Ex Empire Falkland

1946 Purchased renamed Stirlingshire

1966 Scrapped at Bruges

By Bill Dancer - Second Officer

In 1963 I did a round Africa trip on the Stirlingshire, the last of the many wartime built Empires, Oceans and Sam boats that been a large %age of the fleet a decade before.

Stirlingshire was the odd man out , she was a reefer, she was motor powered with steam auxillaries and had an extra bridge deck brought about as a result of a collision close to the Bar Lightship.

Homeward bound the supercharger on the engine gave up the ghost which besides having to make changes to the engine also meant electrical supply was impacted as one source was geared to the propeller shaft and the fridge system.

We had a cargo of oranges and this was first in line for electric power.

We ran non supercharged to a West African port where a new supercharger was installed.

This trip had a really sad ending, something I will never forget , the Chief Engineer George Procter died at sea the night before arriving at Ellesmere Port where he was to retire and enjoy life travelling with his wife on his beloved motorcycle and side car.

While the old wartime ships did not have all the frills, they did have character and this one was certainly a good money maker for the company.