Arrival: February 2nd 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on February 2nd, 1940. Prior to reaching Victoria, the ship made a call to Honolulu.
Vice-Admiral Reginald Vesey Holt of the Royal Navy boarded the ship as a passenger at Hong Kong. The Vice-Admiral was formerly in command of the Yangtze Patrol where he played a noted role in the rescue of the crew of the American gunboat PANAY by the British gunboat BEE. Holt was subsequently awarded the American Distinguished Service Medal.
Notable passengers aboard EMPRESS OF ASIA arriving at Vancouver on February 2nd, 1940.
| Vice-Admiral Reginald Vesey Holt | Of the Royal Navy, boarded the ship as a passenger at Hong Kong, en route to England. |
| C. W. Giffen | Of Hong Kong, with The South China Morning Post, travelling to Victoria. |
| Dr. J. Cameron | Of the Rockefeller Foundation Medical College in Peiping, en route to the United States. |
| Leonard Laffan | Of the Public Works in Malaya, en route to Victoria. |
Departure: February 10th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on February 10th,1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Arrival: April 13th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on April 30th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Departure: April 20th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on April 20th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Arrival: June 3rd 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on June 3rd, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Departure: June 15th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on June 15th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Arrival: July 29th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on July 29th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Departure: August 10th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on August 10th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Arrival: September 23rd 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on September 23rd, 1940.
While approaching Yokohama on this homeward voyage, the EMPRESS OF ASIA was struck by a practice bomb dropped from a Japanese aircraft. Two of the ship’s decks were pierced and several crew members injured. When the ship anchored at the Quarantine Station outside of Yokohama, Japanese authorities came on board and brought medical help and offered assistance.
No passengers were injured and no major structural damage was suffered. The Yokohama dockyard repaired the holes in the two decks, and the ship left for Vancouver without delay.
See the 1940 Incident page for more information.
A passenger list of 193 was reported.
Notable passengers aboard EMPRESS OF ASIA arriving at Victoria and Vancouver on September 23rd, 1940.
| A. A. Barnes | A rubber planter from Sumatra en route to British Columbia. |
| W. R. Heath | Of Vancouver |
Departure: October 5th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on October 5th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Arrival: November 18th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by George Goold, concluded a Pacific crossing upon reaching Vancouver on November 18th, 1940. This voyage was Captain Goold’s final crossing of the Pacific Ocean as commander of the EMPRESS OF ASIA, having been replaced as Master by J. B. Smith on November 26th, 1940. Captain Goold became Master of another Canadian Pacific ship, the EMPRESS OF CANADA.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.
Departure: November 27th 1940
The EMPRESS OF ASIA, commanded by J. B. Smith, began a Pacific crossing upon sailing from Vancouver on November 27th, 1940. This voyage was Captain Smith’s first crossing of the Pacific Ocean as commander of the EMPRESS OF ASIA, having replaced Captain Goold as Master of the vessel on November 26th, 1940.
Due to wartime censorship, no additional news source information for this crossing is available.