A Frost writes:

December’s Unkown Ship is B.J. Sutherland,s mv Inverness. She was built as the Empire Freetown in 1945 by Burntisland SB. Renamed Inverness in1946, Redgate in 1953 and later Agia Elpis. Finally broken up in Shanghai in 1968.

Peter Sommerville writes:

This month’s ship is the Inverness, 7,131grt, built for Ministry of War Transport in 1945 by Burntisland Shipbuilders/Wm. Doxford. She was built as the Empire Freetown and acquired by B. J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd. of Newcastle in 1946 and renamed Inverness. In 1953 she became the Redgate of Turnbull Scott, and in 1963 she was sold to Marvalia Nav SA under the Liberia Flag and renamed Agia Elpis. Following two further ownerships she was sold to Shanghai ship breakers in July 1968. This ship had me off course as I was initially convinced she was a James Nourse Line vessel, whose funnel design looks very similar (in black and white), but I got there in the end!

Mike West writes:

I assume that the mystery ship is the 1945 built Inverness, ex Empire Freetown, built at Burntisland, Fife. She was owned by J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd. In 1953 she became Redgate of Turnbull, Scott & Co., and in 1963 she was sold to Cia Marvalia of Pnama and renamed Agia Elpis. In 1963 she was sold on to Southern Cross Shipping & Co. Ltd. of Cyprus and was sold for scrap at Shanghai in July 1968.

John Jordan writes:

This pristine ship was built by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. as Empire Freetown in 1945 for the Ministry of War Transport. She was managed by B. J. Sutherland and eventually purchased by them and renamed Inverness (4). She was a motor ship powered by Doxford diesel. In 1953 she was sold to Turnbull Scotts and renamed Redgate. In 1963 she was sold on to Panamanian interests and renamed Agia Elpis. In 1967 she came under the Cypriot flag and in 1968 she was scrapped. As depicted she is MV Inverness.

Peter Harris writes:

All I can say for sure is that it a war C Class Standard built by various yards in 1945 and 1946. Some also built on private licence but would have had topmasts. I am guessing this one is the Gryvale ex Empire Tobago and Crowborough Beacon built at Batrams, Sunderland.

Christy MacHale writes:

December’s ‘mystery ship’ is the 7,131-ton motorship Inverness, a typical product of the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Originally the Empire Freetown, she was the fourth of five identical tramps built towards the end of the war by the Fife shipyard, and was completed in March 1945 for the Ministry of War Transport under the management of Thos. Dunlop & Sons, Glasgow; she became the Inverness when bought in the following year by B.J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd., Newcastle. The Sutherland fleet was wound up in 1953, and in October of that year she was bought by the Turnbull Scott Sg. Co. of London, who renamed her Redgate. Her last identity, after her sale in January 1963, was as the Agia Elpis of the Marvalia Nav. S.A., originally under the flag of Liberia and the management of Pateras Shipbrokers Ld., London. In 1967 she was transferred to the Cypriot register without change of name, but owned by the Southern Cross Shipping Co. Ltd. and managed by Poseidon Shipping Agencies, also of London. In the following year she was sold to breakers at Shanghai, arriving there for demolition on 30th July 1968.

Doug Burn writes:

Your photograph shows the Inverness owned by Sutherland Steamship Co. (B. J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd. She was the fourth Inverness the company owned, built at the Burntisland S. B. Co. Fife as the Empire Freetown in 1945 then sold to Sutherlands of Newcastle in 1946. Her tonnage was 7,131 gross. 5,033 net. length 443ft 1inch x 57 ft x 27ft 4inch. Powered by 3 cyl oil engine byWm. Doxford, Sunderland. She had a chequered life being first named Empire Freetown then Inverness, as shown in your photograph. She was then sold on to Turnbull, Scott & Co. in 1953 and renamed Redgate. In January 1963 she was sold to Marvalia Naviera S.A. of Panama and renamed Agia Elpis. In 1967she was sold again to Southern Cross Shipping Co. Ltd. of Cyprus. In 1968 she was sold to China Machinery Import Export Corporation and arrived at Shanghai prior to July 1968 for demolition having left Singapore Roads June 1968.

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s unknown is the single screw closed shelter deck motor tramp Inverness. Completed during 18th March 1945 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company as Empire Freetown, she was the first of three essentially identical vessels built to the order of the Ministry of War Transport, as part of a sub development of six single midships island vessels of a total of nine, which formed Burntisland’s fourth ‘improved’ economy standard design and which shared the overall dimensions of the builder’s earlier standard designs of 441′(loa) x 424’02” (lbp) x 57′ beam x 35’01” (Moulded depth) with a summer draft of 27’04” and featuring Burntisland’s signature soft nosed ‘clipper’ type bow.

Upon delivery, Empire Freetown was registered at Burntisland and placed under the management of Thos. Dunlop & Sons of Glasgow until sold during 1946 to B.J.Sutherland & Co. Ltd., when renamed Inverness and reregistered at Newcastle to replace an earlier 1940 J. L. Thompson built namesake, sunk during mid July 1941.

With a gross tonnage of 7,131 and 10,075 dwt, the subject Inverness was powered by a 2,500 BHP Doxford type main engine, to return a maximum speed of 11 knots.

The vessel was sold out of Sutherland’s fleet during 1953 to the Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd., when renamed Redgate and registered at London. Sold ten years later to Panamanian owners Marvalia Nav. S.A. for operation under the Liberian flag and renamed Agia Elpis, she was initially placed under the management of Pateras Shipbrokers Ltd. of London, transferred the following year to Poseidon Shipping Agencies, also of London.

During 1967 her registered ownership was transferred to the Southern Cross Shipping Co. Ltd., of Famagusta for operation under the Cypriot flag without change of name or managers. Later sold to Chinese shipbreakers, she was delivered to Shanghai on 30th July 1968.

Mike Goadby writes:

This month’s unknown ship is the 7,131grt M/V Inverness, built in 1945 by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Burntisland, Fifeshire, for the M.O.W.T. as Empire Freetown. She joined B. J. Sutherland and Co. in 1946. The photo depicted in the December issue shows her wearing the funnel colours of James Nourse Shipping Co. Normally James Nourse ships have grey topsides and red boot-topping. which would indicate that the vessel is on time charter. She was sold to Turnbull Scott Shipping and renamed Redgate in 1953. In 1963 saw another change going to Havalia Naviera S.A., Panama and renamed Agia Elpis, ending her days at Shanghai, being broken up in July 1968.

John Livingstone writes:

I think the December unknown ship is the London Greek Agia Elpis. She was built at Burntisland to a Wm. Doxford design in 1945. She was completed as the Empire Freetown for the MoWT. Sold 1946 to B.J. Sutherland and renamed Inverness. Sold in 1953 and probably best known as Turnbull Scott’s Redgat” from 1953 to 1963. Sold then to London Greeks as Agia Elpis with different managers, I think retaining the same name. Sold to Chinese breakers and arrived Shanghai on 30.7.68.

John Chitty writes:

I believe December’s mystery ship to be the m.v. Inverness of B.J. Sutherland & Co.Ltd. Built as the m.v. Empire Freetown for the M.O.W.T. by the Burntisland Shipbuilders Co.Ltd., being laid down in 7/1944, as yard no.288, launched 1/1945 and delivered 3/1945. Dimensions 7,131 tons, length 427ft beam 57 ft and powered by a 3 cylinder Doxford engine. Purchased from the M.O.W.T. by B.J. Sutherland in 1946 and renamed m.v. Inverness. In 1953 vessel was sold to Turnbull Scott & Co. being renamed m.v. Redgate. She was sold on in 1963 to Marvalia Navigazione of Panama and renamed m.v. Agia Elpis under the Panamanian flag. Finally sold to Southern Cross Shipping Co. in 1967 being reflagged, without name change, to Cyprus flag. She was finally scrapped in Shanghai in 1968.

Jim Simpson writes:

The Unknown Ship in the December edition is the Inverness a motorship of 7,132grt owned, at the time of the photograph, by the Sutherland S.S. Co. Ltd. (B.J. Sutherland Co. Ltd). She had been built in 1945 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co as the Empire Freetown for the Ministry of War Transport. She was bought by Sutherland in 1946 and renamed Inverness. In 1953, the ship was bought by Turnbull, Scott & Co. Ltd. who remamed her Redgate. She remained in their fleet until 1963 when she was sold to Marvalia Nav, Panama who named the ship Agia Elpis. In 1968 she was broken up in Shanghai.