SS Letitia
Encyclopedia
The SS Letitia was an ocean liner
, built initially for service with the shipping firm Anchor-Donaldson Ltd. She continued to serve with the successor company Donaldson Atlantic Line Ltd, and was requisitioned for service at the start of Second World War to serve as an armed merchant cruiser. She was withdrawn from this service in 1941 and became a troop ship. She was badly damaged in 1943 and on being repaired became a hospital ship
in Canada. She was returned to civilian service in 1946 after the end of the war, and was bought by the Ministry of Transport, who assigned her to be managed by Donaldson Bros & Black Ltd as the Empire Brent. She sailed on a number of voyages, at times carrying troops to the Far East, as well as serving as an emigration ship to Australia. She was briefly laid up in 1950, but returned to service under charter from the Government of New Zealand as the Captain Cook. She was finally withdrawn from service in 1960 and was sold for scrapping.
, Govan
and was launched on 14 October 1924. Completed in April 1925 she initially sailed for the Glasgow
-based Anchor-Donaldson Ltd, on their summer route between Liverpool
, Quebec
and Montreal
with another Anchor-Donaldson steamer the SS Athenia
. In winter she sailed to Halifax
and St John's, Newfoundland. Her maiden voyage was from Glasgow
to Montreal on 24 April 1925. This was a joint venture between Cunard Line
and Anchor-Donaldson Line. She underwent a refit in 1927, and with the reforming of the company into the Donaldson Atlantic Line in 1935, Letitia was one of the assets retained.
on 9 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. She underwent a refit to rearm her with eight 6-inch and two 3-inch guns, and resumed service on 6 November 1939 with the pennant number
F16. She spent most of her time in the Atlantic; initially between October 1939 and January 1940 deploying with the Halifax Escort Force. On 6 January 1940, Convoy HX 15 departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving at Liverpool
on 19 January. Letitia was an escort for the convoy. Most of 1940 was spent with the Northern Patrol, followed by the period of November 1940 to February 1941 with the Northern and Western Patrol. On 13 January 1941, Letitia ran aground at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was badly damaged. She was briefly with the Bermuda and Halifax Escort Force, before returning to the North Atlantic Escort Force between May and June 1941. By now however it had become clear to the Admiralty that using liners like the Letitia as armed merchant cruisers left them too exposed to attack, without offering substantially increased protection. The remaining merchant cruisers were withdrawn from service, Letitia being withdrawn on 7 June 1941, and were instead used as troop ships by the Ministry of War Transport.
On 10 January 1942, a portion of Convoy WS 15 sailed from Liverpool
, with another portion sailing from the Clyde
on 11 January. The two portions combined off Oversay on 12 January. Letitia was part of the Liverpool portion and was destined for Durban. On 22 August 1942, Convoy AT 20 sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
During the evening of 22 August, Letitia failed to react to an order to perform an emergency zig-zag and was sent to correct Letitia's actions. This set in motion a chain of events that led to a collision between and . As a result of this, Ingraham sank. There was a further collision between and . In November 1942, Convoy MFK 1Y departed Gibraltar
bound for the United Kingdom.
On 23 January 1943, Convoy WS 26 sailed from the Clyde
, destined for Durban
, South Africa
via Freetown
, Sierra Leone
and Cape Town
, South Africa. Letitia left the convoy at Freetown. On 27 February, Convoy KMF 10A formed off Oversay in conjunction with Convoy WS 27. On 18 May 1943, Convoy WS 30 departed Liverpool
, combining with Convoy KMF 15 off Oversay on 21 May. Letitia was a member of both these convoys.
On 4 November 1943, Convoy KMS departed the United Kingdom bound for the Mediterranean. Letitia joined the convoy at Algiers
and left at Philippeville
. Letitia served in this role until 1943, when she was badly damaged. She was able to sail to the United States
for repairs,after which she was used by the Canadian government as a hospital ship
, carrying 200 medical personnel and with a capacity for 1,000 patients. She spent the remainder of the war carrying wounded personnel to Canada, and was due to be reassigned to the Pacific Ocean
when the war ended. She continued in service in the immediate aftermath of the war, repatriating Canadian service personnel. She was sold in 1946, during this period as a transport, to the Ministry of Transport, which renamed her Empire Brent. The Ministry assigned her to be operated on their behalf by her previous owners, now trading as Donaldson Bros & Black Ltd.
on 20 November 1946, sinking the Stormont and requiring Empire Brent to sail to Birkenhead
to be dry-docked while repairs were carried out to her bow. A complete overhaul on the Clyde
followed in December that year, during which time she was refitted again to be a troop ship. She sailed between India
and the Far East
for the next two years, before transferring to run an emigration service between the UK and Australia
in 1949. She was on this service until being withdrawn and laid up in late 1950. After six months out of service she was refitted again to serve as an emigration ship for those travelling from the UK to New Zealand
, under the name Captain Cook. She operated under charter to the New Zealand government, who paid in a series of instalments. She began her voyages in early 1952, sailing between Glasgow and Wellington
via the Panama Canal
. She briefly returned to her pre-war sailing route across the Atlantic from the UK to Canada in 1955, but subsequently returned to the New Zealand route. A fire while in harbour at Wellington in 1957 caused extensive damage, but she was able to sail to the UK where she was repaired. She had been bought outright by the New Zealand government by 1959, making her final voyage to Glasgow in early 1960, and was then laid up at Falmouth, Cornwall
. Captain Cook was then sold to British Steel
, who towed her to Inverkeithing
, where she arrived on 29 April 1960 for breaking up.
. Letitia had the United Kingdom Official Number 148847. She used the Code Letters
KSLT until 1933, and GLBX from 1934.
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
, built initially for service with the shipping firm Anchor-Donaldson Ltd. She continued to serve with the successor company Donaldson Atlantic Line Ltd, and was requisitioned for service at the start of Second World War to serve as an armed merchant cruiser. She was withdrawn from this service in 1941 and became a troop ship. She was badly damaged in 1943 and on being repaired became a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
in Canada. She was returned to civilian service in 1946 after the end of the war, and was bought by the Ministry of Transport, who assigned her to be managed by Donaldson Bros & Black Ltd as the Empire Brent. She sailed on a number of voyages, at times carrying troops to the Far East, as well as serving as an emigration ship to Australia. She was briefly laid up in 1950, but returned to service under charter from the Government of New Zealand as the Captain Cook. She was finally withdrawn from service in 1960 and was sold for scrapping.
Early service
Letitia was built at the yards of the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering CompanyFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the...
, Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
and was launched on 14 October 1924. Completed in April 1925 she initially sailed for the 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...
-based Anchor-Donaldson Ltd, on their summer route between 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...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
with another Anchor-Donaldson steamer the SS Athenia
SS Athenia
The S.S. Athenia was the first British ship to be sunk by Nazi Germany in World War II.-Description:Athenia was built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Ltd., and was launched at Govan, Scotland in 1923. She was built for Anchor-Donaldson Ltd.'s route between Britain and Canada...
. In winter she sailed to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and St John's, Newfoundland. Her maiden voyage was from 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...
to Montreal on 24 April 1925. This was a joint venture between Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
and Anchor-Donaldson Line. She underwent a refit in 1927, and with the reforming of the company into the Donaldson Atlantic Line in 1935, Letitia was one of the assets retained.
Second World War
Letitia was requisitioned by the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
on 9 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. She underwent a refit to rearm her with eight 6-inch and two 3-inch guns, and resumed service on 6 November 1939 with the pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
F16. She spent most of her time in the Atlantic; initially between October 1939 and January 1940 deploying with the Halifax Escort Force. On 6 January 1940, Convoy HX 15 departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving 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 19 January. Letitia was an escort for the convoy. Most of 1940 was spent with the Northern Patrol, followed by the period of November 1940 to February 1941 with the Northern and Western Patrol. On 13 January 1941, Letitia ran aground at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was badly damaged. She was briefly with the Bermuda and Halifax Escort Force, before returning to the North Atlantic Escort Force between May and June 1941. By now however it had become clear to the Admiralty that using liners like the Letitia as armed merchant cruisers left them too exposed to attack, without offering substantially increased protection. The remaining merchant cruisers were withdrawn from service, Letitia being withdrawn on 7 June 1941, and were instead used as troop ships by the Ministry of War Transport.
On 10 January 1942, a portion of Convoy WS 15 sailed from 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...
, with another portion sailing from the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
on 11 January. The two portions combined off Oversay on 12 January. Letitia was part of the Liverpool portion and was destined for Durban. On 22 August 1942, Convoy AT 20 sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
During the evening of 22 August, Letitia failed to react to an order to perform an emergency zig-zag and was sent to correct Letitia's actions. This set in motion a chain of events that led to a collision between and . As a result of this, Ingraham sank. There was a further collision between and . In November 1942, Convoy MFK 1Y 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...
bound for the United Kingdom.
On 23 January 1943, Convoy WS 26 sailed from the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, destined for Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
via 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...
and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa. Letitia left the convoy at Freetown. On 27 February, Convoy KMF 10A formed off Oversay in conjunction with Convoy WS 27. On 18 May 1943, Convoy WS 30 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...
, combining with Convoy KMF 15 off Oversay on 21 May. Letitia was a member of both these convoys.
On 4 November 1943, Convoy KMS departed the United Kingdom bound for the Mediterranean. Letitia joined the convoy at 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...
and left at Philippeville
Skikda
Skikda is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962...
. Letitia served in this role until 1943, when she was badly damaged. She was able to sail to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for repairs,after which she was used by the Canadian government as a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
, carrying 200 medical personnel and with a capacity for 1,000 patients. She spent the remainder of the war carrying wounded personnel to Canada, and was due to be reassigned to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
when the war ended. She continued in service in the immediate aftermath of the war, repatriating Canadian service personnel. She was sold in 1946, during this period as a transport, to the Ministry of Transport, which renamed her Empire Brent. The Ministry assigned her to be operated on their behalf by her previous owners, now trading as Donaldson Bros & Black Ltd.
Post-war
While sailing for Halifax from Britain in 1946, Empire Brent collided with the in the River MerseyRiver Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
on 20 November 1946, sinking the Stormont and requiring Empire Brent to sail to Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
to be dry-docked while repairs were carried out to her bow. A complete overhaul on the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
followed in December that year, during which time she was refitted again to be a troop ship. She sailed between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
for the next two years, before transferring to run an emigration service between the UK and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1949. She was on this service until being withdrawn and laid up in late 1950. After six months out of service she was refitted again to serve as an emigration ship for those travelling from the UK to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, under the name Captain Cook. She operated under charter to the New Zealand government, who paid in a series of instalments. She began her voyages in early 1952, sailing between Glasgow and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. She briefly returned to her pre-war sailing route across the Atlantic from the UK to Canada in 1955, but subsequently returned to the New Zealand route. A fire while in harbour at Wellington in 1957 caused extensive damage, but she was able to sail to the UK where she was repaired. She had been bought outright by the New Zealand government by 1959, making her final voyage to Glasgow in early 1960, and was then laid up at Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
. Captain Cook was then sold to British Steel
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
, who towed her to Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing is a town and a royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, located on the Firth of Forth. According to population estimates , the town has a population of 5,265. The port town was given burgh status by King David I of Scotland in the 12th century and is situated about 9 miles north from...
, where she arrived on 29 April 1960 for breaking up.
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...
. Letitia had the United Kingdom Official Number 148847. She 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:...
KSLT until 1933, and GLBX from 1934.