SS Belgian Sailor Belgian Sailor was a cargo ship that was built in 1941 as Empire Drayton by Swan , Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd , Wallsend , Northumberland , United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1942 , she was transferred to the Belgian Government and renamed " Belgian Sailor " . She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Capitaine Biebuyck . In 1957 , she was sold to Yugoslavia and renamed Kastav . A further sale in 1965 to Hong Kong saw her renamed Ivory Tellus , she served until 1970 when she was scrapped . Description . The ship was built in 1941 by Swan , Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd , Wallsend . She was yard number 1641 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at 7 , 028 GRT . 5 , 023 NRT . Her DWT was 10 , 250 . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine . could propel the ship at . History . World War II . " Empire Drayton " was launched on 23 October 1941 and completed in February 1942 . She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 168523 . Her port of registry was Newcastle upon Tyne and she was operated under the management of Headlam & Son . " Empire Drayton " was transferred to the Belgian Government shortly after completion . She was placed under the management of Compagnie Maritime Belge SA , but would later be managed by Agence Maritime Internationale . She departed from the Tyne on 10 March 1942 to join Convoy FN 651 , which had departed from Southend , Essex the previous day and arrived at Methil , Fife on 11 March . She then joined Convoy EN 58 , which departed on 13 March and arrived at Oban , Argyllshire on 16 March . " Belgian Sailor " left the convoy at Loch Ewe and sailed to New York , United States , where she arrived on 2 April . She departed from New York on 28 April for Cape Town , South Africa , arriving on 4 June . Over the next four months , " Belgian Sailor " made a round trip to Alexandria , Egypt , calling at Durban , Aden , Port Sudan , Suez and Port Said on the outward voyage , and Port Said , Suez , Aden and Lourenço Marques , Mozambique on the return voyage . She arrived back at Cape Town on 14 October . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Cape Town on 19 November for Trinidad , arriving on 20 December and departing ten days later for Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , where she arrived on 7 January 1943 . She was a member of Convoy GN 34 , which departed on 9 January and arrived at New York a week later . She then joined Convoy SC 119 , which departed on 3 February and arrived at Liverpool , Lancashire on 22 February . She was carrying a cargo of wheat . " Belgian Sailor " left the convoy at the Clyde on 21 February . " Belgian Sailor " was a member of Convoy ON 171 , which departed from Liverpool on 4 March and arrived at Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada on 23 March . She then joined Convoy HF 44 , which departed on 25 March and arrived at Saint John , New Brunswick on 27 March . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Saint John on 7 April as a member of Convoy FH 47 , which arrived at Halifax two days later . She returned to the United Kingdom with Convoy SC 127 , which departed on 16 April and arrived at Liverpool on 16 May . She was carrying a cargo described as grain and " fads " , as well as one passenger . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 2 May , and joined Convoy WN 423 , which departedon 4 May and arrived at Methil two days later . She then joined Convoy FS 1108 , which departed that day and arrived at Southend on 8 May . " Belgian Sailor " was a member of Convoy FN 1025 , which departed from Southend on 19 May and arrived at Methil two days later . She left the convoy at Sunderland the next day , departing two days later for Methil , where she arrived on 23 May . " Belgian Sailor " then joined Convoy EN 233 , which departed the next day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 26 May . She then joined Convoy ON 187 , which departed from Liverpool on 1 June and arrived at New York on 15 June . She left the convoy at Halifax , where she arrived on 13 June . A return trip to Saint John was made via convoys HF 60 and FH 64 . " Belgian Sailor " joined Convoy HX 247 , which had departed from New York on 8 July and arrived at Liverpool on 22 July . She was carrying a cargo of armoured fighting vehicles , flour and grain . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 22 July and sailed to Southend via convoys WN 457A and FS 1178 , arriving on 28 July . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Southend on 16 August for Loch Ewe , which was reached via Convoy FN 1101 to the Tyne , Convoy FN 1104 to Methil and Convoy EN 271 to Loch Ewe , arriving on 23 August . She then joined Convoy ON 199 , which departed from Liverpool on 26 August and arrived at New York on 9 September . She left the convoy at Halifax , arriving on 8 September . She departed the next day as a member of Convoy HS 106 , which arrived at Sydney , Cape Breton on 11 September , from where she sailed to Montreal , Quebec , arriving on 14 September . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Montreal on 24 September for Sydney , arriving three days later . She then joined Convoy SC 143 , which had departed from Halifax on 28 September , with the Sydney contingent departing on 29 September . The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 October . " Belgian Sailor " was carrying a cargo of lumber , steel , phosphorus and woodpulp , destined for London . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 12 October , reaching London via convoys WN 492 , and FS 1242 , arriving at Southend on 16 October . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Southend on 9 November for Loch Ewe via Middlesbrough , Yorkshire ; and as a member of convoys FN 1174 , FN 1184 and EN 310 . She arrived at Loch Ewe on 25 November . She loaded a cargo of stores at Aultbea , Ross - shire and joined Convoy KMS 34G , which departed from Liverpool on 25 November and arrived at Gibraltar on 9 December . Armament was recorded as a 3 - inch and a 4 or 4 . 7 - inch gun . Her destination was Bône , Algeria . Ships in Convoy OS 60 were also in this convoy until 7 December , when the two convoys parted company , with OS 60 continuing to Freetown , Sierra Leone , where it arrived on 18 December . " Belgian Sailor " passed Gibraltar on 9 December as a member of convoy KMS 34 , which arrived at Port Said on 20 December . She arrived at Bône on 12 December . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Bône on 9 January 1944 , spending the next five months sailing the Mediterranean , always as a member of a convoy . Ports called at were Algiers , Bône and Oran , Algeria ; Alexandria , Egypt ; Augusta , Naples and Taranto , Italy ; and Bizerta , Tunisia . She departed from Oran on 19 May to join Convoy MKS 49G , which departed from Gibraltar on 20 May and rendezvoused with Convoy SL 158 at sea the next day . She was carrying a cargo of vehicles as well as 153 passengers , destined for Loch Ewe . The combined convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 June . " Belgian Sailor " arrived at Loch Ewe on 4 June , and then sailed to Hull , Yorkshire via convoys WN 592 and FS 1477 , arriving on 9 June . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Hull on 18 June , joining Convoy FN 1392 , which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 20 June . She then joined Convoy EN 399 which arrived at Loch Ewe on 22 June and then sailed to Montreal , arriving on 10 July . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Montreal on 23 July and sailed to Sydney , arriving two days later . Laden with timber , she departed from Sydney on 6 August to join Convoy HX 302 , which had departed from New York on 3 August and arrived at Liverpool on 17 August . She returned to Sydney , arriving back there the same day . She departed from Sydney on 13 August to join Convoy HX 303 , which had departed from New York on 8 August and arrived at Liverpool on 27 August . Her destination was given as West Hartlepool , Co Durham . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 27 August . West Hartlepool was reached on 1 September via convoys WN 626 and FS 1560 . < ref name = Port / . " Belgian Sailor " departed from West Hartlepool on or about 22 September , joining Convoy FN 1487 , which had departed from Southend on 21 September and arrived at Methil on 23 September . She departed from Methil on 26 September as a member of Convoy EN 440 , which arrived at Loch Ewe on 29 September . " Belgian Sailor " then sailed to Halifax , from where she joined Convoy XB 192A , which departed on 12 October and arrived at the Cape Cod Canal , Massachusetts on 15 October . Her destination was New York , where she arrived the next day . " Belgian Sailor " departed from New York on 1 November and sailed to Boston , Massachusetts . She then joined Convoy BX 132 , which departed on 7 November and arrived at Halifax two days later . She then joined Convoy SC 161 , which departed on 17 November and arrived at Liverpool on 4 December . " Belgian Sailor " was carrying general cargo and lorries , destined for Southend . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 5 December , reaching Southend on 9 December via Convoys WN 659 and FS 1659 . A return voyage was made to Antwerp , Belgium via convoys TAM 14 and ATM 19 before " Belgian Sailor " joined Convoy TBC 18 , which departed from Southend on 25 December and arrived at Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire on 28 December . She arrived at the Barry Roads on 27 December . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Milford Haven on 9 January 1945 for the Belfast Lough , arriving the next day . She then joined Convoy ONS 40 , which departed from Liverpool on 12 January and arrived at Halifax on 30 January . New York was reached on 2 February via Convoy XB 144 , which departed from Halifax on 29 January and arrived at the Cape Cod Canal on 1 February . " Belgian Sailor " was a member of Convoy NG 489 , whichd departed from New York on 10 February and arrived at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba on 17 February . She then joined Convoy GAT 191 , which departed that day and arrived at Trinidad on 23 February . She left the convoy at San Pedro de Macorís , Dominican Republic on 19 February . " Belgian Sailor " then sailed to Boca Chica , from were she departed on 4 March for Guantanamo Bay , arriving on 6 March . She was one of three ships that formed Convoy GN 192 , which departed on 9 March and arrived at New York on 15 March . She departed from New York on 21 March and sailed to Boston , from where she departed on 23 March as a member of Convoy BX 152 , which arrived at Halifax on 25 March . " Belgian Sailor " then joined Convoy SC 171 , which departed on 27 March and arrived at Liverpool on 10 April . She was carrying a cargo of sugar . " Belgian Sailor " was a member of Convoy ONS48 , which departed from Liverpool on 21 April and arrived at Halifax on 4 May . she left the convoy and sailed to Montreal , arriving on 6 May . Post - war . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Montreal on 17 May 1945 and sailed to Sydney , arriving three days later . She sailed on 27 May to join Convoy SC 177 , which had departed from Halifax that day and arrived at Liverpool on 8 June . Her cargo consisted grain , oats and rye . < / ref > She sailed on to The Downs , off the coast of Kent , arriving on 8 June and departing the next day for Antwerp . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Antwerp on 9 June for Sydney , where she arrived on 1 July , leaving the next day for Montreal . She departed from Montreal on 18 July and arrived back at Antwerp on 31 July . She departed from Antwerp on 8 August for Falmouth , Cornwall , arriving on 12 August and departing on 28 August for Montreal , where she arrived on 9 September . " Belgian Sailor " departed from Montreal on 16 September and arrived at Antwerp on 29 September . On 13 October , she departed for Three Rivers , Quebec , Canada , arriving on 28 October and departing on 5 November for Antwerp , where she arrived on 21 November . On 21 January 1946 , " Belgian Sailor " was sold to Compagnie Maritime Belge and renamed " Capitaine Biebuyck " . She was operated under the management of Lloyd Royal Belge . On 18 December 1957 , " Capitaine Biebuyck " was sold to the Yugoslav Government and renamed " Kastav " . Her port of registry was Rijeka . She was operated under the management of Kvarnerska Plovidba until 1963 , when management was transferred to Jugoslavenska Linijska Plovidba . In 1965 , " Kastav " was sold to the Ivory Shipping Co Ltd , Hong Kong and renamed " Ivory Tellus " . She was operated under the management of Aires Shipping Co Ltd , Hong Kong . The ship was placed under the Liberian flag , with Monrovia as her port of registry . In March 1968 , " Ivory Tellus " was reflagged to Lebanon , with Beirut as her homeport . Management was transferred to Unimar Seetransport GmbH , Hamburg , West Germany . IMO Number s had been introduced by then , and she was allocated IMO 5183223 , her call sign was 6ZOY . She was in service until 1970 , arriving on 22 April at Hirao , Japan for scrapping , which was done by Matsukura Maritime Co Ltd .