Official No:                               244480

Builder:                                    New England Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, ME

Launched:                                21 October 1943

Into Service:                             WW2

Out of service:                          WW2

Fate:                                        8 March 1967 Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of a group of additional American flagged ships which served as Escort Oilers during WW2

Career Data:

1943 laid down as an EC2 – S – C1 Liberty ship

21 October 1943 launched New England Shipbuilding Corporation, East Yard, South Portland, ME as Yard Nr: 2194 named GEORGE POPHAM for the US WSA

November 1943 completed

16 November 1943 sailed Portland independently to Boston arriving the next day

24 November 1943 sailed Boston in unescorted convoy BX84 to Halifax arrived 26 November 1943. ss Fort Amherst (later to become RFA AMHERST) also sailed in this convoy

28 November 1943 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX268 to Loch Ewe but had to return to St Johns, Newfoundland arriving on 3 December 1943

19 December 1943 sailed St John, Newfoundland in escorted convoy HX271 to Loch Ewe arriving 29 December 1943

31 December 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in unescorted convoy WN525 to Methil arriving 2 January 1944

21 January 1944 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy EN336 to Loch Ewe arriving 23 January 1944 and then independently to the River Clyde arriving 31 January 1944

22 February 1944 sailed the River Clyde joining in escorted convoy ON225 which had sailed from Liverpool to St Johns, New Brunswick arriving 7 March 1944

25 March 1944 sailed St Johns, New Brunswick in unescorted convoy FH111 to Halifax arriving 27 March 1944

30 March 1944 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX285 to Loch Ewe arriving 12 April 1944

11 December 1944 sailed Milford Haven in escorted convoy BTC4 to Southend arriving 14 December 1944

13 February 1945 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ONS42 to Halifax arriving 5 March 1945. During this convoy acted as an Escort Oiler

18 April 1945 sailed New York in escorted convoy HX351 to Liverpool arriving 3 May 1945

12 May 1945 sailed Antwerp in unescorted convoy ATM152 to Southend arriving the next day

17 May 1945 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON303 to New York arriving on 2 June 1945

1946 used by Army Transportation Service – name unchanged

8 March 1967 arrived Philadelphia for demolition by Norther Metal Co.