SS Belgian Captain Belgian Captain was a 7 , 041 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 as Empire Centaur for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1943 she was passed to the Belgian Government and renamed " Belgian Captain " . Postwar , she was sold into merchant service and renamed Captiane Lambe . In 1960 she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Ardee , being renamed Alpha Trader in 1964 . She served until 1967 when she was scrapped . Description . The ship was built by William Gray & Co . Ltd . , West Hartlepool . She was launched on 30 July 1942 and completed in October . The ship was long , with a beam of and a depth of . She had a GRT of 7 , 041 and a NRT of 5 , 024 . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by the Central Marine Engine Works , West Hartlepool . History . Second World War . " Empire Centaur " was placed under the management of Crosby , Son & Co Ltd . Her port of registry was West Hartlepool . The United Kingdom Official Number 168946 and Code Letters BCFB were allocated . On 12 December 1942 , " Empire Centaur " was damaged in an attack by Italian assault craft at Algiers . The attack was carried out by the Decima Flottiglia MAS of the Regia Marina , using manned torpedo es despatched from the submarine " Ambra " . " Empire Centaur " returned to the United Kingdom in Convoy MKS 7 , which departed from Algiers on 5 February 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 17 March . She was bound for Cardiff . " Empire Centaur " was allocated to the Belgian Government in 1943 and renamed " Belgian Captain " . The Code Letters ONVS were allocated , and she was placed under the management of Agence Maritime Internationale SA . Her port of registry was Antwerp . " Belgian Captain " was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War . Convoy ON 177 departed Cardiff on 4 April 1943 bound for New York . " Belgian Captain " was carrying a cargo of coal bound for Halifax , Nova Scotia . Convoy HX 241 departed New York on 25 May 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 June . " Belgian Captain " was carrying a cargo of steel and lumber bound for London . She sailed from Halifax on 27 May and joined the convoy at sea on 29 May . Convoy ON 192 departed Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire on 8 July 1943 bound for New York . " Belgian Captain " was bound for Halifax , Nova Scotia . Convoy HX 254 departed New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September . " Belgian Captain " was carrying a cargo of steel and lumber bound for Sunderland . There were complaints from other ships in the convoy that " Belgian Captain " did not repeat flag signals , despite orders to all ships to do so . Convoy ON 206 departed Liverpool on 11 October 1943 bound for New York . Convoy ON 291 departed Southend - on - Sea , Essex on 17 March 1945 bound for New York . Postwar . In 1946 , " Belgian Captain " was sold to Compagnie Maritime Belge SA and was renamed " Capitain Lambe " . Her Code Letters were changed to ONCC . In 1960 , " Capitaine Lambe " was sold to Mullion & Co Ltd , Hong Kong and was renamed " Ardee " . In 1964 , she was sold to Sigma Shipping Co Ltd , Hong Kong and was renamed " Alpha Trader " . She was operated under the management of Trinity Development Co Ltd , Hong Kong . " Alpha Trader " served until 1967 . She arrived at Shanghai , China for scrapping in November 1967 .