Pembroke Trader

[Whickham]

Liberty Ship PEMBROKE TRADER at Blyth. Not sure whether she has just come in or is about to go out. I seem to remember that displaying two black balls is "not under command" but she has got steam up and is that a pilot flag? I am sure someone will explain. Oh and she was built at Bethlehem-Fairfield at Baltimore in 1943 as SAMARA.

Photographer unknown

[tynebuoy]

Cost me £25 last time i was "not under command" hic.

[teesships]

PEMBROKE TRADER (5273511), Trader Line Ltd. Glasgow, 7219gt,
completed Baltimore 9-1943
L as EMMA LAZARUS - 1943 SAMARA - 1943 SAMSHIRE - 1947 CITY OF DONCASTER - 1961 PEMBROKE TRADER - 1966 GALLETTA
wrecked 21.48N/89.29E 10.4.70 & BU Hong Kong 1.7.70 [Fuji Marden & Co Ltd]

Nice to see such a good shot of a ship I saw myself in Middlesbrough Dock on 16 March 1961 (before I took my first ship photo). She must have just then been renamed and her former Ellerman identity is further indicated by her hull colours in Dave's view, so quite possibly taken around that same time.

Ron

[Whickham]

Yes Ron, her boot-topping looks very new. Compare the draught marks above and below. I wonder if she had just changed name in Blyth DD when the photo was taken.

[magoonigal]

Rule 27 "Vessels not under command or restricted in their ability to manoeuvre"
a) A vessel not under command shall exhibit:-

Two Balls or similar shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen.

b) A vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre, except a vessel engaged in Minesweeping Operations, shall exhibit:-

Three shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen. The highest and lowest of these shapes shall be balls and the middle one a diamond.

But she is flying a Pilot Flag which would indicate she is under Command of a Pilot. Confusing!!

She appears about to berth on the West Side of the Middle Jetty in the South Harbour which was normally used as a Lay-by berth.
OR she could be leaving.........

[teesships]

Whereas the CITY OF BIRKENHEAD was showing three balls when aground on the South Gare, see: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=2850
Ron

[magoonigal]

Rule 30. Anchored vessels and vessels aground.

Shapes.

A vessel at Anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:-
(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light OR ONE BALL.

A vessel aground shall amongst other lights also exhibit "Three Balls in a Vertical Line."

[northeast]

Sounds to me like someone dropped a bollock sorry ball.

[creemaster]

Close up of her. 1961 when Moller's bought her from Ellermans- saved on the grey paint for the hull !
Think that must be Mr Hood in the foreground
Moller's Trust owned the shipyeard, as well as a few shipping companies. They had a policy similar to Holderness buying old steamers and spending a bit of money to get them to the Far East with a cargo or cargoes then reselling them to another company or for scrap

Regards
Graham