SS Empire Almond

Empire Almond was a 6,860 gross register tons (GRT) cargo ship that was built in 1941. She was renamed Marquita in 1946, Marsland in 1951, Huta Zgoda in 1960 and MP-Zozie-12 in 1969. She was scrapped in 1978.

History
Name:
  • Empire Almond (1941–41)
  • Marquita (194651)
  • Marsland (1951–60)
  • Huta Zgoda (1960–69)
  • MP-Zozie-12 (1969–78)
Owner:
  • Ministry of War Transport (1941–46)
  • Kaye, Son & Co Ltd (1946–60)
  • Polska Żegluga Morska, Szczecin (1960–c67)
  • Rejonowe Zaklady Zbozowe PZZ (c1967–69)
  • Zaklady Obrutu Zbozami Importawanymi i Eksportowymi PZZ (1969–78)
Operator:
  • Owner operated except:
  • W P Runciman & Co Ltd (1941–43)
  • Coolham Steamship Co Ltd (1943–46)
Port of registry:
  • Hong Kong (1941–42)
  • London (1942–60)
  • Szczecin (1960–78)
Builder: Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co Ltd, Hong Kong
Yard number: 297
Launched: 23 July 1941
Completed: September 1941
Out of service: 10 July 1978
Identification:
Fate: Scrapped in Faslane, July 1978
General characteristics
Tonnage: 6,860 GRT
Length: 429 ft 7 in (130.94 m)
Beam: 56 ft 7 in (17.25 m)
Depth: 33 ft 5 in (10.19 m)
Installed power: 292 NHP
Propulsion: triple expansion steam engine (Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co, Hong Kong)
Speed: 10 knots (19 km/h)

History

Empire Almond was built by Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co Ltd, Hong Kong[1] as yard number 297. She was launched on 23 July 1941 and completed in September 1941.[2] Empire Almond was built for the Ministry of War Transport[1] and initially operated under the management of the W Runciman & Co Ltd, London[1] and later the Coolham Steamship Co Ltd.[3] Empire Almond was initially homeported in Hong Kong[1] but her homeport was changed to London in 1942.[4]

War service

Empire Almond was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

OS 33

Convoy OS 33 sailed from Liverpool for Freetown, Sierra Leone on 1 July 1942, arriving on 20 July.[5] Empire Almond sailed from the Clyde with a destination of Takoradi, Ghana with a cargo of Government stores.[5]

MKS 52

Convoy MKS 52 departed from Augusta on 13 June 1944. Empire Almond was bound for Malta for attention to defects.[6]

KMS67

Convoy KMS 67 left Liverpool on 24 October 1944 and arrived at Gibraltar on 2 November. Empire Almond was carrying a cargo of stores and general cargo, bound for Alexandria.[7] At 1300 hrs on 26 October, Empire Almond was stopped with an engine fault. It took about 4 hours before she was able to resume her journey. She was escorted by the Captain-class frigateS HMS Bayntun and HMS Foley, rejoining the convoy at 2200 hrs.[8]

MKS 72

Convoy MKS 72 left Lisbon on 23 December 1944. Empire Almond was carrying a cargo of steel.[9]

KMS 85

Convoy KMS 85 left Liverpool on 17 February 1945 and reached Gibraltar on 24 February. Empire Almond sailed from Southend bound for Lisbon.[10]

Post-war

In 1946 Empire Almond was sold to Kaye, Son & Co, London and renamed Marquita.[11] Marquita visited Auckland, New Zealand on 3 May 1949.[12] She was renamed Marsland in 1951. In 1960, Marsland was sold to the Polska Żegluga Morska, Szczecin and renamed Huta Zgoda.[11] In about 1967 Huta Zgoda was sold to Rejonowe Zaklady Zbozowe PZZ and converted into a grain storage hulk at Gdańsk. In 1969, Huta Zgoda was sold to Zaklady Obrutu Zbozami Importawanymi i Eksportowymi PZZ and renamed MP-Zozie-12. she served in this capacity until 1978. MP-Zozie-12 was sold for scrap in 1978, arriving at Faslane under tow on 10 July.[13]

Official number and call sign

Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Almond had the UK Official Number 172790 and call sign VRFR.[1]

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References
  1. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  2. "5157224". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  3. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  4. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  5. "Convoy.OS 33". Convoyweb. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  6. "MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942–1945, MKS 46 through MKS 60". Warsailors. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  7. "Convoy OS.93/KMS.67". Convoyweb. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  8. "HMS Rushen Castle (K 372)". Lindsay Clubb. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  9. "MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942–1945, MKS 61 through MKS 103". Warsailors. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  10. "Convoy OS.111/KMS.85". Convoyweb. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  11. "Empire-A". Mariners-L. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  12. "Vessel Details ( 1 of 1 )". New Zealand Maritime Index. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  13. Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.


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