SS Empire Brigade

Hannington Court in Antwerp
History
Name
  • 1912: Hannington Court
  • 1936: Elios
  • 1940: Empire Brigade
Owner
Operator
  • 1912: Haldinstein & Co
  • 1915: Haldin & Co
  • 1929: Haldin & Philipps
  • 1936: Achille Lauro
  • 1940: Cairns, Noble & Co Ltd
Port of registry
BuilderJohn Priestman & Co, Sunderland
Yard number239
Launched10 October 1912
CompletedNovember 1912
Identification
Fatesunk by torpedo, October 1940
General characteristics
Typecargo steamship
Tonnage5,166 GRT, 3,217 NRT
Length400.0 ft (121.9 m)
Beam53.5 ft (16.3 m)
Draught23 ft 9 in (7.24 m)
Depth26.6 ft (8.1 m)
Decks1
Installed powertriple-expansion engine; 440 NHP
Propulsion1 × screw
Speed10 knots (19 km/h)
Crew41

SS Empire Brigade was a cargo steamship. She was built for Court Line in 1912 as Hannington Court. In 1936, Achille Lauro bought her and renamed her Elios. In 1940, the United Kingdom seized her as a war prize; and the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) took her over. She became an Empire ship, with the name Empire Brigade. Four months later, a German U-boat sank her by torpedo, killing six members of her crew.

She was the first of three Court Line ships that were called Hannington Court. All three were built at shipyards in Sunderland. The second was a motor ship that was built in 1939, and caught fire and sank in 1941.[1] The third was a motor ship that was built in 1954; sold in 1963 and renamed; and scrapped in 1976.[2]

Building

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Sir John Priestman & Co Ltd in Southwick, Sunderland built the ship for Philip Haldinstein as yard number 239. She was launched on 10 October 1912, and completed that November.[3][4] She was the eighth new ship that Haldinstein had bought from English shipyards since he founded Court Line in 1905. She was also the largest Court Line ship to date,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and the only one built by Priestman.

The ship's registered length was 400.0 ft (121.9 m); her beam was 53.5 ft (16.3 m); her depth was 26.6 ft (8.1 m); and her draught was 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m). Her tonnages were 5,166 GRT, 3,217 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine built by Blair and Co Ltd of Stockton-on-Tees. The engine was rated at 440 NHP,[12] and gave her a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h).[3]

Hannington Court and Elios

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Haldinstein registered Hannington Court in London. Her UK official number was 135157, and her code letters were JBDQ.[12] By 1930 her wireless telegraph call sign was GRSZ,[13] and by 1934 this had superseded her code letters.[14]

In 1915, Haldinstein shortened his name to Haldin, and his company became Haldin & Co.[15] In 1929, Richard Philipps became a partner with Haldin, and the company was renamed Haldin & Philipps. In 1936, Haldinstein set up a new company, the United British Steamship Co.[16] Hannington Court belonged to the new company only briefly, before Haldin sold her.[4]

In the course of 1936, Achille Lauro bought Hannington Court; renamed her Elios; and added her to his Flota Lauro. She was registered in Naples; her Italian official number was 462; and her call sign was IBFO.[17]

On 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on France and the UK and invaded France. Elios was in port in Newcastle, where the UK authorities seized her as a war prize. The Ministry of War Transport renamed her Empire Brigade; registered her in Newcastle; and appointed Cairns, Noble & Co Ltd to manage her. Her new call sign was GLSZ.[18]

Empire Brigade

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On 8 August 1940, Empire Brigade left the River Tyne and joined convoy FN 245, which was had assembled in the Thames Estuary off Southend-on-Sea, and was bound for the Firth of Forth off Methil. On 11 August she left Methil with convoy OA 197, but for some reason returned to port. On 31 August she left again, this time with convoy OA 207, which dispersed at sea.[19]

In October 1940 Empire Brigade loaded a cargo of 750 tons of copper, 129 tons of ferrous alloys and 980 tons of steel at Montreal in Canada and then sailed to Sydney, Nova Scotia where she joined Convoy SC 7 which was bound for Liverpool. Empire Brigade's cargo was bound for Leith via the Tyne. Her Master was Captain Sydney Parks, and she carried 40 crew, including her DEMS gunners.[20]

SS Empire Brigade is located in the United Kingdom
SS Empire Brigade
Approximate position of Empire Brigade's wreck

The convoy left Sydney on 5 October 1940; at first with only one escort ship; the Hastings-class sloop HMS Scarborough. A wolf pack of U-boats found the convoy on 16 October and quickly overwhelmed it, sinking many ships over the next few days. Empire Brigade survived until 0138 hrs on 19 October, when U-99 torpedoed and sank her in the Western Approaches about 100 nautical miles (190 km) east-southeast of Rockall, at position 57°12′N 10°43′W / 57.200°N 10.717°W / 57.200; -10.717. One DEMS gunner and five other crew members were killed. The Shoreham-class sloop HMS Fowey rescued Captain Parks and 34 of his crew, and landed them at Greenock.[20][21]

References

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  1. ^ "Hannington Court (1939)". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Hannington Court (1954)". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b "1135157". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Hannington Court (1912)". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Arlington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Barrington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Dorington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Cressington Court". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Errington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Framlington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Geddington Court". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  12. ^ a b Lloyd's Register 1914, HAN.
  13. ^ Mercantile Navy List 1930, p. 236.
  14. ^ Lloyd's Register 1934, HAN.
  15. ^ Lloyd's Register 1915, List of Telegraphic Addresses. II.—Alterations..
  16. ^ "Court Line". Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  17. ^ Lloyd's Register 1938, ELI.
  18. ^ Lloyd's Register 1940, Supplement: E..
  19. ^ Hague, Arnold. "Ship movements". Don Kindell, Convoyweb. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  20. ^ a b "Convoy SC 7". Warsailors. Siri Holm Lawson. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  21. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Empire Brigade". Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 December 2009.

Bibliography

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