1950s SS Taiping, MV Eastern, MV Nellore at Taikoo

In 1953, my father and I sailed on the MV Nellore to Sydney, Australia. The Nellore was a converted WW2 Liberty ship. As I recall, it carried about 12 paying passengers as well as general cargo. If my memorry serves me well, I think we stopped at Sandakan and Brisbane on our journey to Sydney.

Thanks for posting this interesting photo.

The S.S. EASTERN (ex. Empire Dynasty) and the S.S. NELLORE (ex. Empire Joy) were two standard class fast cargo liners built by J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd., Sunderland in 1944 and 1945 respectively. In 1946 both vessels were sold to the Eastern & Australian S.S. Co. Ltd. and shortly after being sold to Taiwanese interests in the late 1960s (Eddie Steamship Co. & Austin Navigation Corp. Ltd., Panama - W. H. Eddie Hsu) they were broken up in Taiwan.

S.S. EASTERN

http://sunderlandships.com/view.php?official_number=&imo=&builder=&builder_eng=&year_built=&launch_after=&launch_before=&role=&type_ref1=&propulsion=&owner=&port=&flag=&disposal=&lost=&ref=105235&vessel=EMPIRE+DYNASTY

S.S. NELLORE

http://sunderlandships.com/view.php?official_number=&imo=&builder=&builder_eng=&year_built=&launch_after=&launch_before=&role=&type_ref1=&propulsion=&owner=&port=&flag=&disposal=&lost=&ref=105239&vessel=EMPIRE+JOY

S.S. TAIPING built in 1926 by the Hong Kong Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd for the Australian-Oriental Line Ltd. Broken up in Hong Kong in October 1961.

https://www.oldchinaships.com/

See Pioneering Steamships and Companies of Japan, Indochina and the Philippines section

M.V. STAR ALCYONE built in 1939 as the M.V. MORMACGULL for Moore-McCormack Lines by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.

During W.W. II the ship served in the US Navy as the Attack cargo ship ALCYONE seeing action in the Mediterranean and Pacific. In 1949 she was sold to Cia. Naval de Paloma S.A. (Johnson Line of Sweden managers) and renamed STAR ALCYONE flying the Panamanian flag. Broken up at Kaohsiung Taiwan in 1969.

www.navsource.org/archives/10/02/02007.htm

http://moore-mccormack.com/Cargo-Liners/Cargo-Ship-Timeline.htm

See August 28, 1939 entry.

Regards degahk

Always good to see photos of ships I am familiar with. The two ships mentioned were not Liberties but  of  the class Fast Merchant Ships built by the British Government towards the end of the war. They were on par with the American Victory class and had a speed of 16k. E&A did have one Victory they named 'Nanking', so all three ships were of the same vintage and on the same Japan-Australia service in 1950s & 60s.

I think the photo was taken at HK & Whampoa Dockyard in Kowloon not at Taikoo Dock, Quarry Bay,  judging from the 100 ton Hammerhead Crame shown.

Nick

Thanks for the info, Nick.

Paul

     Taikoo or Hung Hom?

     Judging from features in a previous post by agwellstead  https://gwulo.com/atom/23196

     and the aerial pictures of the two dockyards from The Port of Hong Kong (3^rd. edition 1968) I think that the        location is the Taikoo shipyard at Quarry Bay.

       Both shipyards had electric hammer head cranes.

The Hung Hom crane  had a capacity of 100 long tons and a working radius of 70 ft.

The Taikoo crane had a capacity of 150 long tons and a working radius of 85 ft.

Regards degahk

{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}Hung Hom & Taikoo Shipyards.jpg, by The Port of Hong Kong 1968 edition Marine Dept.{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}

My apologies! How unobservant can a man be? I sailed in and out of HK  at least a dozen or more times a year for ten years  without noticing Taikoo had a similar crane to HWD.  Not only that but  for the next 8 years I was a marine surveyor there! I am glad I did not bet any money. 

The HWD crane was frequently used for taking bearings on by ships in the Eastern Harbour and with nearby Signal Hill were  very highly visible. Obviously not so the one at Taikoo!!

Nick

Don't worry, Nick. Your mistake about the crane was corrected in a few minutes. It took me 68 years to discover that the MVNellore was NOT a Liberty ship.

Paul