Empire Starling
British Steam merchant
Name | Empire Starling | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 6,060 tons | ||
Completed | 1919 - Moore Shipbuilding Co, Oakland CA | ||
Owner | Houlder Brothers & Co Ltd, London | ||
Homeport | London | ||
Date of attack | 21 Nov 1942 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-163 (Kurt-Eduard Engelmann) | ||
Position | 13° 05'N, 56° 20'W - Grid EE 8229 | ||
Complement | 55 (0 dead and 55 survivors). | ||
Convoy | |||
Route | La Plata - Rio de Janeiro (31 Oct) - Trinidad - UK | ||
Cargo | 5500 tons of frozen meat, including corned beef and general cargo | ||
History | Built as American Nockum for US Shipping Board, San Francisco; 1937 transferred to US Maritime Commission, San Francisco and laid up as reserve. 1941 given to Britain and renamed Empire Starling by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
Notes on event | At 22.37 hours on 21 Nov 1942 the unescorted Empire Starling (Master Eric Monckton MBE) was torpedoed and sunk by U-163 180 miles northeast of Barbados. The master was taken prisoner by the U-boat, landed at Lorient on 6 January and was taken to the POW camp Milag Nord. 46 crew members, seven gunners and one passenger (DBS) landed at Speightstown, Barbados, and Pointe du Vieux Fort, Guadeloupe. | ||
On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. |
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