Lamport and Holt ship names

[DJ Gannon]

First please excuse any naivete and ignorance from this new member. I am looking for info on L and H ships my grandfather sailed on as a steward from 1913 to 1941 (I think). I have the official numbers from his discharge certs, but tying them up with the names is a bit hit and miss. Would anyone please know if there is a list of names of ships with corresponding numbers? I do know that he was in the River Plate at the time of the Graf Spey and also that he was torpedoed at the start of the war. I can see from a website that the Phidias was torpedoed but I don't know if that was his ship. I would be really grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thanks very much,
Dominic

[Graham Shaw]

First please excuse any naivete and ignorance from this new member. I am looking for info on L and H ships my grandfather sailed on as a steward from 1913 to 1941 (I think). I have the official numbers from his discharge certs, but tying them up with the names is a bit hit and miss. Would anyone please know if there is a list of names of ships with corresponding numbers? I do know that he was in the River Plate at the time of the Graf Spey and also that he was torpedoed at the start of the war. I can see from a website that the Phidias was torpedoed but I don't know if that was his ship. I would be really grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thanks very much,
Dominic

Hello Dominic.You are not being naive and nobody will judge you on this site.We welcome such enquiries and interest from those connected with the Merchant Navy.

So,to start with,in this same thread Reply with a list of yourgrandfather's official numbers of ships he sailed in,and one of us can quickly tell you their names.
Meanwhile here is just a pictorial site of L &H. HERE

Best Regards
Graham

[Graham Shaw]

Link HERE just for some ship names.

[DJ Gannon]

Graham and Marian, Thank you both for your quick reply and welcome.
My grandfather's details were: Lawrence Nolan 24.22.1894 and, I believe, his discharge number was: 751442. (Does that sound right to you?)
His ships were: 143601; 140665; 105333; 135504 (or135604); 137532;
140606; 140619 (or 140816);142371; 140619; 145900; 143604. His first discharge was stamped Canning Place Oct 1913. He must have had a break of service soon after that as he joined up (8th Irish bat Kings) to fight in WW1 but he returned to the sea on its conclusion and sailed up until WW2 when he joined the Ministry of Food in Colwyn Bay. Presumably the torpedo incident must have occurred about then. My grandad lived with us until his death in 1968 but he was quite ill for the last few years of his life and if he did talk about his career I'm afraid I don't remember! Thanks for your interest. What a great site you have here.
Best wishes
Dominic

[Graham Shaw]

Graham and Marian, Thank you both for your quick reply and welcome.

Best wishes
Dominic

Hello Dominic.So,in the order you have given,here are my results.
All are Lamport & Holt names unless otherwise stated,or some of the earliest at first were the predecessor company-Liverpool,Brazil and River Plate Steam.Nav.Co.Ltd.,later Lamport &Holt Line Ltd,Liverpool.
Where I have put a ? means no number exists,at least not in the index I am using,so please try and decipher the often awkward to read documents,or place on line here so we can give a 2nd opinion of the digits !
The years given are first year in service-until final year given,with fate-so you will be able to work out when your grandfather was on them.

143601 ss BRUYERE. 1919-1942.Torpedoed 23/9/42
140665 ?
105333 ss CAVOUR. 1895-1929 Scrapped Danzig 1929
133504 ss NEW LONDONER 1912-1936,then renamed. ss KENWOOD -1936-1960. Note-as this is not a Lamport vessel you may need to recheck the number,although your g/father might well have signed on it .The other alternative number you give,135604 is a tug,but there again he might have signed on her.
137532 ?
140606 ss LAPLACE 1919-1942.Torpedoed 10/42
140619 ss NASMYTH 1919-1938 .Scrapped after stranding damage.
142371 ?
140619 ss NASMYTH see above
145900 ss LINNELL 1921-1939 Scrapped in Scotland 1939 after stranding damage in Alexandria.
143604 ss BALFE 1920-1950 .Scrapped 1950.

As said,any with question marks the official no.is not listed so try and decipher them if you can.Hope this gives you something to work on for now.
Cheers. Graham

[Doc Vernon]

142371 War Dame 1817 British Govt. Then Delambre 1919 Scuttled at Rio Grande 1940


Other two i cannot find either?


Where was Nolan Born please!
I have 4 names like that but need place of Birth!

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks Marian , all help will i know be appreciated!

Found 137532 Changed hands to Lamport and Holt in 1934 frm Liverpool Brazil and River Plate. SN co Ltd!

Marconi (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net

[Graham Shaw]

Hello Dominic.So,in the order you have given,here are my results.
All are Lamport & Holt names unless otherwise stated,or some of the earliest at first were the predecessor company-Liverpool,Brazil and River Plate Steam.Nav.Co.Ltd.,later Lamport &Holt Line Ltd,Liverpool.
Where I have put a ? means no number exists,at least not in the index I am using,so please try and decipher the often awkward to read documents,or place on line here so we can give a 2nd opinion of the digits !
The years given are first year in service-until final year given,with fate-so you will be able to work out when your grandfather was on them.

Updated List

143601 ss BRUYERE. 1919-1942.Torpedoed 23/9/42
140665 ?
105333 ss CAVOUR. 1895-1929 Scrapped Danzig 1929
133504 ? ss NEW LONDONER 1912-1936,then renamed. ss KENWOOD -1936-1960. Note-as this is not a Lamport vessel you may need to recheck the number,although your g/father might well have signed on it .The other alternative number you give,135604 is a tug,but there again he might have signed on her.
137532 ss MARCONI 1917-1941.Torpedoed 21/5/41
140606 ss LAPLACE 1919-1942.Torpedoed 10/42
140619 ss NASMYTH 1919-1938 .Scrapped after stranding damage.
142371 ss DELAMBRE 1919-1940.Scuttled S.Atlantic by HSK-4 (THOR) 7/7/40
140619 ss NASMYTH see above
145900 ss LINNELL 1921-1939 Scrapped in Scotland 1939 after stranding damage in Alexandria.
143604 ss BALFE 1920-1950 .Scrapped 1950.




Thanks Marian and Vernon. I guess I'll have to either change my glasses again,or my fat fingers (!),for perhaps inputting the official numbers incorrectly!

Anyway,I've just updated my list again,for conciseness.
Cheers to Both!

[DJ Gannon]

Wow!
Massive thanks to all for generously sharing your knowledge and expertise. You have certainly given me a brilliant start to researching my Grandad's career. Quite thought provoking to see the number of vessels torpedoed (I hope he wasn't on all of them: he'd have been marooned on an island somewhere I expect!).
But seriously, I'm going to go away now and have a look in the central library (Liverpool) to see if there are any pictures or anecdotes from the period. Sorry about his date of birth: it was 24.11.1894 in Liverpool. I hope you won't mind if I get back to you when I've done a bit more research as I'm sure I will have further questions. In the meantime thanks again. Best wishes,
Dominic

[Graham Shaw]

Think I have found the elusive shipname.140665 might be 142665 in which case she will be ss BERNINI 1919-1933.Sold out of fleet in 1933.

Best Regards
Graham