MV Empire MacDermott

MV Empire MacDermott was a bulk grain ship built as a Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC ship). She served with the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War, with rudimentary aircraft handling facilities operated by a Fleet Air Arm "air party".

History
United Kingdom
Name	Empire MacDermott
Owner	Ministry of War Transport
Operator	Hain Steamship Company, St Ives Buries Markes Ltd, London from 1947 Canero Cia Nav. S. A., Panama from 1959 Southern Shipping & Enterprises, Hong Kong from 1969 China Ocean Shipping Co, Peking from 1975
Builder	William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, Scotland
Launched	24 January 1944
Commissioned	31 March 1944
Renamed	La Cumbre, 1948 Parnon, 1959 Starlight, 1969
Fate	Sold in 1991 and deleted
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,952 GRT
Displacement	12,000 tons (full load)
Length	448 ft (137 m)
Beam	60 ft (18 m)
Depth	24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion	Diesel one shaft 3,300 bhp
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h)
Complement	107
Armament	1 × 4 in (100 mm) 2 × 40 mm 4 × 20 mm
Aircraft carried	Four Fairey Swordfish

Empire MacDermott was built by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, Scotland. She spent most of her time on the Atlantic convoy routes, providing air cover and transporting desperately needed grain to the UK. After the end of the, she was handed over to Buries Markes Ltd, London in 1947 and returned to merchant service the following year under the name La Cumbre. She was sold on again in 1959, this time to Canero Cia Nav. S. A., Panama. They sailed her as Parnon under the Greek flag until 1969, when they sold her to Southern Shipping & Enterprises, Hong Kong. They renamed her Starlight, and sailed her under the Somalian flag. She was then transferred to the China Ocean Shipping Co, Peking in 1975, and by 1991 she had been deleted from Lloyd's Register.

External links

• Empire MacDermott at fleetairarmarchive.net
• Empire MacDermott at Uboat.net
• List and history of the Empire ships