- SS Clan Forbes (1938)
The SS "Clan Forbes" was a steam merchant ship that saw service in the
Second World War .Career
"Clan Forbes" was built at the Greenock Dockyard Co.,
Greenock as one of the Cameron class of steam merchant ships for theClan Line . She was launched on8 September 1938, and had her engines supplied by the firm of J G Kincaid & Co, also of Greenock. She was homeported inGlasgow . On the outbreak of the Second World War, she was put into service carrying vital supplies to Britain's allies and outposts. On16 August 1940, before setting out on one of these convoys, she was damaged by bombs in an air raid whilst berthed at Tilbury dock. She was used to support allied operations in the Mediterranean, and was one of the three merchant ships used inOperation Collar , a convoy to supplyMalta andAlexandria . An attempt by the Italians to intercept the ships led to theBattle of Cape Spartivento , after which "Clan Forbes", and her sister SS "Clan Fraser" continued on to Malta. She spent some of her time disguised as thesubmarine depot ship HMS|Maidstone|1937|6, having been fitted with a dummy funnel.Surviving the war, she continued in civilian service with the Clan Line, eventually serving until 1959, when she was sold for scrapping. She arrived at
Hong Kong on6 August 1959 to be broken up.References
* [http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=16115 SS Clan Forbes at Clydebuilt]
* [http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/clanline5rev.html The wartime careers of the Cameron class]
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