Empire Housman

[John Reader]

Hi,
Can anyone help by supplying a photo of MV Empire Housman (+1944) please?

Regards

John

[j.sabourn]

I served my time on what I always considered an Empire boat as they were called. However have been told this was not so, but still half believe she was. She was the Avonmoor Built at Doxfords Sunderland in 1944.she was flush decked and had the silhouette of an Empire boat so called. A 3 cylinder doxford. Speed 10 knots and burned about 12 ton fuel a day. If you know where she was built might give anyone looking for. the ship a better kick off point. regards JS

[John Reader]

Thank you for responding, she was built by Doxford W. & Sons in Sunderland 1943 and was sunk by a torpedo on 3/1/44, my friends Grandad was on board and was hoping to find a picture of the ship.

[j.sabourn]

Believe there is a picture of the Avonmoor on the site somewhere so if you find it will give you an idea of what the Empire Housman looked like. Think the Avonmoors Keel was laid in 1943 and finished building in 1944. so was maybe the same batch. She Survived the war and was sold to Chinese owners in or about 1959. There will no doubt be pictures of the Empre Housman somewhere and others may know where to look , so good hunting. Regards JS.

[John Arton]

John
Try this site, has a fairly comprehensive list of ships built on the wear.
The Sunderland Site Page 040
Rgds
J,A.

[Captain Kong]

At 2301 SS EMPIRE HOUSMAN (which had straggled from ON-217 and had ... All hands (45) abandoned ship and vith the exception of second mate Louie ...GOOGLE
Empire Housman


She was a 7,359 GRT motor cargo ship that was damaged on 30 December 1943 by torpedoes fired by German submarine U-545, at position 60° 30' N 24° 35' W. She was also hit on 3 January 1944 by torpedoes fired by U-744 at position 60° 50' N 22° 07' W.
Empire Housman
Lance Bambrough 27 03/01/1944 Second Officer Merchant Navy United Kingdom Tower Hill Memorial Panel 42. Age 27

[j.sabourn]

That site gives Empire Housman as being built for Short Bros. John.
And Avonmoor built for Runcimans of London which at one time was one and the same as Runcimans of Newcastle. If John Reader can go on Short Bros. Site if they have one , he may get lucky for a photograph. Cheers JS

[vic mcclymont]

EMPIRE HOUSEMAN (1943-1944)
O.N. 180049. 7359g, 5017n. 431.0 x 56.5 x 34.9 feet.
3 cylinder 2SC SA. oil engine by shipbuilder.
12.1943: Completed by Wm. Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland for the M.O.W.T. (Dodd, Thomson & Co. Ltd., managers). 31.12.1943: Torpedoed and damaged in the North Atlantic by U545. 3.1.1944: Torpedoed by U744. 5.1.1944: Eventually sank.
Vic

[Doc Vernon]

I don't think that one will find a Pic of her ,I have trawled the Net and also looked at my Old Ship Pictures on the Memory Stick that I got from the old site that went down!
But who knows stranger things have happened!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

If you google motor ship Avonmoor you will get various info. of same named ships. Plus a photo of the one built at Doxfords. She is renamed the Yu Tung so is after 1959. She would be apart from name a. Similar if not identical ship for the one you are looking for. Cheers JWS