SS Empire Bardolph

History
Name	Empire Bardolph (1942–46); Memling (1946–53); Vancouver Star (1953–57); Memling (1957–59);
Owner	MoWT (1942–46); Ltd (1946–53); Blue Star Line (1953–59);
Operator	Donaldson, Brothers & Black Ltd (1943–44); Lamport and Holt Line Ltd (1944–53); Blue Star Line (1953–59);
Port of registry	Sunderland (1943–53); UK (1953–59);
Builder	Caledon Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland
Yard number	474
Launched	8 December 1942
Completed	March 1943
Identification	UK official number 169109 (1942-59); call sign BFDP (1943-53); ;
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,017 GRT; tonnage under deck 6,556; 4,758 NRT;
Length	431.0 ft (131.4 m)
Beam	56.3 ft (17.2 m)
Draught	27 ft 10 in (8.48 m)
Depth	35.2 ft (10.7 m)
Installed power	537 MN
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine (North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne)
Capacity	259,960 cubic feet (7,361 m3) refrigerated cargo space
Sensors and ; processing systems	wireless direction finding
Armament	DEMS (1943–45)

Empire Bardolph was a 7,017 GRT refrigerated cargo ship which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 and renamed Memling and sold again in 1953 and renamed Vancouver Star, being renamed Memling in 1957. She was scrapped in 1959.

History[]

Empire Bardolph was built by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland as yard number 474. She was launched on 8 December 1942 and completed in March 1943. Empire Bardolph was built for the MoWT^[1] and initially operated under the management of Donaldson Brothers & Black Ltd.^[2] Management passed to Lamport and Holt Line Ltd in 1944 Empire Bardolph had 259,960 cubic feet (7,361 m³) of refrigerated cargo space in her holds.^[3]

War service[]

Empire Bardolph was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

SL 165

Convoy SL 162 departed Freetown, Sierra Leone on 20 July 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 August. Empire Bardolph was carrying meat and general cargo.^[4]

OS 87

Convoy OS 87 departed Liverpool on 25 August 1944 and arrived at Freetown on 13 September. Empire Bardolph was bound for the River Plate.^[5]

Postwar[]

In 1946, Empire Bardolph was sold to Ltd and renamed Memling. She was one of the first two ships acquired by Lamport & Holt after the war.^[6] She was sold in 1953 to Blue Star Line and renamed Vancouver Star, being renamed Memling in 1957. On 23 October 1959, Memling arrived at Vlissingen, Netherlands for scrapping.^[1]

Propulsion[]

She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which was built by North East Marine Engineering Company (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.^[2]

Official number and call sign[]

Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Bardolph had the UK official number 169109 and the call sign BPKF.^[2]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, LISTE DE NAVIRES POURVUS DE MACHINES FRIGORIFIQUES" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "Convoy SL.165 / MKS.56". Convoyweb. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "Convoy OS.87/KMS.61". Convoyweb. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "LAMPORT AND HOLT LINE". Merchant Navy Officers. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[Ships-1] Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.

[Bardolph-2] "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[Cold-3] "LLOYD'S REGISTER, LISTE DE NAVIRES POURVUS DE MACHINES FRIGORIFIQUES" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[SL165-4] "Convoy SL.165 / MKS.56". Convoyweb. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[OS87-5] "Convoy OS.87/KMS.61". Convoyweb. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[First-6] "LAMPORT AND HOLT LINE". Merchant Navy Officers. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

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v t Empire ships beginning with Empire B
Cargo ships	Empire Baffin Empire Balfour Empire Balham Empire Ballad Empire Ballantyne Empire Bank¹ Empire Banner Empire Barbados² Empire Bard² Empire Bardolph³ Empire Baron Empire Barracuda Empire Barrie Empire Baxter Empire Bay Empire Beacon¹ Empire Beaconsfield Empire Beatrice Empire Beaumont Empire Beauty Empire Beaver³ Empire Bede Empire Bell Empire Bermuda Empire Birdsay Empire Bison Empire Bittern Empire Blackwater Empire Blanda Empire Blessing Empire Blossom Empire Bond Empire Boswell Empire Bowman Empire Boy Empire Breeze Empire Bridge¹ Empire Brigade Empire Bromley¹ Empire Brook¹ Empire Bruce Empire Brutus Empire Buckler Empire Buffalo Empire Builder Empire Bulbul¹ Empire Bunting Empire Burton Empire Buttress Empire Byng² Empire Byron
Landing ships	Empire Baltic Empire Battleaxe Empire Broadsword
Ocean liners	Empire Brent Empire Bure⁴
Tankers	Empire Bairn¹ Empire Barkis¹ Empire Barnaby¹ Empire Belgrave¹ Empire Benefit Empire Beresford Empire Billow¹ Empire Bombardier Empire Bounty Empire Boxer¹ Empire Bronze Empire Bute¹
Tugs	Empire Barbara⁵ Empire Bascobel Empire Becky⁵ Empire Belle⁵ Empire Ben⁵ Empire Bess Empire Betsy⁵ Empire Birch⁵ Empire Bracken⁵
A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z
1 Coaster 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 4 Cargo liner 5 Coastal tug

v t Ships of the Blue Star Line
Ships owned, suffixed with Star.	(I) (II) (I) (II) Almeda Star (I) (II) (I) (II) Arandora Star (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) Avila Star (I) (II) Brisbane Star (I) (II) (I) California Star (II) (III) (I) Celtic Star (II) (I) (II) Doric Star Dunedin Star (I) (II) (I) Empire Star (II) (III) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) Gothic Star (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) Melbourne Star (I) (II) (I) (II) Nelson Star (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) (I) (I) (II) (III) (IV) (I) (II) (III) (I) Patagonia Star (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) (I) Saxon Star (II) (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) Timaru Star (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) Tuscan Star (II) (III) Vancouver Star Victoria Star (I) (II) (III)
Other ships owned by Blue Star Line	Almeda Arandora Avila Doricstar
Managed ships	Empire Bardolph Empire Galahad Empire Javelin Empire Strength Rangatira
Chartered ships	(III) (II) (IV) (II) (III)
Planned ships	Titanic II

History

Name	Empire Bardolph (1942–46) Memling (1946–53) Vancouver Star (1953–57) Memling (1957–59)
Owner	MoWT (1942–46) Ltd (1946–53) Blue Star Line (1953–59)
Operator	Donaldson, Brothers & Black Ltd (1943–44) Lamport and Holt Line Ltd (1944–53) Blue Star Line (1953–59)
Port of registry	Sunderland (1943–53) UK (1953–59)
Builder	Caledon Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland
Yard number	474
Launched	8 December 1942
Completed	March 1943
Identification	UK official number 169109 (1942-59) call sign BFDP (1943-53)
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,017 GRT tonnage under deck 6,556 4,758 NRT
Length	431.0 ft (131.4 m)
Beam	56.3 ft (17.2 m)
Draught	27 ft 10 in (8.48 m)
Depth	35.2 ft (10.7 m)
Installed power	537 MN
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine (North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne)
Capacity	259,960 cubic feet (7,361 m³) refrigerated cargo space
Sensors and processing systems	wireless direction finding
Armament	DEMS (1943–45)