SS Robin Doncaster SS " Robin Doncaster was a 7 , 101 GRT cargo liner that was built in 1940 as a Type C2 - S cargo ship by Bethlehem Steel Co , Sparrows Point , Maryland , United States for the United States Maritime Commission ( USMC ) . On completion in April 1941 , she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) and renamed Empire Curlew . In 1942 , she was transferred to the USMC , regaining her former name " Robin Doncaster " . She was rebuilt as a troop transport , and entered service with the United States Navy as USS " Robin Doncaster in January 1944 . She was returned to the USMC in April 1946 and was sold to Seas Shipping Co Inc in 1948 . In 1957 , she was sold to Isbrandtsen Lines and was renamed Flying Gull . Sold to American Export Lines in 1962 , she served until she was scrapped in 1968 . Description . The ship was built in 1940 by Bethlehem Steel Co , Sparrows Point , Maryland . She was Yard Number 4342 , and cost US $ . The ship was long overall ( between perpendiculars ) , with a beam of . She had a depth of , and a draft of . She was assessed at 7 , 101 GRT , 4 , 258 NRT . Her DWT was 9 , 970 . The ship was propelled by two steam turbines , driving a single screw propeller of diameter . The turbines were made by Bethlehem Steel ' s SR division , Quincy , Massachusetts . Rated at 6 , 300 shp and driving the propeller at 85 rpm , they could propel her at a normal service speed of , with a maximum speed of . As built , " Robin Doncaster " had a bale capacity of , or a grain capacity of , as well as capacity for of refrigerated cargo , and special cargo space in five holds . Carrying water and coal , she had a range of . She had a crew of 43 and could carry twelve passengers . The ship had sixteen 5 - ton derricks , one 10 - ton derrick and one 30 - ton derrick to allow loading and unloading of cargo . History . World War II . " Robin Doncaster " was built at the request of the Robin Line . Intended for service between the United States and South Africa , she was launched on 10 December 1940 . The ship was delivered on 16 April 1941 . She was immediately requisitioned by the USMC , for transfer to the MoWT . " Robin Doncaster " was renamed " Empire Curlew " . She was placed under the management of Donaldson , Brothers & Black Ltd . The United Kingdom Official Number 168169 was allocated . She departed from Baltimore , Maryland on 20 April for Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada , arriving on 23 April . She departed two days later , and joined Convoy SA 1 , which formed at sea on 30 April and arrived at the Clyde on 3 May . " Empire Curlew " was a member of Convoy WS 9A , which assembled off Oversay on 3 June 1941 . The convoy arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 18 June . It departed Freetown on 20 June and arrived at Durban , South Africa on 4 July . The convoy departed Durban on 8 July and dispersed off Aden on 21 July , its ships then proceeding independently to Suez , Egypt . " Empire Curlew " arrived at Suez on 25 July , then sailed to Alexandria , Egypt . A return voyage was made to Port Said , Egypt before she returned to Suez , arriving on 10 August . " Empire Curlew " then sailed to Calcutta India , where she arrived on 23 August . She departed Calcutta on 29 August for Rangoon , Burma , arriving three days later . On 8 September , " Empire Curlew " departed from Rangoon bound for Cape Town , South Africa , where she arrived on 26 September . She departed the next day for Trinidad , arriving on 11 October and departing the next day for New York , where she arrived on 17 October . On 2 November , " Empire Curlew " departed New York for Halifax . She arrived the next day , and on 4 November she joined Convoy TC 14A . The convoy arrived at the Clyde on 12 November . She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough and then sailed to Liverpool , Lancashire , arriving on 13 November . " Empire Curlew " departed from Liverpool on 5 December for the Clyde , where she joined Convoy WS 14 . The convoy assembled off Oversay , and arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 21 December . She departed from Freetown on 25 December for Cape Town , arriving on 5 January 1942 . On 9 January 1942 , " Empire Curlew " departed from Cape Town for Basra , Iraq , where she arrived on 30 January . A voyage was made to Abadan , Iran , from where she departed on 16 February for Bombay , India , arriving four days later . On 1 March , " Empire Curlew " departed Bombay for Mombasa , Kenya and Tanga , Tanganyika . She departed Tanga on 11 March for Baltimore via Cape Town and Trinidad , arriving at Baltimore on 11 April . " Empire Curlew " was transferred to the USMC , regaining her former name . She was converted to a troop transport by Sullivan Drydock & Repair Co , New York . The conversion was completed in January 1944 and the ship was then commissioned into the United States Navy as USS " Robin Doncaster " . In April 1946 , she was decommissioned and transferred back to the USMC . In November 1942 , USS " Robin Doncaster " transported some of the survivors from the American - owned , Panamanian - flagged merchant ship , which had been torpedo ed shelled and sunk by on 8 November at with the loss of three crew . The survivors were rescued by on 10 November and transferred to the RAF crash boat " Navigator " . They were taken to Port Elizabeth , South Africa . " Plaudit " had been on a voyage from Colombo , Ceylon to the United States via Cape Town , South Africa . She was carrying a cargo of gunny sack , jute , manganese ore and rubber . The survivors were landed at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on 13 December . She also carried six survivors from the American liberty ship , which had been torpedoed by with the loss of three crew . " Ann Hutchinson " was subsequently divided in two parts by explosive charges in an attempt to salvage her cargo of 8 , 000 barrels of crude oil . Her stern section sank , but the bow section was towed to Port Elizabeth by . The survivors took to the lifeboats . Ten were rescued by , with the rest landing at Durban and Port Alfred . In April 1944 , USS " Robin Doncaster " transported troops from Camp Matthews , San Diego , California to Noumea , New Caledonia , arriving on 6 May . In September 1944 USS " Robin Doncaster " was on a voyage from San Francisco , California to Okinawa , Japan when she suffered two breakdowns at sea . She put into Pearl Harbor , Hawaii for repairs , which took three weeks . Due to this , she avoided being caught in Typhoon Louise . On 29 September 1944 , USS " Robin Doncaster " transported troops of the 165th Infantry Regiment who had been involved in Operation Forager from Tanapag Harbor , Saipan Mariana Islands to the Enewetak Atoll and then to Espiritu Santo , Vanuatu , arriving on 4 October . Post - war . On 4 April 1946 , " Robin Doncaster " was placed in the Reserve Fleet pending re - conversion to a cargo vessel . She was laid up in the James River , Virginia . On 18 July , Maryland Drydock Company were authorised to removed certain items of equipment from " Robin Doncaster " for installation on . The removed items were to be replaced within 60 days at no cost to the War Shipping Administration or USMC . The replacement was recorded as having been completed on 19 May 1947 . The planned conversion of " Robin Doncaster " back to a cargo ship was canceled due to a lack of funds . On 18 March 1947 , she was sold to Seas Shipping Inc . She was delivered on 7 October . The United States Official Number 240462 was allocated . Her port of registry was New York . Her Code Letters were WMRD . On 9 January 1952 , " Robin Doncaster " was in collision with the tug " Ruth " which was towing the barge " Agram " in the Delaware River , Philadelphia . The collision occurred because of confusion over signals given , and the presence of which was also attempting to pass " Ruth " . Although agreement was made between " Mormacpenn " and " Ruth " as to how the ships would pass , no such agreement was made between " Robin Doncaster " and " Ruth " . " Robin Doncaster " desired to pass port - to - port , whereas " Ruth " desired the pass to be starboard - to - starboard . After colliding with " Ruth " , she then collided with " Agram " , damaging the barge beyond economic repair . The New York Company , the owners of the barge , successfully sued the Seas Shipping Company Inc for damages . Robert B . Wathen , the owner of " Ruth " was successful in his appeal to be exonerated from blame for the collision , which was placed squarely on the " Robin Doncaster " . In 1957 , " Robin Doncaster " was sold to Flying Gull Inc and renamed " Flying Gull " . She was operated under the management of Isbrandtsen & Co Inc , retaining the Code Letters WMRD . " Flying Gull " was sold to American Export Lines in 1962 . She was transferred to American Export Isbrandtsen Lines Inc in 1966 . About this time , " Flying Gull " was involved in a collision when she was hit by at Kobe , Japan . Repairs took a week to complete . " Flying Gull " served until 1968 . She arrived on 21 June 1968 at Bilbao , Spain for scrapping by Hierros Arbulu .