The Vestris was the third of a class of three fine vessels built by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. of Belfast, the others being the Vandyck and Vauban, being completed in 1912. They were a twin screw version of the earlier Vasari. They were built for the New York - River Plate service and the Vestris commenced on this service in October 1912. During WWI she was chartered to carry United States medical personnel from the States to France. She had a lucky escape, when she was missed by a torpedo in the English Channel while on this service.

After WWI she was chartered in 1919 to Cunard and operated six circular services; Buenos Aires - Liverpool - New York - Buenos Aires. She was again chartered in 1922, this time to Royal Mail, while they were awaiting delivery of their A-class ships.

At the time of her delivery, she and her sisters, were some of the finest appointed passenger liners on the Atlantic service. With ornate public rooms and which at the time, were the latest conveniences such as electric lighting throughout and forced ventilation. More photographs and a description can be found in the brochure below.

In the period after WWI the Vestris became a popular liner on the New York to South America run, though in August 1919 a serious incident occurred when fire broke out in the cross coal bunker. Escorted by HMS Dartmouth she put into St. Lucia, where the passengers were put into barracks. It took ten days to get to the seat of the smouldering coal.

However her fame became world-wide in 1928, when November of that year she ran into a severe storm on  passage to New York. Listing heavily due to shifted cargo and coal bunkers, it would seem from reports that water entered through a poorly sealed coal port, which eventually resulted in her total loss. With the resultant loss of some 112 passengers and crew including her Master, Captain William Carey. With the close proximity of New York, the disaster was heavily reported in the Press and resulted in a national outcry.

It was the aftermath of this disaster that caused Lamport & Holt, already feeling the effects of the deepening depression, to withdraw from the New York service and lay up many of their vessels.

It did have its benefits for future seamen and passengers as it influenced life preserver development. It led to the convening of an International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea in London in the following year.  Rescuers who responded to the Vestris sinking testified that they found many bodies floating face down, even though they were wearing cork life vests. As a result, a US Navy Captain urged that kapok life jackets be required for the merchant marines, because they kept an unconscious individual's face and head above the water. 

This resulted in the first SOLAS, agreed in 1929,  to win general acceptance by all seafaring nations of any importance.

Things have indeed come a long way since - but the sea is still an unforgiving environment