information on a merchant ship

[Joseph Lyons]

I am looking for information regarding a vessel that traded into the ports of Dublin and Cork in the mid to late 1950,s.
The steamship was the "MALCOLM", this vessel traded to Huelva and North Africa and her cargo back to Ireland I believe was Phosphates . A brother in law of mine sailed his first trip to sea on her to Huelva and back. I would like to get a photo of the ship as he still recalls his first trip to sea.I am going to visit him in Australia and would love to get a photo of the ship for him.
Would appreciate any help in my quest.
Best Regards.
Capt Joe Lyons.

[Gulliver]

Hi Joe. She had an interesting early history.

Launched as s.s. SEA FISHER
Official No.167736 Tonnages 2,950 grt 4,070dwt Blt 5/40 by S.P. Austin & Son,Wear Dock,,Sunderland as Yard No.353.
99.3 metres length overall, Beam 14.2m.
Single screw turbine-speed of 9 knots.
Designed specifically to carry 14 inch gun turrets for the largest class of battleships then under construction, the King George V class, - from Barrow & Elswick to the various ship builders' yards.

Built for 'Fenwick, Fisher Steamship Co. Ltd.' ('Fenwick'), of Barrow.
There are 19 WW2 convoy references, all of which are U.K. coastal including, I think, one convoy, referenced Gibraltar, MKS.75G, in Jan. 1945, which Sea Fisher seems to have joined late.
In 1945, when, it would appear, the Fenwick company was liquidated, the vessel was transferred to 'James Fisher & Sons Ltd.', also of Barrow, with no change of name. In 1956, the vessel was sold, for £150,000, to 'Shamrock Shipping Co. Ltd.', of Northern Ireland, & renamed Malcom.(still registered in Barrow). In 1959, the vessel was sold to 'Great Ocean Steamship Co. Ltd.', of Keelung, Taiwan, 'An Kuo Steamship Co. Ltd.', of Taiwan, the managers, & renamed New Country. In 1966, the vessel was sold to 'China Merchants Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.', of Taipei, Taiwan. In Dec. 1967, the vessel was broken up at Keelung.


I Note that there are photos of MALCOLM(a naval vessel) or MALCOLM PACE(cargo ship) on the Photoships site,but these do not depict 'your 'MALCOLM (which was built in 1940).
As she was only named MALCOLM from 1956-1959 ,with Shamrock,I suppose pictures of her named that would be hard to find.

I have found one of her as SEA FISHER for you,but perhaps someone might come up with one of her named MALCOLM......

Regards

Gulliver

[Joseph Lyons]

Hi Guilliver,

Many thanks for the information and photo.Great info ,I will have lots to tell my brother in law about his first ship.He did mention Shamrock Shipping to me so we are talking of the same vessel.
He told me that first trip on the MALCOLM was pretty awful as he suffered greatly from sea sickness ,but he stuck at it and stayed at sea for some years before swallowing the anchor and going off to settle in Australia.
Again many thanks for the info.
Best Regards
Capt Joe.