SS Empire Advocate SS " Empire Advocate was a 5 , 787 ton steamship which was built in 1913 as the Solfels . She was taken as war reparations in 1919 and renamed Bowes Castle in 1920 . In 1932 she was sold to Italy , being renamed Angelina Lauro " , being seized in 1940 and renamed " Empire Advocate " . She was scrapped at Bo ' ness in 1945 . Description . The ship was long , with a beam of and a depth of . She was propelled by a NHP triple expansion steam engine which was made by J C Tecklenburg AG , Geestemünde , and which could propel her at . As built , she was 5 , 821 GRT , 3 , 641 GRT , and 8 , 800 DWT . History . " Solfels " was built by J C Tecklenburg AG , Wesermünde as yard number 255 and launched on 8 April 1913 , being completed the following month . She entered service with the Hansa Line , Bremen on 22 May 1913 and served with them for six years until taken as a war prize on 25 May 1919 , passing to the British Shipping Controller under the management of H Hogarth & Sons . In 1920 , " Solfels " was sold to the Lancashire Shipping Company , who renamed her " Bowes Castle " , under the management of Chambers & Co . In August 1921 , forty Mongolian stowaways were discovered aboard " Bowes Castle " at New York . John Thomas , an engineer on " Bowes Castle " was charged with conspiracy to violate the United States immigration laws . On 20 October 1929 , " Bowes Castle " struck a reef in the Macassar Strait , Indonesia . She was refloated several days later and proceeded to Sourabaya for inspection before continuing her voyage to New York . " Bowes Castle " was sold to Achille Lauro , Naples in October 1932 , being renamed " Angelina Lauro " . On 23 September 1936 , collided with " Angelina Lauro " in the English Channel off Ouessant , France . " E M Dalglas " was severely damaged . " Angelina Lauro " was on a voyage from Gdynia , Poland to La Spezia , Italy . On 7 April 1937 , " Angelina Lauro " collided with at Port Said , Egypt . On 10 June 1940 , " Angelina Lauro " was interned at Liverpool and taken into Ministry of War Transport ownership on 23 July 1940 under the management of Galbraith , Pembroke & Company , London and renamed " Empire Advocate " . Part of the cargo she was carrying was 14 casks of red wine , which were sold at auction in London on 27 March 1941 by order of the Prize Court . She served for five years and was sold for scrapping on 16 February 1945 to P & W Maclellan Ltd , Bo ' ness . Convoys . " Empire Advocate " was a member of a number of convoys . " Empire Advocate " was in Convoy SL 69 when it departed from Freetown bound for Liverpool on 23 March 1941 , but was unable to maintain speed and proceeded to her destination independent of the main convoy . Convoy ON 8 which Liverpool on 16 August and arrived at Reykjavík on 21 August , dispersing on the 15 August . " Empire Advocate " was bound for Philadelphia . Convoy ON 41 departed Liverpool on 9 December . She was carrying a cargo of ferrous metals and manganese and was bound for Baltimore . Convoy SC 121 departed New York on 23 February 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 14 March . " Empire Advocate " was carrying a general cargo . Convoy ONS 5 departed Liverpool on 21 April and arrived at Halifax on 12 May . Convoy SC 135 departed Halifax on 27 June and arrived at Liverpool on 11 July . " Empire Advocate " was carrying a general cargo . " Empire Advocate " was supposed to be a member of Convoy SC 147 which departed Halifax on 19 November but did not sail with that convoy , sailing with Convoy SC 148 on 2 December bound for Liverpool . She was carrying a cargo of steel and pit prop s , and arrived at Liverpool on 16 December . Convoy HX 291 departed New York on 19 May 1944 , arriving at Liverpool on 27 May . " Empire Advocate " was carrying a general cargo . Official number and code letters . Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers . " Angelina Lauro " had the Official Number 382 on the Italian Register , and 143102 on Lloyd ' s Register . " Solfels " used the Code Letters QKHB . " Solfels " and " Bowes Castle " used the Code Letters JWQS . " Angelina Lauro " used the Code Letters IBIB , NDHU and GLYJ . " Empire Advocate " used the Code Letters GLYJ .