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This is a liberty ship similar to the Charles D. McIver, which was in collision 4miles North of Stroma on 5th August 1944. She was again in trouble on the 6th August and was located, despite the dense fog, by the Longhope lifeboat, this time 2 miles NW of Dunnet Head. She was piloted into Scrabster by Coxwain Billy Dass and later taken over to Orkney and beached at Moaness for repairs.She was loaded with essential war supplies.
She must have been an unlucky ship, because on the 23rd. March 1945 she was mined or torpedoed, and sunk off Ostend.
Her crew at the time of the Firth incident, was 75. Some difference from nowadays.
Picture added on 12 April 2008
Nice pic Fred. Altho' I was very young when the Charles D McIver was beached off our house that ship is exactly what I remember. That is a typical liberty ship. I believe they could build one of them very quickly just a week or two, do you have anything on their construction?
Added by Jimmy Hamilton on 12 April 2008
Yes Jimmy, they were built in the U.S., but were British in conception. Cheap and quick to build, they did much to stem the losses sustained in the Battle of the Atlantic. 18 U.S. shipyards built 2751 Liberties between 1941 and 1945. At first they had problems with ships breaking in half, due to the welds fracturing, but this was resolved later.
The Robert E. Peary was built in less than five days by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington State.
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The Robert E. Peary was built in less than five days by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington State.
Added by Fred Johnston on 13 April 2008
Hoy and Walls
