The winner of the January competition was Jim Simpson of Limekilns, Fife

Sean Neeson writes:

I believe the mystery ship in the January edition was S.S. Pass of Glencoe built at Port Glasgow in 1918. During the 1950s ships belonging to Bulk Oil Steamship Co. were regular visitors to Carrickfergus including the Pass of Drumochter which played a vital role in rescuing survivors from the Princess Victoria.

Jim Simpson writes:

The Unknown Ship in the January edition is the tanker Pass of Ballater. This ship was built by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Co. in Scotstoun, Glasgow, in 1928, for Bulk Oil Steamships Co.Ltd., James W. Cook and Co. Ltd., London. Dimensions 185.8ft LOA, 30.0ft beam and loaded draft of 13ft 2ins. Her GRT was 796. She was propelled at 9kts by a single triple expansion engine developing 85NHP.

In 1934, the ship passed into the ownership of Soflumar soc. d’Armement Fluvial et Maritime, Le Havre and was renamed Raffinge. In about 1936 she appears to have reverted to Bulk Oil ownership without change of name but in 1938 she, once again, became the Pass of Ballater. She retained this name until 1959 when she was sold to Jackson Shipping, London and became the Jackson Princess. Four years later her Owners were Holyrood Shipping of London and St Johns, Newfoundland when she became the Holyrood Princess registered in Nassau. In 1971, the Pass of Ballater was broken up in Vigo having lasted 43 years since being launched into the Clyde. In January 1939, the Pass of Ballater stranded on rocks outside St. Nazaire whilst on a ballast passage from Nantes to Gravesend. She was refloated shortly after the stranding but was badly damaged. The circumstances of the stranding together with the severity of the damage resulted in a Board of Trade enquiry. The conduct of the Master in the short period following the pilot leaving the vessel until she struck the rocks was deemed to be such that it resulted in his Masters Certificate being suspended for 12 months. The notes of the enquiry also refer to concerns regarding the tiredness being experienced by ship’s officers in the coastal trades. Somethings never change!

The final ship of this series built by Blythswood for Bulk Oil, the Pass of Balmaha was chosen as the prototype for a group of tankers built during the Second World War for the Ministry of War Transport. In all, 23 were built between 1941 and 1945. After the War, many of these coastal tankers joined the fleets of Bulk Oil, Shell Mex and Everards.

John Jordan writes:

This wee tanker was owned and operated by Bulk Oil S.S. Co. Ltd. (James Cook & Co. London). I think it is the Pass of Ballater. I’m presuming an extra mast was stuck behind the bridge for wartime signals.She was built in 1928 by Blythswood Shipbuilders, Glasgow, as Raffinage, and renamed by Bulk OIl. She was fitted to carry Petroleum in bulk. The Bulk Oil company was acquired by Cory’s in the mid 1950. Bulk Oil had a short life 1921- 1956. The funnel colours derived from the Military Cross won by Bulk Oil owner in the First World War.

Mike Goadby writes:

This month’s unknown ship is the Pass of Leny with her sister ship Pass of Ballater, built in 1928 by the Blythwood Shipbuilding Company Scostoun on the Clyde for the Bulk Oil Steamship Co. Ltd., London. Of 796grt, 181 x 31ft fitted with a 3cyl steam engine giving them a speed of 9.5kts. Funnel colours are black with two white bands separated by a purple band, the purple band was inspired by the colours of the medal ribbon of the military cross which the founder of the company, James W. Cook won in the first world war.

Doug Burn writes:

I think the mystery ship for January is the Pass of Ballater. She was owned by Bulk Oil Company later taken over by Cory Maritime Ltd. Built in 1928 by Blythswood Shipbuilders, Scotstoun. 795grt and 337 nrt. length 186 ft x 31 ft beam. 1934 sold to Soflumar, Le Havre. renamed Raffinage 1938 sold back to Bulk Oil renamed Pass of Ballater 1959 sold to L.A. Jackson renamed Jackson Princess 1963 sold to Hollyrood Shipping, St Johns, Newfoundland, renamed Hollyrood Princess 1971 Broken up in Vigo.

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s ‘unknown’ is the 796 grt/ 868 summer dwt., single screw coastal tanker Pass of Ballater, the first of two virtually identical steamers completed during June and November 1928 respectively by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd. of Scotstoun to the order of the Bulk Oil Steamship Company Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Thames based Lighterage and Wharfingers Company, James W. Cook. They were a minor development of her owner’s first specially designed and similarly sized tanker, Pass of Melfort (1) completed by the Blythswood Company some two years earlier. With overall dimensions of 196’04” x 30’07” on a summer draft of 13’02”, Pass of Ballater’s main machinery together with that of her later sister, consisted of a single initially coal fired boiler serving a triple expansion engine constructed by Aitchison, Blair Ltd. of Glasgow and capable of returning a maximum speed of 9 knots. Her boiler was converted to oil firing during March 1935.

Earliest employment of the trio was in the edible oils trade between the Thames and near Continental ports, when good use was made of their steam plant to heat cargoes when required via a tank installed coil system, prior to discharge. Some time later, Pass of Ballater and her sisters became to all intents and purposes permanently employed in the distribution of refined petroleum products. During 1934 registered ownership of Pass of Ballater was transferred to the Societe D’Armement Fluvial et Maritime (Soflumar) when renamed Raffinage with PoR of Le Havre, for operation under the French flag. The following year she reverted to her original J.W. Cook/ Bulk Oil SS Co. ownership and London PoR, but without return to her original name until 1938.

What was probably the most serious incident of her entire career took place during the late evening of 6th January 1939 when, following discharge of a full cargo of benzene from the French port of Gonfreville (near Le Havre) at Chantenay (near Nantes), she had sailed in ballast for passage to Gravesend. Almost immediately following departure of her River Loire pilot, the vessel stranded on the La Lambarde Shoal, incurring significant bottom damage. By good fortune, she was successfully refloated during the following day and taken to St. Nazaire. Reports indicate that she was beached and refloated there on several occasions before drydocking when repairs were finally effected.

Pass of Ballater was sold out of the fleet (from 1958 wholly owned by the Wm. Cory Group of Companies) during 1959 to the London based L.A. Jackson Shipping Ltd., when renamed Jackson Princess. During 1962 her registered ownership was transferred to the Holyrood Shipping Company of London, seemingly for operations primarily in Newfoundland waters. The following year she was renamed Holyrood Princess and reregistered without change of ownership at the port of Nassau for continued trading under the Bahamian flag.

She was finally withdrawn from service in early 1971 and broken up by the Manuel Markis Company at the north western Spanish port of Vigo, commencing during July of that year.

R.M. Goulden writes:

I think the ship is the SS Pass of Melfort (Bulk Oil SS Co. Ltd.). Hull, black with red boot topping. Funnel, Black with purple band and two white bands. Built in 1926, 751 tons, length 182 ft, 9 knots.