MV Empire Day

MV Empire Day was a cargo ship that was built in 1941 as a CAM ship by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport. In 1943, she was converted to a standard cargo ship. She served until August 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by.

Description

The ship was built in 1941 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was yard number 673.
The ship was long, with a beam of. She had a depth of and a draught of. She was assessed at,. Her deadweight tonnage was 10,255.
The ship was propelled by a 516 nominal horsepower diesel engine.which had three cylinders of diameter by stroke. The engines was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.

History

Empire Day was built for the MoWT as an Empire ship. Yard number 673, she was launched on 27 March 1941 and completed in July. She was initially placed under the management of Stephens Sutton Ltd. Management would later pass to Lyle Shipping Co Ltd. The United Kingdom Official Number 168914 was allocated and Code Letters BCMG were allocated. Her port of registry was Sunderland.
Built as a CAM ship, Empire Day could embark and operate a Hawker Sea Hurricane aircraft. The ship was armed with one gun, one 12-pounder gun and two guns.
Empire Day sailed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 21 July 1941. Five days later, she joined Convoy EC 50, which had departed from Southend, Essex on 25 July and arrived at the Clyde on 28 July. Empire Day lost her anchor and chain, and did not arrive until 30 July. She departed the Clyde on 4 August and sailed to Belfast, County Antrim. On 12 August, she departed from Belfast Lough to join Convoy ON 6, which had departed from Liverpool, Lancashire the previous day and dispersed at sea on 11 August. Her destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she arrived on 26 August. Loaded with a cargo of grain, she departed Halifax on 4 September as a member of Convoy HX 148, which arrived at Liverpool on 17 September.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 28 September as a member of Convoy ON 21, which dispersed at sea on 14 October. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 16 October. A cargo of grain was loaded and she departed from Halifax on 22 October as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. She departed from Liverpool in ballast on 13 November as a member of Convoy ON 36, which dispersed at sea on 25 November. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 28 November. Loaded with grain, she departed Halifax on 8 December as a member of Convoy HX 164, which arrived at Liverpool on 23 December.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 23 January 1942 as a member of Convoy ON 59, which dispersed at sea on 6 February. She was carrying the convoy's vice-commodore. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived the next day. Laden with grain, she returned with Convoy SC 70, departing on 15 February and arriving at Liverpool on 7 March. Empire Day was carrying the convoy's commodore. She departed from Liverpool on 17 March as a member of Convoy ON 77, which dispersed at sea on 28 March. Her destination was Halifax, arriving the next day. She returned with a cargo of grain as a member of Convoy HX 184, which departed on 8 April and arrived at Liverpool on 20 April. Empire Day was noted as carrying her Hurricane, she was first CAM ship to leave Halifax carrying her aircraft for many weeks.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 22 May as a member of Convoy ON 97, which arrived at Halifax on 5 June. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 June as a member of Convoy HX 194, which arrived at Liverpool on 26 June. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 25 June, to join Convoy BB 191, which departed the next day and arrived at Avonmouth, Somerset on 27 June.
Empire Day departed from Avonmouth on 6 July and arrived at the Belfast Lough two days later. On 10 July, she joined Convoy ON 111, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea. All 34 crew and eight DEMS gunners survived. Her chief officer was taken prisoner by U-198. He was killed when U-198 was sunk by and off the Seychelles on 12 August. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. The survivors from Empire Day landed on Zanzibar island, which they reached on 11 August and the sinking of Empire Day was then reported. Her loss had not been realised as she was unable to send out a Mayday at the time of her sinking.