SS Basildon
Encyclopedia
Basildon was a 1,055 GRT coaster
which was built in 1945 as Empire Bromley for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into civil service in 1946 and renamed Levenwood. Another change of ownership saw her renamed Basildon and she served under this name until scrapped in 1967.
. She was yard number 233. Launched on 26 May 1945, she was completed in June 1945.
The ship was 204 in 8 in (62.38 m) long, with a beam of 32 in 8 in (9.96 m) and a depth of 13 in 7 in (4.14 m). She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 14 inches (35.6 cm), 24 inches (61 cm) and 40 inches (101.6 cm) bore by 27 inches (68.6 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Rankin & Blackmore Ltd, Greenock. She had a GRT of 1,058, with a NRT of 584 and a DWT of 1,410.
. She was operated under the management of J Constantine Steamship Line Ltd. On 31 January 1953
, Levenwood was in the North Sea
and in danger of drifting ashore on the Lincolnshire
coast. A distress call was issued and a tug
requested.
Levenwood was sold in 1961 to Panax (Overseas) Ltd, London and renamed Basildon. She was sold in 1962 to Don Shipping Co Ltd, operated under the management of C M Willie & Co (Shipping) Ltd. Basildon was sold in 1963 to R S Braggs & Co (Shipping) Ltd. She was scrapped in October 1967 at Burcht, Belgium
.
. The ship had the UK Official Number 169524. Empire Bromley used the Code Letters
GDTM.
ship by soldiers of the Royal Lancashire Regiment and rescued soldiers from the Bray Dunes area of the beach during Operation Dynamo. The crew decorations are listed in the Dunkirk lists at Greenwich as one DSC
(Captain William Oswald Young) and two DSM
's (Fireman Robert Moody and Gunner George Knight). This vessel was badly damaged in 1943 and later renamed SS Devenbrook in 1946.
Coastal trading vessel
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....
which was built in 1945 as Empire Bromley for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into civil service in 1946 and renamed Levenwood. Another change of ownership saw her renamed Basildon and she served under this name until scrapped in 1967.
Description
Empire Bromley was built by G Brown & Co (Marine) Ltd, GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. She was yard number 233. Launched on 26 May 1945, she was completed in June 1945.
The ship was 204 in 8 in (62.38 m) long, with a beam of 32 in 8 in (9.96 m) and a depth of 13 in 7 in (4.14 m). She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 14 inches (35.6 cm), 24 inches (61 cm) and 40 inches (101.6 cm) bore by 27 inches (68.6 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Rankin & Blackmore Ltd, Greenock. She had a GRT of 1,058, with a NRT of 584 and a DWT of 1,410.
Career
Empire Bromley's port of registry was Greenock. She was operated under the management of John Kelly Ltd, and then Joseph Constantine Steamship Co Ltd. In 1946, she was sold to Constantine Shipping Co and renamed Levenwood. Her port of registry was changed to MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
. She was operated under the management of J Constantine Steamship Line Ltd. On 31 January 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
, Levenwood was in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and in danger of drifting ashore on the Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
coast. A distress call was issued and a tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
requested.
Levenwood was sold in 1961 to Panax (Overseas) Ltd, London and renamed Basildon. She was sold in 1962 to Don Shipping Co Ltd, operated under the management of C M Willie & Co (Shipping) Ltd. Basildon was sold in 1963 to R S Braggs & Co (Shipping) Ltd. She was scrapped in October 1967 at Burcht, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Official Numbers and Code Letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO NumbersIMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
. The ship had the UK Official Number 169524. Empire Bromley used the Code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
GDTM.
SS Levenwood
The Joseph Constantine Steamship Co Ltd also owned an earlier vessel which sailed under the name SS Levenwood. The 800 ton store ship distinguished itself at Dunkirk on Friday 31st May 1940. The vessel was armed as a DEMSDems
DEMS may refer to:*Democratic Party *Deepika English Medium School*Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships...
ship by soldiers of the Royal Lancashire Regiment and rescued soldiers from the Bray Dunes area of the beach during Operation Dynamo. The crew decorations are listed in the Dunkirk lists at Greenwich as one DSC
DSC
-in academia:* D.Sc., Doctor of Science* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine* Dalton State College, Georgia* Daytona State College, Florida* Deep Springs College, California* Dixie State College of Utah...
(Captain William Oswald Young) and two DSM
DSM
-Business:* DSM , an international life science and performance materials company from the Netherlands* Delhi school of music, a music school in India...
's (Fireman Robert Moody and Gunner George Knight). This vessel was badly damaged in 1943 and later renamed SS Devenbrook in 1946.