Official Number: 142726
Laid down:
Builder: Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast
Pennant No: Y 3.2441 / Y.8.136
Launched: 2 November 1918
Into Service: 5 December 1918
Out of service: 3 September 1919
Fate: 6 April 1954 stranded & broke in two
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA
Career Data:
2 November 1918 launched by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast as Yard Nr: 544 named War Music for the Shipping Controller
5 December 1918 completed, placed under management of Clyde Shipping Co Ltd., Glasgow and requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – name unchanged
23 January 1919 arrived at Aden
22 February 1919 berthed at Port Pirie, South Australia
15 March 1919 sailed Newcastle, NSW for New Zealand with a cargo of coal
14 April 1919 sailed Port Ahuriri for Hull via the Panama Canal
19 May 1919 berthed at San Francisco
17 June 1919 sailed London
7 July 1919 became a stores carrier – name unchanged
3 September 1919 returned to her owners and immediately purchased by Glen Line Ltd., London and renamed Glenspey
11 November 1919 sailed Suez for Yokohama
22 January 1920 arrived at Shanghai from Yokohama
31 January 1920 arrived at Hong Kong
2 February 1920 sailed Hong Kong
6 February 1920 arrived at Singapore
17 March 1920 arrived at Malta
20 March 1920 Captain Robert Mitchell Beedie appointed an Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) – details in the London Gazette of this day
24 March 1920 sailed Gibraltar
1920 purchased by King Line Ltd., (Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd., Managers), London name unchanged
19 June 1920 sailed Barry for Delagoa Bay
20 July 1920 arrived at Delagoa Bay
1921 renamed King Bleddyn by her owners
6 September 1921 sailed from Cardiff
27 September 1922 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
13 December 1922 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east while on passage from Montreal to Immingham
19 March 1927 on passage from Immingham to the River Plate
8 April 1927 at Thames Police Court Galley Hand Fritz Frederiksen appeared before the Stipendary Magistrate charged with murdering 3rd Engineer Benjamin Burgess by stabbing him when the ship was off Las Palmas on 19 March 1927. Burgess died ashore on 22 March 1927. Frederiksen was also charged with Grievous Bodily Harm with intent to maim, disfigure or disable to Donkeyman George Blagg. He was remanded in custody
3rd Engineer Benjamin Burgess who was murdered
7 July 1927 before the Central Criminal Court Galley Hand Fritz Frederiksen was found guilty of causing Grievous Bodily Harm to Donkeyman George Blagg and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. The count of murder of the 3rd Engineer Benjamin Burgess was not proceeded with as the death of the 3rd Engineer had occured in Spain and it was left open for the Spanish authorities to apply for his extradition
8 July 1929 at Durban Fireman and Trimmer Francois Lotrict discharged dead having drowned
27 June 1931 at Buenos Aires grounded in the Channel Punta Indio
21 July 1931 at Buenos Aires – floated
21 August 1936 while on passage from Tampico to Australia grounded 2 miles north Desterrada Island Light in the Gulf of Mexico. Efforts to refloat not successfull. Salvage ship Warbler sailed from Key West to assist
24 August 1936 refloated without any apparent damage
1937 purchased by Halcyon-Lijn NV, Rotterdam and renamed Stad Maassluis
1950 purchased by Francesco Pittaluga fu Giacomo, Genoa and renamed Francescu
6 April 1954 stranded off Batts, River Schelde and broke in two while on passage from Bona to Antwerp carrying Iron Ore. Both parts were scrapped