MV Empire Day
Encyclopedia
Empire Day was a 7,241 GRT cargo ship
that was built in 1941 as a CAM ship
by William Doxford & Sons Ltd
, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom
for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1943, she was converted to a standard cargo ship. She served until August 1944 when she was torpedo
ed and sunk by .
, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was yard number 673.
The ship was 428 in 8 in (130.66 m) long, with a beam of 56 in 5 in (17.2 m). She had a depth of 35 in 5 in (10.8 m) and a draught of 27 feet 4¾ inches (8.35 m). She was assessed at 7,242 GRT
, 5,021 NRT
. Her DWT
was 10,255.
The ship was propelled by a 516 nhp diesel engine
.which had 3 cylinders of 23 inches (60 cm) diameter by 91 inches (232 cm) stroke . The engines was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.
BCMG were allocated. Her port of registry was Sunderland.
Built as a CAM ship
, her armament consisted a Hawker Sea Hurricane, one 4-inch gun
, one 12-pounder gun
and two 20mm guns
.
Empire Day sailed from Sunderland to the Tyne
on 21 July 1941. Five days later, she joined Convoy EC 50, which had departed from Southend
, Essex
on 25 July and arrived at the Clyde
on 28 July. Empire Day lost her anchor and chain, and did not arrive until 30 July. She departed the Clyde on 4 August and sailed to Belfast
, County Antrim
. On 12 August, she departed from Belfast Lough
to join Convoy ON 6, which had departed from Liverpool
, Lancashire
the previous day and dispersed at sea on 11 August. Her destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia
, Canada
, where she arrived on 26 August. Loaded with a cargo of grain
, she departed Halifax on 4 September as a member of Convoy HX 148, which arrived at Liverpool on 17 September.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 28 September as a member of Convoy ON 21, which dispersed at sea (45°05′N 52°37′W) on 14 October. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 16 October. A cargo of grain was loaded and she departed from Halifax on 22 October as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. She departed from Liverpool in ballast on 13 November as a member of Convoy ON 36, which dispersed at sea (49°24′N 46°15′W) on 25 November. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 28 November. Loaded with grain, she departed Halifax on 8 December as a member of Convoy HX 164, which arrived at Liverpool on 23 December.
Emoire Day departed from Liverpool on 23 January 1942 as a member of Convoy ON 59, which dispersed at sea (41°30′N 52°53′W) on 6 February. She was carrying the convoy's Vice-Commodore
. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived the next day. Laden with grain, she returned with Convoy SC 70, departing on 15 February and arriving at Liverpool on 7 March. Empire Day was carrying the convoy's Commodore. She departed from Liverpool on 17 March as a member of Convoy ON 77, which dispersed at sea (43°41′N 59°12′W) on 28 March. Her destination was Halifax, arriving the next day. She returned with a cargo of grain as a member of Convoy HX 184, which departed on 8 April and arrived at Liverpool on 20 April. Empire Day was noted as carrying her Hurricane, she was first CAM ship to leave Halifax carrying her aircraft for many weeks.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 22 May as a member of Convoy ON 97, which arrived at Halifax on 5 June. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 June as a member of Convoy HX 194, which arrived at Liverpool on 26 June. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 25 June, to join Convoy BB 191, which departed the next day and arrived at Avonmouth
, Somerset
on 27 June.
Empire Day departed from Avonmouth on 6 July and arrived at the Belfast Lough two days later. On 10 July, she joined Convoy On 111, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea (41°15′N 71°25′W on 24 July. Her destination was Halifax, where she was to disembark her Hurricane. She arrived that day, and departed the next day for New York
, United States
, where she arrived on 27 July. Empire Day departed from New York on 16 August for Cape Cod Bay
, Massachusetts
, from where she departed on 19 August as a member of Convoy BX 34, which arrived at Halifax on 22 August. Carrying general cargo and steel
, she departed from Halifax the next day as a member of Convoy Hx 204, which arrived at Liverpool on 4 September.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 22 October to join Convoy KMS 1G, which departed from the Clyde that day and arrived at Algiers
, Algeria
on 8 November. She then sailed to Gibraltar
, from where she sailed on 24 November to join Convoy MKS 2, which had departed from Algiers on 21 November and arrived at Liverpool on 3 December.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 31 December for the Clyde, arriving the next day. She departed the Clyde on 7 January 1943 as a member of Convoy KMS 7G, which arrived at Algiers on 21 January. She left the convoy at Gibraltar on 18 January. On 26 January, she joined Convoy TE 14, which arrived at Bône
, Algeria on 30 January. She left the convoy at Algiers on 29 January, departing on 11 February to join Convoy ET 11, which had departed from Bône on 9 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 February. She departed Gibraltar on 22 February to join Convoy MKS 8, which had departed from Bône on 17 February and arrived at Liverpool on 1 March. She left the convoy in home waters, sailing to Newport
, Monmouthshire
where she arrived on 1 March.
Loaded with a cargo of coal, Empire Day departed from Newport on 11 March for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that to join Convoy ON 173, which departed from Liverpool on 13 March and arrived at Halifax on 29 March. On 24 March, Empire Day was straggling behind the convoy. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 April to join Convoy HX 234, which had departed from New York and arrived at Liverpool on 29 April She left the convoy at the Clyde on 28 April. Empire Day departed from the Clyde on 5 June for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that as a member of Convoy WP 351, which arrived at Portsmouth
on 9 June. She was the only merchant ship in the convoy, and was escorted by , , and . She left the convoy at Falmouth, Cornwall
on 8 June.
Empire Day departed from Falmouth on 18 June and sailed to Gibraltar, arriving on 24 June. She then formed Convoy TE 23, of which she was the only ship. She arrived at Algiers on 26 June, departing on 11 July to join Convoy ET 22, which departed from Bône on 12 July and arrived at Gibraltar the next day. She departed from Gibraltar on 22 July to join Convoy GUS 10, which had departed from Bizerta, Algeria on 18 July and arrived at the Hampton Roads
, Virginia
, United States on 9 August. Empire Day departed sailed on to New York, from where she departed on 2 September for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 17, which departed on 3 September and arrived at Port Said
, Egypt
on 3 October. She left the convoy at Algiers, where she arrived on 25 September. She departed from Algiers on 16 November to join Convoy GUS 21, which had departed from Port Said on 7 November and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 5 December. Her destination was New York.
Empire Day departed from New York on 2 January 1944 for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 29, which arrived at Port Said on 31 January. She then sailed to Suez
and Aden
, arriving there on 7 February. She then joined Convoy AB 30, which departed that day and arrived at Bombay India on 15 February. She departed from Bombay on 4 March as a member of Convoy BM 88, which arrived at Madras, India on 10 March. She left the convoy at Colombo
, Ceylon on 9 March. She departed from Colombo on 25 March with Convoy JC 42, arriving at Calcutta, India on 1 April and returning with Convoy CJ 24, which departed on 15 April and arrived at Colombo on 22 April. Two days later, she departed for Lourenço Marques
, Mozambique
, where she arrived on 8 May.
Empire Day departed from Lourenço Marques on 21 May for Durban
, South Africa
, where she arrived the next day. She departed three days later as a member of Convoy DKA 18, which arrived at Kilindini Harbour
, Kenya
on 3 June. She departed from Kilindini Harbour on 15 June with Convoy KD 5, which arrived at Durban on 24 June. She left the convoy at Lourenço Marques on 23 June. Carrying a cargo of coal bound for Adem and Port Said, she departed from Lourenço Marques on 31 July as a member of Convoy DK 21A, which dispersed off Beira, Mozambique
on 2 August. On 7 August 1944, Empire Day was torpedo
ed and sunk by some 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) east of Dar es Salaam
, Tanganyika
(7°06′S 42°00′E). All 34 crew and eight DEMS
gunners survived. Her Chief Officer was taken prisoner by U-198. He was killed when U-198 was sunk by and off the Seychelles
on 12 August. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial
. The survivors from Empire Day landed on Zanzibar
island, which they reached on 11 August and the sinking of Empire Day was then reported. Her loss had not been realised as she was unable to send out a Mayday
at the time of her sinking.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
that was built in 1941 as a CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
by William Doxford & Sons Ltd
William Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was established by William Doxford in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's...
, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1943, she was converted to a standard cargo ship. She served until August 1944 when she was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk by .
Description
The ship was built in 1941 by William Doxford & Sons LtdWilliam Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was established by William Doxford in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's...
, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was yard number 673.
The ship was 428 in 8 in (130.66 m) long, with a beam of 56 in 5 in (17.2 m). She had a depth of 35 in 5 in (10.8 m) and a draught of 27 feet 4¾ inches (8.35 m). She was assessed at 7,242 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
, 5,021 NRT
Net register tonnage
Net register tonnage is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated by reducing non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's...
. Her DWT
Deadweight tonnage
Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
was 10,255.
The ship was propelled by a 516 nhp diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
.which had 3 cylinders of 23 inches (60 cm) diameter by 91 inches (232 cm) stroke . The engines was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.
History
Empire Day was built for the MoWT. Yard number 673, she was launched on 27 March 1941 and completed in July. She was initially placed under the management of Stephens Sutton Ltd. Management would later pass to Lyle Shipping Co Ltd. The United Kingdom Official Number 168914 was allocated and Code LettersCode letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
BCMG were allocated. Her port of registry was Sunderland.
Built as a CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
, her armament consisted a Hawker Sea Hurricane, one 4-inch gun
QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk XVI gun was the standard British Commonwealth naval anti-aircraft and dual-purpose gun of World War II.-Service:The Mk XVI superseded the earlier QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun on many Royal Naval ships during the late 1930s and early 1940s...
, one 12-pounder gun
QF 3 inch 20 cwt
The QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun became the standard anti-aircraft gun used in the home defence of the United Kingdom against German airships and bombers and on the Western Front in World War I. It was also common on British warships in World War I and submarines in World War II...
and two 20mm guns
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
.
Empire Day sailed from Sunderland to the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
on 21 July 1941. Five days later, she joined Convoy EC 50, which had departed from Southend
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
on 25 July and arrived at the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
on 28 July. Empire Day lost her anchor and chain, and did not arrive until 30 July. She departed the Clyde on 4 August and sailed to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. On 12 August, she departed from Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...
to join Convoy ON 6, which had departed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
the previous day and dispersed at sea on 11 August. Her destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where she arrived on 26 August. Loaded with a cargo of grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
, she departed Halifax on 4 September as a member of Convoy HX 148, which arrived at Liverpool on 17 September.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 28 September as a member of Convoy ON 21, which dispersed at sea (45°05′N 52°37′W) on 14 October. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 16 October. A cargo of grain was loaded and she departed from Halifax on 22 October as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. She departed from Liverpool in ballast on 13 November as a member of Convoy ON 36, which dispersed at sea (49°24′N 46°15′W) on 25 November. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 28 November. Loaded with grain, she departed Halifax on 8 December as a member of Convoy HX 164, which arrived at Liverpool on 23 December.
Emoire Day departed from Liverpool on 23 January 1942 as a member of Convoy ON 59, which dispersed at sea (41°30′N 52°53′W) on 6 February. She was carrying the convoy's Vice-Commodore
Convoy commodore
A Convoy Commodore was the title of a civilian put in charge of the good order of the merchant ships in the British convoys used during World War II. Usually the convoy commodore was a retired naval officer or a senior merchant captain drawn from the RNVR...
. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived the next day. Laden with grain, she returned with Convoy SC 70, departing on 15 February and arriving at Liverpool on 7 March. Empire Day was carrying the convoy's Commodore. She departed from Liverpool on 17 March as a member of Convoy ON 77, which dispersed at sea (43°41′N 59°12′W) on 28 March. Her destination was Halifax, arriving the next day. She returned with a cargo of grain as a member of Convoy HX 184, which departed on 8 April and arrived at Liverpool on 20 April. Empire Day was noted as carrying her Hurricane, she was first CAM ship to leave Halifax carrying her aircraft for many weeks.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 22 May as a member of Convoy ON 97, which arrived at Halifax on 5 June. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 June as a member of Convoy HX 194, which arrived at Liverpool on 26 June. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 25 June, to join Convoy BB 191, which departed the next day and arrived at Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on 27 June.
Empire Day departed from Avonmouth on 6 July and arrived at the Belfast Lough two days later. On 10 July, she joined Convoy On 111, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea (41°15′N 71°25′W on 24 July. Her destination was Halifax, where she was to disembark her Hurricane. She arrived that day, and departed the next day for New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where she arrived on 27 July. Empire Day departed from New York on 16 August for Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south and east, and Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to the west....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, from where she departed on 19 August as a member of Convoy BX 34, which arrived at Halifax on 22 August. Carrying general cargo and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, she departed from Halifax the next day as a member of Convoy Hx 204, which arrived at Liverpool on 4 September.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 22 October to join Convoy KMS 1G, which departed from the Clyde that day and arrived at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 8 November. She then sailed to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, from where she sailed on 24 November to join Convoy MKS 2, which had departed from Algiers on 21 November and arrived at Liverpool on 3 December.
Empire Day departed from Liverpool on 31 December for the Clyde, arriving the next day. She departed the Clyde on 7 January 1943 as a member of Convoy KMS 7G, which arrived at Algiers on 21 January. She left the convoy at Gibraltar on 18 January. On 26 January, she joined Convoy TE 14, which arrived at Bône
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
, Algeria on 30 January. She left the convoy at Algiers on 29 January, departing on 11 February to join Convoy ET 11, which had departed from Bône on 9 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 February. She departed Gibraltar on 22 February to join Convoy MKS 8, which had departed from Bône on 17 February and arrived at Liverpool on 1 March. She left the convoy in home waters, sailing to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
where she arrived on 1 March.
Loaded with a cargo of coal, Empire Day departed from Newport on 11 March for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that to join Convoy ON 173, which departed from Liverpool on 13 March and arrived at Halifax on 29 March. On 24 March, Empire Day was straggling behind the convoy. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 April to join Convoy HX 234, which had departed from New York and arrived at Liverpool on 29 April She left the convoy at the Clyde on 28 April. Empire Day departed from the Clyde on 5 June for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that as a member of Convoy WP 351, which arrived at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 9 June. She was the only merchant ship in the convoy, and was escorted by , , and . She left the convoy at Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
on 8 June.
Empire Day departed from Falmouth on 18 June and sailed to Gibraltar, arriving on 24 June. She then formed Convoy TE 23, of which she was the only ship. She arrived at Algiers on 26 June, departing on 11 July to join Convoy ET 22, which departed from Bône on 12 July and arrived at Gibraltar the next day. She departed from Gibraltar on 22 July to join Convoy GUS 10, which had departed from Bizerta, Algeria on 18 July and arrived at the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States on 9 August. Empire Day departed sailed on to New York, from where she departed on 2 September for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 17, which departed on 3 September and arrived at Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 3 October. She left the convoy at Algiers, where she arrived on 25 September. She departed from Algiers on 16 November to join Convoy GUS 21, which had departed from Port Said on 7 November and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 5 December. Her destination was New York.
Empire Day departed from New York on 2 January 1944 for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 29, which arrived at Port Said on 31 January. She then sailed to Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, arriving there on 7 February. She then joined Convoy AB 30, which departed that day and arrived at Bombay India on 15 February. She departed from Bombay on 4 March as a member of Convoy BM 88, which arrived at Madras, India on 10 March. She left the convoy at Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Ceylon on 9 March. She departed from Colombo on 25 March with Convoy JC 42, arriving at Calcutta, India on 1 April and returning with Convoy CJ 24, which departed on 15 April and arrived at Colombo on 22 April. Two days later, she departed for Lourenço Marques
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, where she arrived on 8 May.
Empire Day departed from Lourenço Marques on 21 May for Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where she arrived the next day. She departed three days later as a member of Convoy DKA 18, which arrived at Kilindini Harbour
Kilindini Harbour
Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It is 25-30 fathoms at its deepest center. It serves as the harbour for Mombasa, with a hinterland extending to Uganda and Sudan. Kilindini Harbour is the main part of the Port of Mombasa, the only...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
on 3 June. She departed from Kilindini Harbour on 15 June with Convoy KD 5, which arrived at Durban on 24 June. She left the convoy at Lourenço Marques on 23 June. Carrying a cargo of coal bound for Adem and Port Said, she departed from Lourenço Marques on 31 July as a member of Convoy DK 21A, which dispersed off Beira, Mozambique
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
on 2 August. On 7 August 1944, Empire Day was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk by some 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) east of Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
(7°06′S 42°00′E). All 34 crew and eight DEMS
Dems
DEMS may refer to:*Democratic Party *Deepika English Medium School*Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships...
gunners survived. Her Chief Officer was taken prisoner by U-198. He was killed when U-198 was sunk by and off the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
on 12 August. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial
Tower Hill Memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a national war memorial on the south side of Trinity Square Gardens, just to the north of the Tower of London. It commemorates those from the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have "no grave but the sea".The First World War memorial...
. The survivors from Empire Day landed on Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
island, which they reached on 11 August and the sinking of Empire Day was then reported. Her loss had not been realised as she was unable to send out a Mayday
Mayday
Mayday is a distress signalMayday or May Day may also refer to:* May Day, a holiday on or around May 1** International Workers' Day* Mayday, Colorado- Music :* Mayday , an electronic music festival* Mayday...
at the time of her sinking.