I seem to have caught everyone out with the February Unknown Ship as only two people were able to correctly identify her as the Norbiton!

The winner of the February competition was John Tippett of Perth, Western Australia

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s ‘unknown’ is as shown, the 4,497 grt single screw steam tramp Norbiton. Completed during May 1911 by W. Doxford & Sons at their Pallion Yard, Sunderland as Boheme for Austro-Hungarian owners M.U. Martinolich, she was registered at Lussinpiccolo for Austro- Hungarian flag operations. During 1919 her registered ownership was transferred to that of S.A. di Nav. Marco U. Martinolich without change of name or PoR, for operation under the Italian flag.

During 1929 the vessel was purchased by the Watts Shipping Co. Ltd., with the London based Watts, Watts & Company by far the majority shareholders as managers. She was renamed Norbiton and registered at London. With dimensions of 112.6 m, (lbp) x 15.2 m (beam) her main machinery consisted of a Doxford built triple expansion engine to return a maximum speed of 9 knots. In 1931 she was one of two of the Company’s ships whose registered ownership was transferred to the Alexandria Navigation Co. Ltd., a Company established with the express purpose of continued carriage of coal on outbound voyages to Egypt by the pair, in a long held Watts, Watts contract to service the needs of the Egyptian State Railways, with return cargoes almost exclusively of cotton destined for the mills of Liverpool and Manchester. Renamed Star of Alexandria, the subject vessel was registered at Alexandria under the flag of Egypt, but with management retained by the Watts, Watts organisation. During 1933 the vessel was sold for demolition which commenced at Genoa on 17th October of that year.

John Tippett writes:

The February unknown ship is Watts Watts (Britain Steamship Company) 1911 built vessel Norbiton, laid up in the River Dart.

C.T. Baxter writes:

I think this month’s Mystery Ship could be the Greenwich of Messrs Watts, Watts & Co. of London. A steamer of 3,518 gross tons, built in 1904 bt Messrs Readheads as the Southville for Balls and Stansfield of North Shields. She was scrapped in 1933.