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Official Number:                      145716

Laid down:

Builder:                                   London & Montrose Shipbuilding & Repair Co Ltd., Montrose

Pennant Nr:                             

Launched:                               2 quarter 1922

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         2 November 1943

Fate:                                      Torpedoed & beached  2 November 1943

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

2 Quarter 1922 launched by London & Montrose Shipbuilding & Repair Co Ltd., Montrose as Yard No: 93 named River Exe for D R Llewellyn, Merret & Price Ltd., Cardiff

October 1922 completed

1925 purchased by London & Channel Islands Steamship Co Ltd (Cheesewright & Ford, Managers) London and renamed Foam Queen

1938 owners restyled as British Channel Islands Shipping Co Ltd., London – name unchanged

1939 requistioned for Admiralty service as a Stores Carrier – name unchanged

24 June 1940 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN204 with 23 other vessels to Methil arriving 26 June 1940

28 June 1940 sailed Blyth in unescorted convoy FS207 with 38 other vessels to Southend arriving 30 June 1940

2 November 1943 sailed Southend in escorted convoy CW221 for St Helens Roads. The convoy consisted of 3 merchant ships and one warship as escort.  Foam Queen was torpedoed by German S-boat S-100 off Hastings and was beached after her stern was blown off while on passage from Goole to Poole carrying a cargo of coal. The remainder of the ship was towed to Dover where her cargo was discharged. The hulk was later used for experimental purposes. Both the other 2 merchant ships in this convoy were also sunk – the coaster Dona Isabel with a cargo of coal by German S-boat S146 and the steamer Storaa with a cargo of 2,000 tons of tank parts by German S-boat S138

Notes:

British Channel Islands Shipping Co Ltd started in 1899 as London & Channel Islands Steamship Co Ltd and were renamed in 1937. Coast Lines Ltd then acquired that Company in 1937 for £67,052 which at the time consisted of 6 coasters which operated passenger and cargo services to all of the Channel Islands. The previous name was retained.

The Coast Lines Group was originally formed in 1913 and consisted of a large group of Companies which were brought together in subsequent years. Transfers of ships between the constituent members were quite common after 1920 and Coast Lines retained all the previous Company names. Some of these were as follows with year of acquisition; British & Irish Steam Packet Co Ltd in 1917; City of Dublin Steamship Co Ltd, City of Cork Steamship Co Ltd and Belfast Steamship Co Ltd in 1918/19; Burns & Laird Lines Ltd in 1922; British Channel Islands Shipping Co Ltd in 1937 and Tyne-Tees Steamship Co Ltd in 1943