May’s unknown ship brought many replies most of whom identified her as the Inverbank.

The winner of the May competition was Bob Blowers:

The unknown vessel is the twin-screw motor ship Inverbank built in 1924 by Harland & Wolff, Glasgow. She was the first of eighteen similar motor ships built and engined by the same builder over a period of just two years and, thirty years later, many of this class of ship were still in service with the Bank Line. She was of 5,149 gross tons, length 420.4’, breadth 53.9’ and depth. She was laid down as Boveric, launched on 24.3. 1924 and delivered as Inverbank on 29.5.1924. The Indian deck and engine crew members lived forward, hence the toilet blocks halfway down the foredeck both sides. There was a constant problem at night with crew members visiting the toilets and leaving the lights-on and spoiling the officer of the watch’s night vision. The Master’s cabin was under the bridge with the deck officers cabins and officer’s dining saloon below on the main deck. The split accommodation further aft was for the engineer officers one side and the Indian Chief Steward and catering ratings the other. The Radio Officer had a cabin and adjoining radio room on the boat deck aft of the funnel. In 1958 she was sold by Bank Line Ltd. to Frassinetti & C. Soc Italiana di Nav. per Azioni, Italy and renamed La Liguria. In 1959 she was sold to Cant. Nav. Tomaso di Savola to be broken up and arrived at La Spezia on 23.9.1959. These ships with their two 6 cylinder, 4 stroke cycle, single acting engines of only 717 nhp were never very fast at about ten knots when new and the story is told of one of this class of ship arriving at the mouth of the Mississippi River for passage up to New Orleans in the 1950s and the U.S Pilot on boarding asked the Captain “What’ll she do Cap?” The Captain’s very serious reply was that she’ll should do 8.5 knots and even work up to 9. The Pilot, obviously more used to speedier vessels, reversed his jockey cap, took a firm stance, gripped the bridge front rail tightly and said “O.K. Cap – Let her rip”.

Tony Breach writes:

May’s unknown ship is Bank Line’s 1924 built motorship Inverbank. Two names were used by Bank Line that incorporated the owning family’s lineage, Weirbank after the family surname and Inverbank following Andrew Weir’s elevation to the peerage. Many tankers of the British-Mexican Petroleum Co., also used the Inver prefix. Inverbank (1) was sold to Italian buyers Frassinetti in 1958 and scrapped at La Spezia in 1959. A second Inverbank was in Bank Line service from 1962 to 1978.

D. Frost writes:

May’s Unknown Ship is A. Weir’s (Bank Line) mv Inverbank, built H&W, Glasgow in 1924. Renamed La Liguria (Frassinetti) in 1958. Scrapped in 1959 at La Spezia.

Peter Sommerville writes:

This months ship is a major challenge as she is one of eighteen very similar ships built for Andrew Weir (Bank Line) in the mid 1920’s. Although she has a misleading white band on her hull the Bank Line house flag is clearly flying from her mainmast. This class had minor differences – some did not have bridge-wing cabs, some did not have a foremast crosstrees but I am unable to be certain of her identity. The first of the class was the Inverbank built by H&W on the Clyde in 1924 and was not scrapped until 1959 as the Italian La Liguria while the last to be built was the Springbank built in 1926. Nine of the eighteen ships survived WW2 and lasted until the late 1950’s. If I have to guess I will go for the Inverbank.

Mike West writes:

The mystery vessel in the May edition is not an easy one at all, as she is one of a large identical class of cargo ships built in 1924-1926 by Harland & Wolff for the Andrew Weir (Bank Line) Far East services. I believe she might be the Glenbank of 1924, of 5,150grt, built by Harland & Wolff and engined by Burmeister & Wain. She was scrapped in Hong Kong on 10th December 1959 after an uneventful career.

John Jordan writes:

This looks like one of Andrew Weir’s early motorships built in the mid 1920’s. The only trouble is that Harland and Wolff built at least 18 of this class. Therefore my first guess is that this is the lead ship MV Inverbank. She survived the war and continued with Banks until 1958. However MV Glenbank is also a strong runner as at one time she had a white stripe on her hull as depicted. She also survived until 1959.

Alan Blackwood writes:

I believe this month’s unknown to be the Glasgow registered 5,149 grt Inverbank, one of a batch of 21 motorships ordered by Andrew Weir’s Bank Line, the construction of which began for the entire committment during early 1923 at Harland Wolff’s Govan Yard. Whilst the first three of the series were smaller single engine examples at circa 4,150 grt. and specially equipped with accommodation for 32 cabin and 400 unberthed passengers for a Rangoon-South Africa liner operation, the subject Inverbank, identifiable within the remaining class of 18 units by the bridge housing forepart glazed screens below the wheelhouse and also her fo’c’sle plating fairlead configuration, was the first of the essentially identical flush decked, twin screw all-cargo vessels engaged primarily in their owner’s liner cross trades and worldwide tramping operations. Laid down as Boveric but renamed for launch on 24th March 1924 as Inverbank and delivered some two months later, she had overall dimensions of 420.4 x 53.9 x 26.5 ft. All units of the class were equipped with two 6 cylinder, four stroke 717 nhp oil engines of H&W design and construction to return a service speed of 12 knots. Nine became casualties of WW2 and one, Forresbank, grounded and was later abandoned some 150 miles south of Durban following an engine room explosion and fire. The remaining eight served long and useful lives for Bank Line and later when sold out their fleet to a variety of operators, all broken up in the period 1958-60. In Inverbank’s case, she was sold to Frassinetti & C. Soc. Italiana di Nav. per Azioni during 1958 when renamed La Liguria and registered at Genoa. During 1959 she was sold on to Cant. Nav. Tomaso di Savola for demolition, arriving at La Spezia on 23rd September of that year.

Laurance Ward writes:

I believe this ship to be the Inverbank, built for Bank Line Ltd., Glasgow by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Govan. Launched 24/03/1924 and completed 29/05/1924. Registered in Glasgow. Dimensions: O’all length 434.00ft., beam 53ft 11ins., draught 25ft 8 ins., gross registered tonnage 5,149, nett tonnage 3,158. Twin screw, 12 knots. Engines Twin B&W diesels, 6cyl 4SCSA (630 mm x 960 mm) of 717nhp built by the builders. She was the first of a series of eighteen similar design ships, and I believe they became known as the “Alynbank” class. Being built for the Owner’s tramping or regular services. In 1958 she was sold to Frassinetti & C. Soc. Italiana di Nav per Azioni, Genoa and renamed La Liguria. In 1959 she was sold for scrap, arriving at La Spzia 23/09/1959. All the ships in this class were very similar and identiication is very difficult, but, as far as I am aware only two had a crow’s nest, i.e. the above and the Myrtlebank. The latter’s was higher up the topmast and therefore, Ifeel that the ship is the Inverbank.

S. Sinclair writes:

The vessel in May’s magazine is the Inverbank of Andrew Weir Shipping Coo, Bank Line. She was built by Harland and Wolff, Glasgow in 1924. In 1958 she was sold to an Italian Co. and in 1959 to Tomaso di Savoia to be broken up.

Ken Dagnall writes:

I am sure that the May Unknown Ship is Andrew Weir’s Bank Line Inverbank, 1st of order for 18 motorships. Motorship, twin screw, gross tons 5,149, length 420.4′, breadth 53.9′, depth 26.5′, engine 2 x 6 cyl. 4 S.C.S.A. Harland & Wolff oil engines. 1924 May built by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Glasgow for The Bank Line Ltd., originally ordered for British Mexican Petroleum Co. with intended name Boveric under Yard No. 643G, work suspended during depression. In 1958 sold to Frassinetti & C. Soc. per Azioni, Italy for £165,000 and renamed La Liguria. In 1959 sold to Tomaso di Savoia, Italy and broken up at Spezia. The white line around the hull dates the photo to post war 40s.

Doug Burn writes:

Could the mystery ship be the Cedarbank of Bank Line Ltd., built by Harland & Wolf, Govan Shipyard in 1924. She was 5,159 tons and 420.4ft x 53.9ft x 26.5ft. She was torpedoed and sunk on 21/04/1940.

David Smith writes:

The unknown ship in the May issue is the Inverbank, built and completed by Harland & Wolff, Glasgow in 1924 for the Bank Line Ltd. She seems to have had an uneventful career, surviving the war years and beyond. In 1954 she was purchased by Frassinetti & C. Soc. and renamed La Liguria, Italian flag, and went to the breakers at Spezia in 1959.

John Livingstone writes:

I believe the unknown ship is Bank Line Ltd. Myrtlebank built by Harland & Wolff, Govan Ltd. in 1925. After a long life she was eventually scrapped in Hong Kong in 1960.