| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Empire Almond (1941-41) Marquita (1946-51) 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) Polish Steamship Company, 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: | UK Official Number 172790 Code letters VRFR |
| 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) |
| Propulsion: | 1 x triple expansion steam engine (Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co, Hong Kong) 292 hp (218 kW) |
| Speed: | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
Empire Almond was a 6,860 ton cargo ship which 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.
Contents |
Empire Almond was built by Taikoo Dockyard & 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]
Empire Almond was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
Convoy OS 33[5] sailed from Liverpool for Freetown, Sierra Leone on 1 July 1942, arriving on 20 July.[6] Empire Almond sailed from the Clyde with a destination of Takoradi, Ghana with a cargo of Government stores.[7]
Convoy MKS 52 departed from Augusta on 13 June 1944. Empire Almond was bound for Malta for attention to defects.[8]
Convoy KMS 67 departed 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.[9] At 13:00 hrs on 26 October, Empire Almond was stopped with an engine defect. It took about 4 hours before she was able to resume her journey. She was escorted by HMS Bayntun and HMS Foley, rejoining the convoy at 22:00 hrs.[10]
Convoy MKS 72 departed Lisbon on 23 December 1944. Empire Almond was carrying a cargo of steel.[11]
Convoy KMS 85 departed Liverpool on 17 February 1945 and arrived at Gibraltar on 24 February. Empire Almond sailed from Southend bound for Lisbon.[12]
In 1946, Empire Almond was sold to Kaye, Son & Co, London and renamed Marquita.[13] Marquita visited Auckland, New Zealand on 3 May 1949.[14] She was renamed Marsland in 1951. In 1960, Marsland was sold to the Polish Steamship Company, Szczecin and renamed Huta Zgoda.[13] Circa 1967, Huta Zgoda was sold to Rejonowe Zaklady Zbozowe PZZ and converted into a grain storage ship at Gdansk. 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.[15]
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.
Empire Almond had the UK Official Number 172790 and used the Code Letters VRFR.[1]