SS Empire Bard
Encyclopedia
Empire Bard was a 3,114 GRT heavy lift ship
which was built in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 and renamed Angusburn and sold again in 1955 and renamed Brettenham. After a career lasting 29 years she was scrapped in 1971.
as yard number 369. She was launched on 30 December 1941 and completed in March 1942. Empire Bard was built for the MoWT and operated under the management of Dover Navigation Co Ltd.
PQ 14
Convoy PQ 14, sailed from Oban
on 26 March 1942 and arrived at Murmansk
on 19 April. Empire Bard sailed from Loch Ewe
on 27 March and arrived at Reykjavík
on 31 March. She sailed from Hvalfjörður
on 8 April and put into Akureyri
on 13 April due to heavy pack ice and dense fog. She waited there until she was able to join Convoy PQ 15.
PQ 15
Convoy PQ 15, departed Oban on 10 April 1942 and arrived at Murmansk on 5 May. As noted above, Empire Bard joined the convoy at Akureyri.
RA 57
Convoy RA 57, departed the Kola Inlet on 2 March 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe on March 10. Empire Bard returned to Murmansk Empire Bard was judged to be capable of 8.5 knots (16.7 km/h) and the convoy's speed had to be reduced to accommodate this. She was supplied with the best coal available but on the morning of 5 March she was missing from the convoy. Empire Bard had put into Iokanka
alleging steering trouble. She then sailed to the Kola Inlet
, averaging 6 knots (11.8 km/h) with occasional bursts of 8 knots (15.7 km/h) when U-boats were reported in the area. Only two of the agreed four escorts accompanied her on this voyage.
RA 59A
Convoy RA 59A, departed the Kola Inlet on 28 August 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe
on 5 September.
from Archangel, iron ore from North Africa
, sugar from Jamaica
and esparto grass from Libya
. Angusburn served until 1955 when she was sold to Rederei A/B Hildegaard Mariehamn
and renamed Brettenham, operated under the management of F Lundqvist, Finland
. She served with them for sixteen years. Brettenham arrived on 14 April 1971 at Cartagena
, Spain
for scrapping.
. Empire Bard had the UK Official Number 166213 and the Code Letters
BDPK.
Heavy lift ship
A heavy lift ship is a vessel designed to move very large loads that cannot be handled by normally equipped ships. They are of two types: semi-submerging capable of lifting another ship out of the water and transporting it; and vessels that augment unloading facilities at inadequately equipped...
which was built in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 and renamed Angusburn and sold again in 1955 and renamed Brettenham. After a career lasting 29 years she was scrapped in 1971.
History
Empire Bard was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
as yard number 369. She was launched on 30 December 1941 and completed in March 1942. Empire Bard was built for the MoWT and operated under the management of Dover Navigation Co Ltd.
War service
Empire Bard was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War. She spent the war years in service in Russia.PQ 14
Convoy PQ 14, sailed from Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
on 26 March 1942 and arrived at Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
on 19 April. Empire Bard sailed from Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 27 March and arrived at Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
on 31 March. She sailed from Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The fjord is approximately 30 km long and 5 km wide....
on 8 April and put into Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
on 13 April due to heavy pack ice and dense fog. She waited there until she was able to join Convoy PQ 15.
PQ 15
Convoy PQ 15, departed Oban on 10 April 1942 and arrived at Murmansk on 5 May. As noted above, Empire Bard joined the convoy at Akureyri.
RA 57
Convoy RA 57, departed the Kola Inlet on 2 March 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe on March 10. Empire Bard returned to Murmansk Empire Bard was judged to be capable of 8.5 knots (16.7 km/h) and the convoy's speed had to be reduced to accommodate this. She was supplied with the best coal available but on the morning of 5 March she was missing from the convoy. Empire Bard had put into Iokanka
Iokanga River
Yokanga River is a river in the north of the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is 203 km in length. The area of its basin is 6,020 km². The Yokanga River originates in the Lake Alozero and flows into the Barents Sea. Its biggest tributary is the Sukhaya River....
alleging steering trouble. She then sailed to the Kola Inlet
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
, averaging 6 knots (11.8 km/h) with occasional bursts of 8 knots (15.7 km/h) when U-boats were reported in the area. Only two of the agreed four escorts accompanied her on this voyage.
RA 59A
Convoy RA 59A, departed the Kola Inlet on 28 August 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 5 September.
Postwar
In 1946, Empire Bard was sold to Dundee, Perth & London Shipping Co Ltd, Dundee and renamed Angusburn. She was employed as general tramps, carrying various cargos such as timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
from Archangel, iron ore from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, sugar from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and esparto grass from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. Angusburn served until 1955 when she was sold to Rederei A/B Hildegaard Mariehamn
Mariehamn
Mariehamn is the capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland, and 40% of the population of Åland live in the city...
and renamed Brettenham, operated under the management of F Lundqvist, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She served with them for sixteen years. Brettenham arrived on 14 April 1971 at Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for scrapping.
Propulsion
She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which was built by North East Marine Engineering Company (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. She could make 8 knots (15.7 km/h).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 Bard had the UK Official Number 166213 and 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:...
BDPK.
