Flaminian was a cargo ship that was built in 1917 by W Harkness & Sons Ltd, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom for Ellerman & Papayanni Lines. She was sold in 1944 to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1944, converted to a cable storage hulk for Operation Pluto and renamed Empire Flaminian. Renamed Flaminian in 1946, she was used as a stevedore training ship from 1947, serving until scrapped in 1950.
Description The ship was built in 1917 by W Harkness & Sons Ltd, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. She was yard number 211.
The ship was long, with a beam of . She had a depth of . She was assessed at 2,699 GRT, 1,696 NRT,
The ship was propelled by a 226 nhp triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 20¼ inches (60 cm), 34½ inches (95 cm) and diameter by stroke. The engine was built by Richardsons, Westgarth & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. It drove a single screw propeller.
History The ship was built by W Harkness & Sons Ltd, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom for Ellerman & Papayanni Lines. The third Ellerman Lines ship bearing that name, she was launched on 21 January 1917 and completed in July 1917. The Code Letters JQRV and United Kingdom Official Number 140521 were allocated. Her port of registry was Liverpool.
Flaminian sailed on routes between the United Kingdom and South Africa. She made a voyage from Table Bay to Southampton, Hampshire in 1919, and from Port Natal to the Clyde in 1920. Later that year, she made a voyage from Fredrikstad, Norway to Liverpool, Lancashire. By the late 1920s, Flaminian was operating between Liverpool and ports on the Mediterranean Sea. She sailed from Liverpool on 24 August 1929 for Malta and Alexandria, Egypt.
In 1934, Flaminian was assigned the Code Letters GRBV. She was still serving the Mediterranean at this time, sailing from Liverpool for İzmir and Istanbul, Turkey in March 1934. This continued in the years before World War II, with an identical voyage being made in November 1938.
Flaminian was probably in port at Liverpool when war was declared against Germany. She departed from Liverpool on 16 September 1939 and sailed to Southampton. She sailed on 24 September, arriving back at Southampton on 13 October. She departed on 21 October and sailed to Fowey, Cornwall, where she arrived on 22 October. Having sailed on 31 October, Flaminian arrived back at Fowey on 8 November. She departed on 16 November for Liverpool, arriving two days later and sailing on 25 November for Belfast, County Down, where she arrived the next day. She departed for Liverpool on 1 December, arriving two days later. Flaminian then joined Convoy OB 50, which became Convoy OB 10 on 13 December. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 18 December. Flaminian was carrying general cargo bound for Casablanca, Morocco. where she arrived on 18 December. She sailed the next day for Malta, arriving on 25 December. She sailed two days later for Jaffa, Mandatory Palestine, arriving on 1 January 1940.
Flaminian departed from Jaffa later that day for Haifa, Palestine, where she arrived on 2 January 1940. She sailed on 6 January for Beirut, Lebanon, arriving the next day and then sailing to Famagusta, Cyprus, where she arrived on 8 January. Flaminian sailed the next day for Limassol, arriving on 10 January. She departed on 17 January for Famagusta, which was reached later that day. She sailed on 20 January for Gibraltar, arriving on 30 January. Flaminian was a member of Convoy HG 17, which departed from Gibraltar on 1 February and arrived at Liverpool on 11 February. Carrying general cargo, she arrived at The Downs on 12 February.
Flaminian was a member of Convoy OA 105G, which departed from Southend, Essex on 7 March and formed Convoy OG 21 on 10 March, arriving at Gibraltar on 17 March. She was carrying general cargo bound for Alexandria. She sailed from Gibraltar on 20 March, arriving at Malta on 24 March and sailing four days later for Alexandria, where she arrived on 1 April. Flaminian sailed three days later for Haifa, arriving on 5 April and sailing the next day for Famagusta, where she arrived the next day. She departed the same day for Limmasol, where she arrived on 7 April. She sailed that day for Alexandria, arriving on 8 April. She departed on 13 April for Gibraltar, where she arrived on 23 April. Flaminian was a member of Convoy HG 28F, which sailed from Gibraltar on 26 April and arrived at Liverpool on 5 May. She was carrying cotton and general cargo.
Flaminian sailed on 15 June with Convoy OB 168, which formed Convoy OG 34F on 17 June. She arrived at Southend on 18 June. She sailed two days later as a member of Convoy FN 200, which arrived at Methil, Fife on 22 June. She left the convoy and put into Sunderland, County Durham on 21 June. She sailed on 13 July to join Convoy FN221, which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 15 July. She then joined Convoy OA 186, which departed from Methin on 18 July and dispersed at sea on 21 July. She arrived at New York, United States on 5 August. Flaminian sailed on 10 August for Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. She arrived on 14 August. She was a member of Convoy SC 2, which departed on 25 August and arrived at Liverpool on 10 September. Flaminian was carrying a cargo of grain and steel. She arrived at the Clyde on 10 September. Having unloaded her steel, she departed on 21 September as a member of Convoy WN 17, which arrived at Methil on 25 September. She then joined Convoy FS 292, which departed on 26 September and arrived at Southend on 28 September. Flaminian left the convoy at Hull, Yorkshire on 28 September.
On 19 October, Flaminian sailed to join Convoy FN 316, which departed from Southend on 23 October and arrived at Methil on 25 October. She was carrying general cargo. She joined Convoy EN 12/1, which sailed on 26 October and arrived at Oban, Argyllshire on 30 October. Flaminian collided with a Royal Navy destroyer on 27 October and detached from the convoy, arriving at Oban on 29 October. She sailed for the Clyde on 5 November, arriving the next day. Flaminian sailed on 17 November to join Convoy OB 244, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea on 22 November. She was bound for Barbados, which was reached on 10 December. She sailed the next day for Trinidad, arriving on 12 December. Flaminian departed from Trinidad on 17 December for Demerara, British Guiana, arriving on 20 December. She sailed for Trinidad on 29 December and arrived back there the next day.
Flaminian departed from Trinidad on 3 January 1941 for Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, arriving two days later. She then sailed to Grenada, from where she departed on 6 January for Bermuda, which was reached on 13 January. She sailed on 24 January for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, arriving on 29 January. Flaminian sailed on 8 February with Convoy SC 22, which arrived at Liverpool on 28 February. She was carrying general cargo, rum and sugar, some of which caught fire and she left the convoy, arriving at St. John's, Newfoundland on 15 February. She sailed for Halifax three days later, arriving on 23 February. Flaminian joined Convoy SC 27, which sailed on 30 March and arrived at Liverpool on 18 April. She was carrying general cargo. She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 17 April and joined Convoy WN 116, which had sailed from the Clyde that day and arrived at Methil on 21 April. She then joined Concoy FS 470, which sailed on 22 April and arrived at Southend two days later. She left the convoy and put into the Tyne on 23 April.
Flaminian departed from the Tyne on 3 May for Middlesbrough, arriving later that day. She later joined Convoy FN 481, which departed from Southend on 17 June and arrived at Methil two days later. She sailed on 21 June to join Convoy EC 35, which had departed from Southend on 19 June and arrived at the Clyde on 25 June. She left the convoy t Oban on 23 June, sailing on 25 June to join Convoy OG 66, which had departed from Liverpool the previous day and arrived at Gibraltar on 8 July. Flaminian departed on 26 July for Lisbon, Portugal and sailing from there on 4 August for Gibraltar, which was reached two days later. Carrying general cargo, she sailed on 9 August with Convoy HG 70, which arrived at Liverpool on 23 August.
Flaminian sailed with Convoy OS 6 on 12 September. She arrived at Freetown on 3 October. She departed on 23 October for Monrovia, Liberia, from where she sailed on 25 October for Takoradi, Gold Coast, which was reached on 28 October. She sailed on 1 November for Lagos, Nigeria, arriving on 3 November. Flaminian departed on 15 November for Freetown, which was reached on 21 November. Carrying West African produce, she sailed on 30 November with Convoy SL 94, which arrived at Liverpool on 20 December. She left the convoy at Oban on 22 December, sailing with Convoy WN 223 three days later and arriving at Methil on 28 December. She sailed the next day as a member of Convoy FS 686, which arrived at Southend on 31 December. She left the convoy on 31 December and put into Hull.
Carryig cargo described as "government stores", Flaminian sailed from Hull on 16 February 1942 to Join Convoy FN 634, which departed from Southend the next day and arrived at Methil on 19 February. She then joined Convoy EN 49, which sailed on 20 February, arriving at Oban three days later. She sailed on 24 February to join Convoy OG 80, which had departed from Milford Haven on 22 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 8 March. Flaminian sailed on 7 April for Burriana, Spain, arriving the next day. She departed on 11 April, reaching Gibraltar three days later. Flaminian was a member of Convoy HG 82, which sailed on 27 April and reached Liverpool on 8 May. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 7 May to join Convoy BB 172, which sailed on 9 May and arrived at Milford Haven the next day. Flaminian sailed on to Bristol, Gloucestershire, arriving on 11 May.
Flaminian departed from Bristol on 13 May, arriving at Swansea, Glamorgan the next day. She sailed on 19 May and reached Milford Haven on 20 May. She departed that day as a member of Convoy OG 84, which arrived at Gibraltar on 2 June. She left the convoy and put into Lisbon, arriving on 2 June. She sailed for Gibraltar on 27 June, arriving two days later. Flaminian was a member of Convoy HG 85, which sailed on 30 June and arrived at Liverpool on 12 July.
Flaminian departed from the Clyde on 20 July to join Convoy OG 87, which had departed from Milford Haven the previous day and arrived at Gibraltar on 3 August. She was carrying PoW mails bound for Lisbon, which was reached on 2 August. She sailed on 25 August, arriving at Gibraltartwo days later. Carrying general cargo and mercury, Flaminian departed on 29 August with Convoy HG 88, which arrived at Liverpool on 9 September. She left the convoy at Preston, Lancashire, arriving that day. She sailed on 25 September for the short voyage to Liverpool.
Flaminian sailed on 21 October to join Convoy KX 4A, which departed from the Clyde the next day and arrived at Gibraltar on 4 November. She left the convoy and put into the Clyde, arriving on 23 October. Flaminian sailed with Convoy KX 5 on 30 October, reaching Gibraltar on 10 November. She left the convoy at Lisbon, arriving on 8 November. Flaminian sailed on 12 December to join Convoy MKS 3Y, which had departed from Philippeville, Algeria on 6 December and arrived at Liverpool on 23 December. She left the Convoy at Loch Ewe on 24 December, sailing on 29 December as a member of Convoy WN 378, which reached Methil on 2 January 1943. Southend was reached on 5 January via Convoy FS 1003.