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PORT FAIRY (2) was built in 1928 by
Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Newcastle with a tonnage of
8072grt, a length of 477ft 5in, a beam of 63ft 5in and a service
speed of 15 knots. In 1930 her refrigeration equipment was modified
and she carried the first cargo of chilled meat instead of frozen
meat from Australia. She then did the same from New Zealand. On 11th
July 1943 she picked up some RAF survivors from the Duchess of York
(Canadian Pacific) and was then attacked and hit herself on the
following day by Focke-Wulf Kurier bombers west of Gibraltar.
Detached to Casablanca with HMS Swale as escort she was again
subjected to a high altitude attack and was hit aft on the port side
which opened the hull and set the ship on fire. Ammunition in
adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to
minimise the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse
the fire and HMS Swale came alongside and played her own hoses on
the blaze which was extinguished by 23.00 hrs. After two further air
attacks where, fortunately, no hits were recorded both ships arrived
in Casablanca where temporary repairs were effected. On 25th
December 1952, while operating on the M.A.N.Z. service both engines
broke down due to contaminated lubrication oil and the ship
proceeded to drift for three days towards the rocks of Fatu Hira
atoll. Plans were put in place to rig a temporary sail but as this
was being done one of the engines was repaired and the ship made
port at 5 knots. By 1965 she was the oldest ship in the fleet and
was sold for £126,000 for scrap to Embajada Cia. Naviera S.A. of
Piraeus. Renamed Taishikan she made one final commercial voyage to
Hong Kong where she was broken up. |
