SS Habib Marikar Habib Marikar was a cargo ship that was built in 1943 by Short Brothers Ltd , Sunderland , Co Durham as Empire Duchess for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . She was sold into merchant service in 1949 and renamed Braemar Castle . A further sale in 1950 saw her renamed King James . In 1958 , she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Tyne Breeze . Further sales in 1963 and 1964 saw her renamed Cathay Trader and Pearl Light respectively . In 1966 , she was sold and renamed " Habib Marikar " . She was wrecked on 3 November 1967 when her engine failed whilst the ship was caught in Typhoon Emma . All but one of her crew were rescued by before the ship was driven ashore on the Paracel Islands and wrecked . Description . The ship was built in 1943 by Short Brothers Ltd , Sunderland . She was yard number 478 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at 7 , 067 GRT , 4 , 879 NRT . The ship was propelled by a 510 nhp triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by J Dickinson & Sons Ltd , Sunderland . History . World War II . " Empire Duchess " was launched on 14 August 1943 and completed in December . The United Kingdom Official Number 180051 and Code Letters GBQP were allocated . Her port of registry was Sunderland and she was placed under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd . " Empire Duchess " was towed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 24 August 1943 . She was towed back to Sunderland on 24 September . On 16 December , she made her maiden voyage , sailing to the Tyne . She departed from the Tyne on 22 December to join Convoy FN 1212 , which had departed from Southend , Essex the previous day and arrived at Methil , Fife on 23 December . She then joined Convoy EN 323 , which departed that day an arrived at Loch Ewe on 25 December . " Empire Duchess " was a member of Convoy ON 218 , which departed from Liverpool , Lancashire on 31 December and arrived at New York on 18 January 1944 . She left the convoy and sailed to the Clyde , arriving on 3 January 1943 . " Empire Duchess " sailed on 13 January to join Convoy ONS 27 , which had departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada on 31 January . She arrived at Halifax on 4 February , due to engine defects . On 14 February , " Empire Duchess " departed Halifax as a member of Convoy XB 96 , which arrived at Boston , Massachusetts , United States on 17 February . Arriving at the Cape Cod Canal that day , she sailed to New York , arriving the next day . About this time , she either ran aground or was involved in a collision either in the Cape Cod Canal or at Boston . " Empire Duchess " departed from New York on 21 March and sailed to the Hampton Roads , Virginia , arriving the next day . She then joined Convoy UGS 37 , which departed on 24 March and arrived at Port Said , Egypt on 19 April . She left the convoy at Augusta , Italy , where she arrived on 15 April . She then sailed to Bari and back via convoys AH 37 and HA 40 , arriving back at Augusta on 5 May . " Empire Duchess " then joined Convoy GUS 39 , which had departed from Port Said on 4 May and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 29 May . She left the convoy at Casablanca , Morocco , on 17 May . She departed from Casablanca on 23 May to join Convoy OS 77 , which had departed from Liverpool combined with Convoy KMS 51 . The two convoys had separated at sea on 23 May , with KMS 51 arriving at Gibraltar on 25 May . OS 77 arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 2 June . She departed from Freetown on 5 June as a member of Convoy STL 24 , which arrived at Takoradi , French West Africa on 10 June . On 22 June , " Empire Duchess " departed from Takoradi as a member of Convoy TGE 13 , which dispersed at sea on 25 June . She sailed to Lagos , Nigeria , arriving on 24 June . " Empire Duchess " was a member of Convoy LTS 26 , which departed from Lagos on 9 July and arrived at Freetown on 14 July . She departed from Freetown on 23 July for Bathurst , South Africa , arriving on 27 July . " Empire Duchess " departed from Bathurst on 11 August for Dakar , Senegal , where she arrived later that day . She departed on 12 August to join Convoy SL 167 , which had departed from Freetown on 9 August and rendezvoused at sea with convoy MKS 58 on 19 August . The combined convoys arrived at Liverpool on 29 August . " Empire Duchess " was carrying a cargo describes at " government stores " . She was bound for Gibraltar , arriving on 21 August . " Empire Duchess " departed from Gibraltar on 12 September as a member of Convoy KMS 62 , which arrived at Port Said on 22 September . She left the convoy at Bône , Algeria due to developing defects . arriving on 15 September and departing on 26 September to join Convoy KMS 63 , which had departed from Gibraltar on 23 September and arrived at Port Said on 3 October . " Empire Duchess " was a member of Convoy GUS 56 , which departed from Port Said on 22 October and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 19 November . She left the convoy at Melilla , Spain , arriving on 2 November and departing two days later for Gibraltar , where she arrived on 5 November . " Empire Duchess " was a member of Convoy MKS 66G , which departed from Gibraltar on 7 November and rendezvoused at sea with Convoy SL 175 the next day . The combined convoys arrived at Liverpool on 15 November . She was carrying a cargo of iron ore bound for Falmouth , Cornwall . She then sailed to Southend , arriving on 19 November and departing two days later as a member of Convoy FN 1548 , which had a destination of Methil . She left the convoy at Middlesbrough , Yorkshire , arriving on 22 November . " Empire Duchess " departed from Middlesbrough on 20 December and sailed to Southend , arriving on 25 December . She was involved in a collision with another ship , possibly " Chemong " , on 21 December off the coast of Norfolk ( ) . She was a member of Convoy FN 1585 , which departed on 28 December and arrived at Methil on 30 December . She left the convoy at Immingham , Lincolnshire , arriving on 29 December . " Empire Duchess " sailed to Hull , Yorkshire on 17 January 1945 . On or about 5 February , she joined Convoy FS 1718 , which had departed from Methil on 4 February and arrived at Southend on 6 February . She spent most of the next four months sailing between Southend and Antwerp , Belgium . On 18 February , " Empire Duchess " was in port at Ghent , Belgium when there was an explosion and fire in the No . 2 hold . This was caused by a steel joist striking a 25 - pounder shell and detonating it whilst the ship was being unloaded . Her Captain , Lieutenant Walter Denton , was Mentioned in Despatches for his actions in fighting the fire and preventing a larger explosion without regard to his personal Safety . She arrived at Hull on 26 February , for repairs which were carried out at Grimsby , Lincolnshire . " Empire Duchess " departed from Hull on 13 March and resumed service between Southend and Antwerp . She arrived at Southend with Convoy ATM 155 on 16 May . Post - war . " Empire Duchess " departed from Southend on 19 May as a member of Convoy FN 1714 , which arrived at Methil on 21 May . She left the convoy at Middlesbrough the next day . On 3 June , she departed for Southend , arriving two days later and departing the next day for Antwerp , where she arrived on 7 June . She departed on 13 June and arrived at the Clyde four days later . On 26 July , " Empire Duchess " departed from the Clyde for Port Said , where she arrived on 10 August . She then sailed to Suez , Egypt , from where she departed on 15 August for Rangoon , Burma , arriving on 7 September . On 7 August 1946 , management of " Empire Duchess " was transferred to the Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd . In 1949 , " Empire Duchess " was sold by the Ministry of Transport to the Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd , which renamed her " Braemar Castle " , the second ship to bear that name . Her port of registry was changed to London . In 1950 , she was sold to King Line Ltd and renamed " King James " , still registered at London . In 1958 , she was sold to the Cambay Prince Steamship Co Ltd , Hong Kong and renamed " Tyne Breeze " . She was operated under the management of J Manners & Co Ltd , Hong Kong . On 13 December 1959 , " Tyne Breeze " rescued the 43 crew of the Panamanian cargo ship , which had sprung a leak off Formosa . They were taken to Hong Kong . In 1963 , she was sold to the Cathay Trader Steamship Co Ltd , Hong Kong , and renamed " Cathay Trader " , remaining under Manners ' management . In 1964 , she was sold to Pacific Pearl Navigation Co Ltd , Hong Kong and renamed " Pearl Light " . In 1966 , she was sold to Marikar Navigation & Agencies Ltd , Hong Kong and renamed " Habib Marikar " . On 3 November 1967 , " Habib Marikar " suffered a major engine breakdown whilst caught up in Typhoon Emma , at . She was on a voyage from Hong Kong to Chittagong , Bangladesh with a cargo of cement . The next day she drifted ashore on Lincoln Island , Paracel Islands ( ) , Two Landing Craft from rescued 43 of her 44 crew . Electronic Technician 3 Mick Ferl was awarded a Commendation for rescuing one of the crew from " Habib Marikar " who had fallen into the water . Those not requiring medical treatment were transferred to the Dutch merchant ship and landed at Hong Kong . " Habib Marikar " was declared a constructive total loss .