SS Empire Almond

Career
Name:	Empire Almond (1941-41) Marquita (1946-51) Marsland (1951-60) Huta Zgoda (1960-69) MP-Zozie-12 (1969-78)
Owner:	Ministry of War Transport (1941-46) Kaye, Son & Co Ltd (1946-60) Polish Steamship Company, Szczecin (1960-c67) Rejonowe Zaklady Zbozowe PZZ (c1967-69) Zaklady Obrutu Zbozami Importawanymi i Eksportowymi PZZ (1969-78)
Operator:	Owner operated except:- W P Runciman & Co Ltd (1941-43) Coolham Steamship Co Ltd (1943-46)
Port of registry:	Hong Kong (1941-42) London (1942-60) Szczecin (1960-78)
Builder:	Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co Ltd, Hong Kong
Yard number:	297
Launched:	23 July 1941
Completed:	September 1941
Out of service:	10 July 1978
Identification:	UK Official Number 172790 Code letters VRFR
Fate:	Scrapped in Faslane July 1978
General characteristics
Tonnage:	6,860 GRT
Length:	429 ft 7 in (130.94 m)
Beam:	56 ft 7 in (17.25 m)
Depth:	33 ft 5 in (10.19 m)
Propulsion:	1 x triple expansion steam engine (Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co, Hong Kong) 292 hp (218 kW)
Speed:	10 knots (19 km/h)

Empire Almond was a 6,860 ton cargo ship which was built in 1941. She was renamed Marquita in 1946, Marsland in 1951, Huta Zgoda in 1960 and MP-Zozie-12 in 1969. She was scrapped in 1978.

History

Empire Almond was built by Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co Ltd, Hong Kong^[1] as yard number 297. She was launched on 23 July 1941 and completed in September 1941.^[2] Empire Almond was built for the Ministry of War Transport^[1] and initially operated under the management of the W Runciman & Co Ltd, London^[1] and later the Coolham Steamship Co Ltd.^[3] Empire Almond was initially homeported in Hong Kong^[1] but her homeport was changed to London in 1942.^[4]

War service

Empire Almond was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

OS 33

Convoy OS 33^[5] sailed from Liverpool for Freetown, Sierra Leone on 1 July 1942, arriving on 20 July.^[6] Empire Almond sailed from the Clyde with a destination of Takoradi, Ghana with a cargo of Government stores.^[7]

MKS 52

Convoy MKS 52 departed from Augusta on 13 June 1944. Empire Almond was bound for Malta for attention to defects.^[8]

KMS67

Convoy KMS 67 departed Liverpool on 24 October 1944 and arrived at Gibraltar on 2 November. Empire Almond was carrying a cargo of stores and general cargo, bound for Alexandria.^[9] At 13:00 hrs on 26 October, Empire Almond was stopped with an engine defect. It took about 4 hours before she was able to resume her journey. She was escorted by HMS Bayntun and Lisbon on 23 December 1944. Empire Almond was carrying a cargo of steel.^[11]

KMS 85

Convoy KMS 85 departed Liverpool on 17 February 1945 and arrived at Gibraltar on 24 February. Empire Almond sailed from Southend bound for Lisbon.^[12]

Postwar

In 1946, Empire Almond was sold to Kaye, Son & Co, London and renamed Marquita.^[13] Marquita visited Auckland, New Zealand on 3 May 1949.^[14] She was renamed Marsland in 1951. In 1960, Marsland was sold to the Polish Steamship Company, Szczecin and renamed Huta Zgoda.^[13] Circa 1967, Huta Zgoda was sold to Rejonowe Zaklady Zbozowe PZZ and converted into a grain storage ship at Gdansk. In 1969, Huta Zgoda was sold to Zaklady Obrutu Zbozami Importawanymi i Eksportowymi PZZ and renamed MP-Zozie-12. she served in this capacity until 1978. MP-Zozie-12 was sold for scrap in 1978, arriving at Faslane under tow on 10 July.^[15]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Almond had the UK Official Number 172790 and used the Code Letters VRFR.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS". Plimsoll Ship Data. http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=41b0992.pdf. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
2. ^ ""5157224"" (subscription required). Miramar Ship Index. R.B. Haworth. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
3. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS". Plimsoll Ship Data. http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=44b0306.pdf. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
4. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTUERS". Plimsoll Ship Data. http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=42b0269.pdf. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
5. ^ "Convoi OS 33. 11 juillet 1942" (in French). LemaireSoft. http://www.lemairesoft.freehyperspace.com/ship/type/11200.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Convoy.OS 33". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/os33/os33.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "Convoy.OS 33". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/os33/list.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942-1945, MKS 46 through MKS 60". Warsailors. http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mksconvoys3.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
9. ^ "Convoy OS.93/KMS.67". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os093.htm~osmain. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
10. ^ "HMS Rushen Castle (K 372)". Lindsay Clubb. http://blog.rushencastle.co.uk/blog/TheShip/RushenCastle/ConvoyReports/_archives/2006/6/24/2052406.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
11. ^ "MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942-1945, MKS 61 through MKS 103". Warsailors. http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mksconvoys4.html. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
12. ^ "Convoy OS.111/KMS.85". Convoyweb. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os111.htm~osmain. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
13. ^ ^{a b} "Empire-A". Mariners-L. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireA.html. Retrieved 26 December 2008. 
14. ^ "Vessel Details ( 1 of 1 )". New Zealand Maritime Index. http://www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/izvessel.php?ID=110008466&name=MARQUITA&db=&dm=&ds=&dh=&gsn=&owner=&num=&sh=&st=&sd=&svv=&typ=&tid=0&tix=0&tot=1&wds=&pix=0&sourceid=&refid=&hit=1. Retrieved 27 December 2008. 
15. ^ The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. 1995. pp. p129. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.