Official Number:                      139129

Laid down:

Builder:                                  Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd., Middlesborough

Pennant No:                          

Launched:                              17 April 1916

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        11 January 1945

Fate:                                     11 January 1945 torpedoed and sunk

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:

17 April 1916 launched by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd., Middlesborough as Yard Nr: 592 named Lady Cloe for British & Irish Steam Packet Co. London

June 1916 completed

1936 transferred to British & Irish Steam Packet Co (1936) Ltd., Dubin – name unchanged

1938 transferred to Coast Lines Ltd., Liverpool and renamed Normandy Coast

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

23 October 1939 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA24G which on 26 October 1939 reformed as escorted convoy OG4 to Dublin arriving 28 October 1939

19 June 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA171G which on 21 June 1940 reformed as escorted convoy OG34 to Dublin arriving the same day

11 January 1945 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-1055 off Holyhead in position 53.19N 04.48W when on passage from London to Liverpool carrying a cargo of steel plates with the loss of 19 lives

10 April 1945 Gunner, Royal Artillery Ronald George Day mentioned in despatches for services when the ship was torpedoed and sunk. Published in the London Gazette of this day

8 May 1945 Chief Steward William Thomas Roberts received a Commendation for services when the ship was torpedoed and sunk. Published in the London Gazette of this day

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