for her.) 

Now we're moving on to the real Zamzam. 

Looks great to me!!! and there are more! Super job Collin!

OMG!   It's 'Away all boats!'   Is that Jeff Chandler on the bridge?   

OK, I give up.  We'll never see Zamzam. 

Well, maybe not.   

SS Zamzam has fallen victim to Collin's distraction with the 'on again/off again' BPF campaign and the ships to populate it.  So don't hold your breath for a Zamzam...film whenever. 

I am awful....I know.  But they're so pretty...I can't help myself. 

Missions.....missions for the BPF?   I'm deeply involved in research to cure my ignorance of the historical background. 

Looks like HMS Dido is on the ways....RN AAA cruiser, roughly equivalent to the USN Atlanta class.