Official Number:                      166353

Laid down:                              29 September 1937

Builder:                                  Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd., Burntisland

Pennant No:                          

Launched:                              31 December 1937

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        8 March 1941

Fate:                                     Torpedoed & sunk by German S-Boat

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:

29 September 1937 laid down

31 December 1937 launched by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd., Burntisland as Yard Nr: 216 named Norman Queen for British Channel Islands Shipping Co Ltd., London

30 June 1938 arrived at Hartlepool from Jersey

24 March 1939 arrived at Blyth from London

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a stores carrier – name unchanged

3 January 1940 sailed the Tyne in unescorted convoy FS63 to Southend arriving 5 January 1940

8 February 1940 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN89 to Sunderland arriving 11 February 1940

12 February 1940 sailed the River Tyne in unescorted convoy FS94 to Southend arriving 14 February 1940

26 February 1940 sailed the River Tyne in unescorted convoy FS106 to Southend arriving 28 February 1940

17 June 1940 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN198B to Methil arriving the next day

8 July 1940 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy CW2 to Yarmouth Roads arriving the next day

20 July 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy CW7 to Falmouth arriving 22 July 1940

8 August 1940 sailed the River Clyde in unescorted convoy WN6 to Methil arriving 11 August 1940

26 January 1941sailed Methil in unescorted comvoy FS396 to Southend arriving 28 January 1941

8 March 1941 torpedoed and sunk by a German S-Boat, 1st Flotilla one mile west of South Haisborough Light Vessel while on passage from London to Boston, Lincolnshire carrying timber

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 six 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