SS Empire Austen
Encyclopedia
Empire Austen was a 7,027 ton cargo ship
which was built in 1942. She was renamed Frinton in 1949, Freecrest in 1951, Fairwater in 1955 and APJ Usha in 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.
, Port Glasgow
as yard number 969. She was launched on 24 March 1942 and completed in May.
She was built for the Ministry of War Transport and placed under the management of Honeyman & Co.
KMS 22
Convoy KMS 22 departed Gibraltar
on 9 August 1943 and arrived at Port Said
on 20 August. Empire Austen was on a voyage from Malta
to Alexandria
MKS 27
Convoy MKS 27 departed Gibralta on 14 October 1943 and arrived at Liverpool
on 28 October. Empire Austen was carrying a cargo of cotton
and military stores bound for Manchester
.
OS 60
Empire Austen was listed as a member of Convoy OS 60 which departed Liverpool
on 23 November 1943 and arrived at Freetown
, Sierra Leone
on 18 December. She did not sail with the convoy.
KMS 35
Convoy KMS 35 departed Gibraltar on 22 December 1943 and arrived at Port Said on 1 January 1944. Empire Austen was bound for Algiers
.
(CSM). In 1949 she was sold to Frinton Shipping Ltd and renamed Frinton, operating under CSM's management. Frinton was sold to Crest Shipping Co Ltd in 1951 and renamed Freecrest. She operated under the management of Ivanovich & Co Ltd, London
. In 1955, Freecrest was sold to the International Navigation Corporation, Liberia
and renamed Fairwater, operating under the management of Tidewater Commercial Co Inc, Baltimore
. In 1961, Fairwater was sold to Surrendra (Overseas) Private Ltd, Bombay and renamed APD Usha. She was scrapped in Bombay in 1962.
.
Empire Austen had the UK Official Number 168983 and used the Code Letters
BDTF
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
which was built in 1942. She was renamed Frinton in 1949, Freecrest in 1951, Fairwater in 1955 and APJ Usha in 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.
History
Empire Austen was built by Lithgows LtdLithgows
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...
, Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
as yard number 969. She was launched on 24 March 1942 and completed in May.
She was built for the Ministry of War Transport and placed under the management of Honeyman & Co.
War service
Empire Austen was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.KMS 22
Convoy KMS 22 departed Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 9 August 1943 and arrived at Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on 20 August. Empire Austen was on a voyage from Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
MKS 27
Convoy MKS 27 departed Gibralta on 14 October 1943 and arrived at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 28 October. Empire Austen was carrying a cargo of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and military stores bound for Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
OS 60
Empire Austen was listed as a member of Convoy OS 60 which departed Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 23 November 1943 and arrived at Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
on 18 December. She did not sail with the convoy.
KMS 35
Convoy KMS 35 departed Gibraltar on 22 December 1943 and arrived at Port Said on 1 January 1944. Empire Austen was bound for Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
.
Postwar
In 1946, management of Empire Austen passed to Counties Ship ManagementCounties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of 13 ships lost and 163 officers and men killed.-Founding of...
(CSM). In 1949 she was sold to Frinton Shipping Ltd and renamed Frinton, operating under CSM's management. Frinton was sold to Crest Shipping Co Ltd in 1951 and renamed Freecrest. She operated under the management of Ivanovich & Co Ltd, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1955, Freecrest was sold to the International Navigation Corporation, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and renamed Fairwater, operating under the management of Tidewater Commercial Co Inc, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. In 1961, Fairwater was sold to Surrendra (Overseas) Private Ltd, Bombay and renamed APD Usha. She was scrapped in Bombay in 1962.
Official number 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...
.
Empire Austen had the UK Official Number 168983 and 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:...
BDTF
External links
- Account of damage to Freecrest in a hurricane in 1951.