Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

 

 

Athel Line Ships

 

Athelqueen

4 ships of this name

 

1  ATHELQUEEN

GSN 20007803 

ON 149660  

Built  1928  Furness SB. Co, Haverton Hill-on-Tees.

8,780 grt

471ft 3ins x 62ft 5ins

Twin screw, 10½ knots.

1933  The Times 2nd September

Explosion in British Tanker  - Five men killed. Reuter : Yokohama, Sept 1st:

Five members of the crew of the British tanker Athelqueen were killed today after an explosion caused by spontaneous combustion of oil gas in a hold. The hold had been discharged a few hours earlier. The Athelqueen, an oil-engined vessel of 8,780 tons, owned by the United Molasses Company Ltd., was bound for Manila at the time of the explosion. She returned here to land the dead men.

The names of the victims are

S. G. Knott - chief engineer

M. O. Putt - first officer

A. M. Rae - apprentice

M. Johansen - carpenter

W. Read - deck hand

 

1942 Convoy HX 169 Departed Halifax on Jan 8th 1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 23rd.   On the 15th March, Commander Fecia di Cossato located and sank the ATHELQUEEN, on a voyage Hull to Port Everglades in ballast. Position given 26.50N 75.40W. The 46 survivors were later rescued. During this attack, the TAZZOLI ended up colliding with the hard-to-sink ATHELQUEEN, damaging the forward tubes. Due to the damage, Commander Fecia Di Cossato was forced to abandon the mission and return to base, arriving on the 31st of March.

 

Three men died, before reaching shore, 17th March 1942.

 

FIRTH, Greaser, DAVID W, Age 52.

Son of Edward and Sarah Firth.

JONES, Able Seaman, HAROLD, Age 21.

Son of William and Mary E. Jones, of Conway, Caernarvonshire.

PROCTOR, Senior Third Engineer Officer, WILLIAM, Age 30.

Husband of Nellie Proctor, of Cadishead, Lancashire.

The c
rew list can be found in the National Archives TNA reference: BT 381/1987.

Transcribed here

 

A Memorial Stone

on Abaco - The Bahamas

 

Athelqueen(1)

 

ATHELQUEEN was one of the ships sunk by the Italian submarine ENRICO TAZZOLI approximately fifty miles off our island, Elbow Cay, on 15 March 1942.  The crew came into the beach here and were looked after by the local people.  They were later repatriated to England through Nassau, Bahamas. Three of the crew died on the reef just before they landed here. This is recorded in the report of the Master, Captain C. J. R. Roberts on 30 June 1942.  Three undientified graves are on the dunes above the landing beach. 

Tony Bennett, Curator; Wyannie Malone Historical Museum,
Hope Town, Abaco, The Bahamas.
www.hopetown.net/hopetownmuseum

 

Athelqueen(1)

 

2  ATHELQUEEN

GSN 20025449 

ON 168523 

8,202 grt

483ft x 59ft 6ins

Built 1942  Harland & Wolff, Belfast

as the EMPIRE BENEFIT for MOWT

1945 purchased by Athel Line renamed ATHELQUEEN

1955 sold to Mariblanca Nav. S.A., Chandris (England) Ltd; renamed ARIVERDA

1961 scrapped at Kure.

 

Athelqueen(2)

3 ATHELQUEEN

GSN 20007804

ON  301343

Built and Engined 1960  Barclay Curie & Company, Glasgow
Launched 13th January 1960

For Athel Line Ltd, Liverpool
13,040 grt;
7,423 nrt; 19,770 dwt
Yard Nr 743
560ft x 72ft x 31ft

Doxford Oil engine 2SA 6cyl 8500bhp, 14.5 knots
1966 Renamed ANCO QUEEN

“The British tanker Anco Queen was attacked by Viet Cong today near Saigon and authorities reported the vessel took at least two rockets on her superstructure" - The Age, Melbourne, 20th May 1968

1971 Renamed OCEAN TRADER

1972 Renamed ALLISON STAR owned by the Consul Overseas Investment Corporation, Liberia.

1981 Renamed SANIKA
Scrapped  23rd October 1981

 

Athelqueen 1960

 

Athelqueen(3) Courtesy The Paul Strathdee Collection

 

as Allison Star

Courtesy The Paul Strathdee Collection

Allison Star ( Athelqueen (3))

Courtesy The Paul Strathdee Collection

 

4 ATHELQUEEN

GSN 20017634

ON 377373 

24,132 grt

Built 1977 by Davie SB Co, Lauzon.

1980 Sold to Altanin Tanker Corp., renamed ALTANIN.

1980  Laid up at Jazirat Abu Daud.
1982  Declared a Constructive Total Loss and scrapped.

 

Athelqueen(4)

 

Photograph by Joe McMillan

 

 

Raymond Forward