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Miscellaneous Ship Histories |
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British Merit
British Merit was built in 1942 and immediately went into service to assist the war effort. She served extensively during WW2 undertaking many independent voyages and taking part in a number of convoys. She survived the war and remained in service with the same company (though later renamed British Petroleum) until 1961 when she was broken up giving her an overall service life of 19 years.
There is a short account of a voyage just after the end of war in Europe in the Recollections section of the Benjidog website HERE. |
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Participation in WW2
British Merit took part in a many convoys and a very large number of independent voyages during the war years according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb - see Ext. Ref. #5. The shaded boxes indicate in most cases that British Merit continued independently after taking part in a convoy.
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Basic Data: British Merit Type: Tanker Registered owners, managers and operators: British Tanker Co. Ltd. Builders: Harland and Wolff Ltd. Yard: Govan Country: UK Yard number: 1117g Registry: London Official number: 168295 Signal letters: N/K Call sign: BCLS Classification society: N/K Gross tonnage: 8,093 tons Net tonnage: N/K Deadweight: N/K Length: 463.2 Feet Overall Length: 479.4 Feet Breadth: 61.2 Feet Depth: 33.1 Feet Draught: N/K Engines: Oil engine 4S.C.SA, 6 cylinders bored 29½ inches, bore 59 3/16 inches Engine builders: Harland & Wolff Ltd. Works: Glasgow Country: UK Boilers: 2 double bolieres operating at 150 psi Power: 490 MNs NHP Propulsion: N/K Speed: N/K Crew: N/K |
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Image 1 |
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Image 1 Shows British Merit. Date and location not known. |
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Torpedo Damage 1942
The following information is provided courtesy of uboat.net - Ext. Ref. #4:
At 03.52 hours on 25 Jul, 1942, U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the British Merit in station #94 of convoy ON-113 and hit with one torpedo. The tanker was on its maiden voyage and had torpedo nets streamed which stopped one of the torpedo, but the other struck her port quarter just behind the nets. One man was killed by the explosion and another seriously injured. 32 men abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were picked up by HMCS Brandon, while the master and 21 crew members remained aboard.
The tug HMS Frisky was sent out to salvage the disabled British Merit, which was guarded by HMCS Brandon and HMS Polyanthus. The latter then escorted the tug convoy to St. Johns, arriving on 2 August. After temporary repairs the tanker was towed to New York in September 1942 but only returned to service after almost a year in August 1943.
In 1939 Lloyd’s of London set up a committee to find a means of honouring those seafarers who performed acts of exceptional courage at sea, and this resulted in the announcement in December 1940 of the new award of “Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea”. The first awards were announced in March 1941, and the last in October 1948 — all awards were for acts during the Second World War. In all 541 Lloyd’s War Medals for Bravery at Sea were awarded.
A Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea was awarded to Chief Engineer C. Craggs which I believe was in recognition of his bravery in pulling a seriously injured man to safety from the flooded engine room when British Merit was torpedoed. (However I have not located complete confirmation of this).
Service Post WW2
British Merit continued in service with the British Tanker Co. Ltd. after the end of the war and then served British Petroleum when the company was renamed in 1954.
In 1954 British Merit towed the tanker British Builder from Albany Western Australia to Aden. British Builder had a broken crankshaft but nevertheless was loaded with crude oil and towed from Aden to the UK by British Baron - arriving on 28 November 1954. This is said to be one of the longest tows for a tanker ever undertaken.
British Merit was taken to Briton Ferry to be broken up in 1961.
Images
1. Image #1 courtesy of Stan Mayes 2. Image #2 from a photo in possession of the Webmaster - original photographer not known. |
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Career Highlights |
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Date |
Event |
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16 April 1942 |
Launched by Harland & Wolff for British Tanker Co. |
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9 July 1942 |
Completed |
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25 July 1942 |
Damaged by torpedo on maiden voyage and put out of service until August 1943 |
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1954 |
Company renamed British Petroleum |
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17 March 1961 |
Broken up at Briton Ferry |
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Departure |
Convoy/Independent |
Arrival |
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Departure |
Convoy/Independent |
Arrival |
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Clyde, Jul 18, 1942 |
ON.113 (Liverpool - Halifax) |
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Methil, Jul 14, 1944 |
EN.408 (Methil - Loch Ewe) |
Clyde, Jul 16, 1944 |
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In tow |
St Johns NF, Aug 2, 1942 |
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Clyde, Aug 2, 1944 |
ON.247 (Liverpool - NYC) |
Delaware Capes, Aug 16, 1944 |
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St Johns NF, Aug 24, 1942 |
JH.12 (St Johns NF - Halifax) |
Halifax, Aug 29, 1942 |
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Independent |
Hampton Roads, Aug 19, 1944 |
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Halifax, Sep 3, 1942 |
In tow |
New York, Sep 9, 1942 |
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Philadelphia, Aug 19, 1944 |
Independent |
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New York, Aug 7, 1943 |
HX.251 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Belfast Lough, Aug 22, 1943 |
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Hampton Roads, Aug 23, 1944 |
UGS.52 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) |
Algiers, Sep 9, 1944 |
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Belfast Lough, Aug 22, 1943 |
BB.317 (Belfast Lough - M Haven) |
Avonmouth, Aug 24, 1943 |
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Algiers, Sep 14, 1944 |
KMS.62 (Gibraltar - Port Said) |
Augusta, Sep 18, 1944 |
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Avonmouth, Sep 3, 1943 |
Independent |
Milford Haven, Sep 4, 1943 |
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Augusta, Sep 19, 1944 |
VN.66 (Augusta - Naples) |
Naples, Sep 20, 1944 |
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Milford Haven, Sep 9, 1943 |
ON.201 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Sep 24, 1943 |
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Naples, Sep 26, 1944 |
VN.67 (Augusta - Naples) |
Piombino, Sep 27, 1944 |
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New York, Oct 2, 1943 |
Independent |
Hampton Roads, Oct 3, 1943 |
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not reported |
Leghorn, Sep 28, 1944 |
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Hampton Roads, Oct 5, 1943 |
UGS.20 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) |
Gibraltar, Oct 21, 1943 |
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not reported |
Piombino, Sep 28, 1944 |
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Gibraltar, Oct 31, 1943 |
KMS.30 (Gibraltar - Port Said) |
Augusta, Nov 7, 1943 |
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Leghorn, Oct 8, 1944 |
Escorted |
Naples, Oct 10, 1944 |
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Augusta, Nov 8, 1943 |
AH.8 (Augusta - Bari) |
Bari, Nov 10, 1943 |
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Naples, Oct 15, 1944 |
Independent |
Algiers, Oct 17, 1944 |
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Brindisi, Nov 28, 1943 |
HA.10 (Brindisi - Augusta) |
Augusta, Nov 30, 1943 |
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Algiers, Oct 20, 1944 |
UGS.56 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) |
Port Said, Oct 28, 1944 |
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Augusta, Dec 4, 1943 |
KMS.33 (Gibraltar - Port Said) |
Port Said, Dec 9, 1943 |
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Port Said, Nov 1, 1944 |
Independent |
Haifa, Nov 2, 1944 |
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Suez, Dec 14, 1943 |
Independent |
Aden, Dec 20, 1943 |
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Haifa, Nov 4, 1944 |
Independent |
Port Said, Nov 5, 1944 |
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Aden, Dec 20, 1943 |
Independent |
Abadan, Dec 28, 1943 |
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Port Said, Nov 5, 1944 |
MKS.67 (Port Said - Gibraltar) |
Malta, Nov 11, 1944 |
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Abadan, Jan 5, 1944 |
Independent |
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Malta, Nov 18, 1944 |
not reported |
Oran, Nov 21, 1944 |
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Bandar Abbas, Jan 14, 1944 |
PA.66 (Bandar Abbas - Aden) |
Aden, Jan 21, 1944 |
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Oran, Nov 24, 1944 |
GUS.59 (Oran - Hampton Rds) |
New York, Dec 10, 1944 |
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Aden, Jan 22, 1944 |
Independent |
Suez, Jan 29, 1944 |
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New York, Jan 8, 1945 |
HX.331 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Clyde, Jan 22, 1945 |
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Port Said, Jan 30, 1944 |
MKS.39 (Port Said - Gibraltar) |
Bizerta, Feb 7, 1944 |
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Clyde, Feb 3, 1945 |
JW.64 (Clyde - Kola Inlet) |
Kola Inlet, Feb 15, 1945 |
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Tunis, Mar 14, 1944 |
GUS.33 (Port Said - Hampton Rds) |
New York, Apr 3, 1944 |
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Kola Inlet, Mar 23, 1945 |
RA.65 (Kola Inlet - Loch Ewe) |
Clyde, Apr 1, 1945 |
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New York, Apr 18, 1944 |
HX.288 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Loch Ewe, May 4, 1944 |
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Clyde, Apr 7, 1945 |
ON.295 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Apr 26, 1945 |
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WN.578A (Loch Ewe - Methil) |
Methil, May 7, 1944 |
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New York, Apr 29, 1945 |
HX.353 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Avonmouth, May 16, 1945 |
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Methil, May 7, 1944 |
FS.1445 (Methil - Southend) |
Hull, May 8, 1944 |
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Liverpool, May 27, 1945 |
ON.305 (Southend - Father Point) |
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Hull, May 12, 1944 |
FN.1355 (Southend - Methil) |
Tyne, May 13, 1944 |
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Montreal, Jun 14, 1945 |
Independent |
London, Jun 27, 1945 |
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Tyne, May 14, 1944 |
FN.1356 (Southend - Methil) |
Methil, May 15, 1944 |
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Independent |
Corpus Christi, Aug 2, 1945 |
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Methil, May 16, 1944 |
EN.384 (Methil - Loch Ewe) |
Clyde, May 18, 1944 |
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Corpus Christi, Aug 4, 1945 |
Independent |
London, Aug 23, 1945 |
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Clyde, May 21, 1944 |
Independent |
Loch Ewe, May 22, 1944 |
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London, Aug 26, 1945 |
Independent |
New York, Sep 7, 1945 |
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WN.586 (Loch Ewe - Methil) |
Methil, May 24, 1944 |
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New York, Sep 8, 1945 |
Independent |
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Methil, May 31, 1944 |
EN.390 (Methil - Loch Ewe) |
Clyde, Jun 2, 1944 |
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Houston, Sep 17, 1945 |
Independent |
Rotterdam, Oct 5, 1945 |
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Clyde, Jun 7, 1944 |
WN.593 (Loch Ewe - Methil) |
Methil, Jun 11, 1944 |
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Rotterdam, Oct 9, 1945 |
Independent |
Falmouth, Oct 10, 1945 |
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Methil, Jun 11, 1944 |
FS.1480 (Methil - Southend) |
Southend, Jun 13, 1944 |
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Falmouth, Nov 4, 1945 |
Independent |
Port Said, Nov 15, 1945 |
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Southend, Jun 18, 1944 |
FN.1392 (Southend - Methil) |
Methil, Jun 20, 1944 |
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Suez, Nov 15, 1945 |
Independent |
Abadan, Nov 27, 1945 |
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Methil, Jun 20, 1944 |
EN.399 (Methil - Loch Ewe) |
Clyde, Jun 23, 1944 |
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Abadan, Nov 30, 1945 |
Independent |
Suez, Dec 11, 1945 |
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Clyde, Jun 30, 1944 |
Independent |
Loch Ewe, Jul 1, 1944 |
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Suez, Dec 15, 1945 |
Independent |
Aden, Dec 19, 1945 |
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WN.602 (Loch Ewe - Methil) |
Methil, Jul 3, 1944 |
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Aden, Dec 19, 1945 |
Independent |
Abadan, Dec 26, 1945 |
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Methil, Jul 3, 1944 |
FS.1502 (Methil - Southend) |
Southend, Jul 5, 1944 |
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Abadan, Dec 28, 1945 |
Independent |
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Southend, Jul 10, 1944 |
FN.1414 (Southend - Methil) |
Methil, Jul 12, 1944 |
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