SS Empire Celia SS " Empire Celia was a 7 , 025 GRT cargo ship built in 1943 by Charles Connell and Company Ltd of Scotstoun , Glasgow for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1948 she was sold into merchant service and renamed Putney Hill . Further name changes were Castle Hill in 1949 and London Statesman in 1950 . In 1951 she was sold to Panamanian owners and renamed Morella , being sold later that year to Polskie Linie Oceaniczne and renamed Jedność " . She served until 1966 , when she was scrapped . Description . The ship was built by Charles Connell & Co Ltd Glasgow as yard number 441 . She was launched in either April or July 1943 . She was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . Her tonnages were ; 6 , 571 tonnage under deck ; 4 , 856 NRT and 10 , 821 DWT . She was fitted with direction finding equipment . She had nine corrugated furnaces with a combined grate surface of that heated three single - ended boilers with a combined heating surface of . The boilers fed a three - cylinder triple - expansion steam engine rated at 506 NHP or , with cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by David Rowan & Co Ltd , Glasgow and could propel the ship at . History . " Empire Celia " was built in 1943 for the MoWT . She was placed under the management of Connell & Grace Ltd . Her port of registry was Glasgow . She was allocated the Code Letters BFGS and United Kingdom Official Number 169757 . " Empire Celia " was to have been a member of Convoy HX 241 , which left New York on 24 May 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 June . She was due to proceed to Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire for further orders . However , she did not sail with HX 241 , but joined Convoy HX 242 , which left New York on 31 May and arrived at Liverpool on 15 June . She was carrying a cargo of lumber and steel , destined for either Southampton or Swansea . Records show that " Empire Celia " spent the remainder of the war years serving in the Arctic Convoys . She was a member of Convoy JW54A , which departed Loch Ewe on 15 November 1943 and arrived at the Kola Inlet , Soviet Union on 24 November . She returned to the United Kingdom as a member of Convoy RA 55A , which departed the Kola Inlet on 22 December and arrived at Liverpool on 1 January 1944 . She was carrying a cargo of magnesite and pit prop s . " Empire Celia " was a member of Convoy JW 57 , which departed from Liverpool on 20 February 1944 and arrived at the Kola Inlet on 29 February . She was also a member of Convoy RA58 , which departed the Kola Inlet on 7 April 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe on 14 April . " Empire Celia " was bound for Hull . On 2 September three Spitfire LF Mk IX aircraft were loaded aboard " Empire Celia " . She delivered them to the USSR on 23 September . She was also a member of Convoy RA61 , which departed the Kola Inlet on 2 November and arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 November . " Empire Celia " carried the convoy ' s Vice Commodore . Between 23 and 26 December " Empire Celia " embarked a cargo including thirteen Spitfire LF Mk IX ' s . She then sailed as a member of Convoy JW 63 , which departed Loch Ewe on 20 December and arrived at the Kola Inlet on 8 January 1945 . The Spitfires were delivered on 9 January . On 17 February , " Empire Celia " departed the Kola Inlet as a member of Convoy RA 64 , which arrived at Loch Ewe on 28 February . A photograph taken in December 1948 shows that " Empire Celia " was still armed with a 4 - inch gun , more than three years after the end of the war . In 1946 , management of " Empire Celia " was transferred to Counties Ship Management . She was sold to them in 1948 and renamed " Putney Hill " . In 1949 she was sold to London & Overseas Freighters Ltd and renamed " Castle Hill " . LOF renamed her again in 1950 as " London Statesman " . In 1951 she was sold to Far Eastern & Panama Transport Corp , Panama and was renamed " Morella " . She was placed under the management of Wheelock , Marden & Co Ltd , Hong Kong . She was then sold to Compagnia Istmena de Transportes Maritimos SA . Later in 1951 , " Morella " was sold to Polskie Linie Oceaniczne , Gdynia , and was renamed " Jedność " ( ) . She served until 1963 , when she was withdrawn from service . " Jedność " arrived at Hong Kong for scrapping on 29 April 1963 . In 1966 she was scrapped by the Lee Sing Co , Hong Kong .