Marialaura was a 7,318 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1945 as Empire Eddystone by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Winston Churchill. A sale to an Italian owner in 1952 saw her renamed Marialaura, serving until she was scrapped in 1966.
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | William Gray & Co Ltd |
| Yard number | 1176 |
| Launched | 11 May 1945 |
| Completed | July 1945 |
| Out of service | May 1966 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 7,318 GRT |
| Length | 431 ft (131 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam engine |
Description edit
The ship was built in 1945 by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool.[1] She was yard number 1176.[2]
The ship was 431 feet (131 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet (17 m).[3] She was assessed at 7,318 GRT.[1]
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine.[1]
History edit
Empire Eddystone was launched on 8 December 1943 and completed in May 1944.[1] She was placed under the management of E T Radcliff & Co Ltd, Cardiff, Glamorgan.[3] She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 180084,[4] and Code Letters GKMC. Her port of registry was West Hartlepool.[5]
In 1947, Empire Eddystone was sold to Aegean Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Winston Churchill. She was placed under the management of S G Embiricos Ltd, London.[1]
In 1952, Winston Churchill was sold to Fratelli D'Amico, Rome, Italy and renamed Marialaura. She served until May 1966, when she was scrapped at Trieste.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Mitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
- ^ "Marialaura Originally known as: Empire Eddystone". Portcities Hartlepool. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ a b "EMPIRE – D – E". Mariners. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ "ON180000". Mariners. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ "Signal Letters Database". Convoyweb. Retrieved 5 August 2011. (Enter GKMC or Empire Eddystone in relevant search box)