TheShipsList|Palm Line / United Africa Co.

The Fleets

William Lever was a well known soap manufacturer and became involved in the West Africa trade to supply his company primarily with palm oil. In 1920 he acquired the Niger Company which entered shipowning in 1928. In 1929 the African & Eastern Trade Corporation which also owned ships was amalgamated with the Niger Company becoming the United Africa Co. The company became Palm Line in 1949. Disposed of to Ocean Transport and Trading PLC in 1985 and in 1989 Palm Line was sold to French owners. It was mainly a cargo company although a few passengers were carried.

Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.

Routes

UK - West Africa

Company Ships

Name	Built	Additional Information	GRT
Africa Palm (1)	1953	1972 sold to Panama renamed Savoydean.	5,415
Africa Palm (2)	1971	ex- Joruna, 1974 purchased from Johansen & Knutsen, Oslo renamed Africa Palm, 1983 chartered and renamed Santa Barbara Pacific, 1983 reverted to Africa Palm, 1984 sold to Cyprus renamed Messaria.	10,008
Akassa Palm	1958	1972 sold to Greece renamed Elemma.	5,797
Andoni Palm	1958	1976 sold to Panama renamed Mastro Manolis.	5,802
Apapa Palm (1)	1974	ex- Hasselburg, 1976 chartered from H. Schuldt, Hamburg renamed Apapa Palm, 1977 charter ended renamed Hoegh Apapa.	9,067
Apapa Palm (2)	1973	ex- Schauenburg, 1977 purchased from H. Schuldt, Hamburg renamed Apapa Palm, 1985 taken over by United Africa Co. International, London, 1985 sold to Venezuela renamed General Salom	9,417
Apapa Palm (3)	1977	ex- Menestheus, 1986 purchased from Airlease International Nominees (Moorgate) Ltd by Ocean Transport & Trading PLC who had acquired Palm Line renamed Apapa Palm, 1989 sold to Belgium renamed CMB Esprit.	16,031
Ars	1897	ex- Tyria, 1928 purchased by Niger Co. from Cunard renamed Ars, 1929 transferred to United Africa Co., 1930 scrapped.	2,936
Ashanti Palm		see Ashantian (3)
Ashantian (1)	1916	ex- Fordefjord, 1924 purchased by African & Eastern Trade Corp. from Norwegian American Line renamed Ashantian. 1929 transferred to United Africa Co., 1932 sold to Sandstrom Sanne & Co., Gothenburg renamed Adele.	2,116
Ashantian (2)	1935	1943 torpedoed and sunk by U.415 in Western Approaches.	4,917
Ashantian (3)	1947	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Ashanti Palm, 1962 broke adrift in Naples harbour during storm and wrecked on breakwater.	5,123
Badagry		see Badagry Palm (2)
Badagry Palm (1)	1956	1972 sold to Cyprus renamed Irene's Grace.	5,042
Badagry Palm (2)	1979	1985 taken over by United Africa Co. International, London renamed Badagry, 1986 sold to Panama renamed Cordigliera.	12,279
Bamenda Palm (1)	1956	1972 sold to Cyprus renamed Lenio.	5,042
Bamenda Palm (2)	1979	1984 chartered to Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro renamed Lloyd Texas, 1985 reverted to Bamenda Palm, 1985 taken over by United Africa Co International, London, 1986 sold to Cyprus renamed Arko Glory.	11,223
Benin Palm		see Ethiopian (2)
Burutu Palm	1952	1967 sold to Panama renamed Tyhi.	5,410
Conakrian	1937	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Dahomey Palm, 1959 sold to Wallem & Co., Hong Kong renamed Southern Mariner	4,876
Congonian (1)	1927	ex- Quercus, 1933 purchased from Arbor Shipping Co., London renamed Congonian, 1936 sold to Italy renamed XXIII Marzo.	5,010
Congonian (2)	1936	tanker, 1940 torpedoed and sunk by U.65 off West Africa.	4,928
Congonian (3)	1942	tanker, 1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Opobo Palm, 1961 sold to Windward Shipping Co., Hong Kong renamed Winwar.	6,082
Dahomey Palm		see Conakrian.
Dahomian	1929	ex- Themoni, 1933 purchased from Kassos S.N. Co., Syria renamed Dahomian, 1944 torpedoed and sunk by U.852 in Mediterranean.	5,277
Eketian	1935	African coastal service, 1969 converted to barge.	1,005
Elmina Palm	1957	1977 sold to Panama renamed Cyprus Sky.	5,356
Enugu Palm	1958	1978 sold to Kuwait renamed Athari.	5,328
Ethiopian (1)	1902	ex- Commodore, 1925 purchased by African & Eastern Trade Corp. from T & J. Harrison, Liverpool renamed Ethiopian, 1929 transferred to United Africa Co., 1933 scrapped.	2,739
Ethiopian (2)	1936	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Benin Palm, 1959 sold to Panama renamed Faneromeni (Lebanese flag)	5,424
Gambia Palm		see Gambian (2)
Gambian (1)	1929	ex- Knight of the Rose, 1933 purchased from Pardoe Thomas & Co., Newport renamed Gambian. 1936 sold to Scindia S.N. Co., Bombay renamed Jalamani.	3,865
Gambian (2)	1937	1940 seized at Dakar by Vichy French renamed St. Gabriel, 1943 released and renamed Gambian, taken over by MOWT renamed Empire Tweed, 1946 returned to owners renamed Gambian, 1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Gambia Palm, 1959 sold to Panama renamed Irini's Blessing (Lebanese flag)	5,452
Guinean	1936	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Kano Palm, 1954 sold to Panama renamed St. George (Greek flag)	5,202
Ibadan Palm	1959	1978 sold to Kuwait renamed Hind.	5,658
Ikeja Palm	1961	1981 sold to Panama renamed GME Palma.	5,682
Ilesha Palm	1961	1979 sold to Liberia renamed Daphnemar.	5,682
Ilorin Palm	1960	1979 sold to Liberia renamed Diamant Captain.	5,658
Kano Palm (1)		see Guinean.
Kano Palm (2)	1958	1979 sold to India renamed Purna Shanti.	8,723
Katsina Palm	1957	1978 sold to Singapore renamed New Dragon.	8,734
Kumasi Palm		see Kumasian (3)
Kumasian (1)	1905	ex- Baltic, 1931 purchased from Rederiaktieb Transatlantic, Gothenburg renamed Kumasian, 1935 scrapped.	3,400
Kumasian (2)	1935	1941 torpedoed and sunk by U.74 in North Atlantic.	4,922
Kumasian (3)	1943	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Kumasi Palm, 1960 sold to Panama renamed Flower.	7,221
Lafian (1)	1929	built for African & Eastern Trade Corp., 1929 transferred to United Africa Co. 1936 sold to Moss Hutchison Line, Liverpool renamed Meroe.	3,832
Lafian (2)	1937	1941 torpedoed and sunk by U.107 in Atlantic.	4,876
Lafian (3)	1943	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Oguta Palm (1), 1960 sold to Aristidis SS Co, Piraeues, later Good Hope Shipping, London renamed Aristoteles.	7,221
Lagos		see Lagos Palm (3)
Lagos Palm (1)		see Lagosian (2)
Lagos Palm (2)	1961	1981 renamed Lagos Palm I, 1981 sold to Cyprus renamed City of Lobito.	6,256
Lagos Palm (3)	1982	1984 chartered to Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro renamed Lloyd Rio, 1985 taken over by United Africa Co. International, London, 1986 with end of charter renamed Lagos, 1986 sold to USSR renamed Boris Andreyev.	15,575
Lagos Palm I		see Lagos Palm (2)
Lagosian (1)	1930	ex- Melmay, 1932 purchased from T. L. Duff & Co., Glasgow renamed Lagosian, 1943 torpedoed and sunk by U.159 off West Africa.	5,413
Lagosian (2)	1947	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Lagos Palm, 1960 renamed Oguta Palm (2), 1964 sold to Greece renamed Heraclitos.	5,120
Leonian	1936	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Mendi Palm, 1959 sold to Panama renamed Rio Yape.	5,424
Liberian	1936	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Volta Palm, 1954 sold to Finland renamed Hermes	5,205
Lobito Palm	1960	1979 sold to Cyprus renamed Lobito Pal.	6,157
Lokoja		see Lokoja Palm (2)
Lokoja Palm (1)		see Zarian (3)
Lokoja Palm (2)	1982	1983 chartered to Germany renamed Wameru, 1983 reverted to Lokoja Palm, 1984 chartered to Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro renamed Lloyd Australia. 1985 taken over by United Africa Co. International, London renamed Lokoja, 1986 sold to USSR renamed Mekhanik Bardetskiy.	15,576
Makeni Palm	1951	tanker, ex- British Rover, 1961 purchased from British tanker Co., London renamed Makeni Palm, 1967 sold to Panama renamed Kerkennah.	6,137
Makurdi Palm		see Tema Palm.
Matadi		see Matadi Palm (2)
Matadi Palm (1)		see Matadian (2)
Matadi Palm (2)	1970	1986 taken over by United Africa Co. International Ltd renamed Matadi, 1986 sold to Troodos Shipping & Trading Co., London renamed Modesty.	8,870
Matadian (1)	1936	tanker, 1944 torpedoed and sunk by U.66 off West Africa.	4,275
Matadian (2)	1948	tanker, 1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Matadi Palm, 1963 scrapped.	6,246
Mendi Palm		see Leonian.
Mendian	1903	ex- Laurel Branch, 1930 purchased by United Africa Co., from Nautilus Steam Shipping Co., renamed Mendian, 1933 scrapped.	3,752
Niger Palm		see Nigerian (3)
Nigerian (1)	1925	built for African & Eastern Trade Corp., 1929 transferred to United Africa Co. 1935 sold to Moss Hutchison Line, Liverpool renamed Kyrenia.	3,543
Nigerian (2)	1936	1942 torpedoed and sunk by U.508 off Trinidad.	5,423
Nigerian (3)	1948	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Niger Palm, 1966 sold to Panama renamed Triana (Liberian flag)	5,202
Oguta Palm (1)		see Lafian (3)
Oguta Palm (2)		see Lagosian (2)
Opobo Palm		see Congonian (3)
Sapele Palm	1953	built for subsidiary Olhandel und Transport GmbH, Hamburg (German flag), 1960 transferred to Palm Line (British flag), 1966 sold to Panama renamed Capetan Georgis.	4,981
Takoradi Palm		see Takoradian.
Takoradian	1937	1940 seized at Dakar by Vichy French, 1941 renamed St. Paul, 1943 released and renamed Takoradian, 1943 taken over by MOWT renamed Empire Swale, 1946 returned to owners renamed Takoradian, 1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Takoradi Palm, 1959 sold to Panama renamed Irini's Luck (Lebanese flag)	5,452
Tema Palm	1953	tanker, built for subsidiary Olhandel und Transport GmbH, Hamburg (German flag), 1960 transferred to Palm Line (British flag) renamed Makurdi Palm, 1969 sold to Peru renamed Santamar.	6,178
Volta Palm		see Liberian.
Warrian	1929	African coastal services, ex- Frank, 1937 purchased from C. J. Reim, Porsgrunn, Norway renamed Warrian, 1941 sunk in collision.	1,057
Woodville	1892	1924 purchased by African & Eastern Trade Corp. from Southern Whaling & Sealing Co. 1928 sold to Greece renamed Volgas.	2,513
Zarian (1)	1907	ex- Cambrian Empress, 1931 purchased from William Thomas Shipping Co., Holyhead renamed Zarian, 1932 scrapped.	3,815
Zarian (2)	1938	1942 torpedoed and sunk by U.591 in Atlantic.	4,871
Zarian (3)	1947	1949 transferred to Palm Line renamed Lokoja Palm, 1966 sold to Panama renamed Despina L.	5,135

Ships Managed for MOWT

Name	Built	Additional Information	GRT
St. Clair II	1929	ex- St. Clair, 1940 managed by UAC for MOWT, 1941 torpedoed and sunk by U.67 in Atlantic.	3,757

Ships Chartered from MOWT

Name	Built	Additional Information	GRT
Fort McPherson	1943	chartered 1946-1949	7,146
Fort Moose	1943	chartered 1946-1948	7,130
Fort St. Joseph	1943	chartered 1946-1949.	7,151