MV Empire MacCallum
Encyclopedia
MV Empire MacCallum was a grain ship
converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier
or MAC ship.
MV Empire MacCallum was built at Lithgows
shipyard, Glasgow
, Scotland
, under order from the Ministry of War Transport. As a MAC ship, only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel and she was operated by Hain Steam Ship Co Ltd of St Ives. Amongst the aircraft that served on Empire MacCallum was Fairey Swordfish Mk II
LS326. The aircraft had previously served on . As of November 2010, it is airworthy with the Royal Navy Historic Flight
.
After the war, the ship was converted to a grain carrier, and eventually scrapped at Osaka
in 1960.
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier
Merchant aircraft carrier
Merchant aircraft carriers were bulk cargo ships with minimal aircraft handling facilities, used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an interim measure to supplement British and United States-built escort carriers in providing an anti-submarine function for convoys...
or MAC ship.
MV Empire MacCallum was built at Lithgows
Lithgows
Lithgows Limited, was a British shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow, on the River Clyde in Scotland.-Founding:The Company was established by Joseph Russell and his partners Anderson Rodger and William Lithgow who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow from Cunliffe & Dunlop and...
shipyard, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, under order from the Ministry of War Transport. As a MAC ship, only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel and she was operated by Hain Steam Ship Co Ltd of St Ives. Amongst the aircraft that served on Empire MacCallum was Fairey Swordfish Mk II
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
LS326. The aircraft had previously served on . As of November 2010, it is airworthy with the Royal Navy Historic Flight
Royal Navy Historic Flight
right|350px|thumb|Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 VR930 with wings folded, at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England.The Royal Navy Historic Flight maintains and flies a small number of aircraft that are important to British Naval aviation. The organisation is not part of the military establishment; it...
.
After the war, the ship was converted to a grain carrier, and eventually scrapped at Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in 1960.