SS Drakensberg Castle

Last updated

History
Name
  • Empire Allenby (1944-46)
  • Drakensberg Castle (1946-59)
Owner
  • Ministry of War Transport (1944-46)
  • Union-Castle Line house flag.svg Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd (1946-59)
Operator
  • Owner operated except:-
  • Prince Line Ltd (1944-46)
Port of registry
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Sunderland (1945-47)
  • Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg South Africa (1947-57)
  • Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg South Africa (1957-59)
BuilderJ L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland
Yard number633
Launched18 October 1944
CompletedJune 1945
Out of service5 August 1959
Identification
FateScrapped in Hong Kong September 1959
General characteristics
Tonnage9,904 GRT
Length475 ft 4 in (144.88 m)
Beam64 ft 1 in (19.53 m)
Depth40 ft (12.19 m)
Propulsion2 x steam turbines double reduction geared driving one screw
Speed14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)

The Empire Allenby was a 9,904 ton cargo liner which was built in 1944. She was renamed Drakensberg Castle in 1946, and scrapped in 1959.

Contents

History

Empire Allenby was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland [1] as yard number 633. She was launched on 18 October 1944 and completed in June 1945. [2] Empire Allenby was built for the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of Furness, Withy & Co Ltd, who traded as Prince Line Ltd. [1]

In 1946, Empire Allenby was sold to the Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd, who traded as the Union-Castle Line. She was renamed Drakensberg Castle. [3] On 22 July 1947, she was transferred to the South African registry. Although Drakensberg Castle was a fast ship compared to others in the Union-Castle Line fleet, she was expensive to operate and not suitable for use as a tramp. She was sold for scrap to the Hong Kong Salvage & Towage Co and arrived for scrapping in Hong Kong on 5 August 1959. Drakensberg Castle was scrapped in September 1959. [4]

Official Number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Allenby had the UK Official Number 180157 and used the Code Letters GJTM. [1]

Related Research Articles

Empire Bardolph was a 7,017 GRT refrigerated cargo ship which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). It was sold in 1946 and renamed Memling and sold again in 1953 and renamed Vancouver Star, being renamed Memling in 1957. It was scrapped in 1959.

Stanbell was a 9,804 GRT tanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland in 1943 as Empire Beresford for the Ministry of War Transport. Postwar she was sold into merchant service and renamed Stanbell. She was converted to a bulk carrier and later sold to new owners and renamed Kelantan, serving until scrapped in 1965.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  2. ↑ "1180157" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Empire-A". Mariners-L. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  4. ↑ "INDUSTRIAL SUNDERLAND - PAGE 32, SHIPBUILDERS - PAGE 10". Rogers. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
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