SS Empire Driver Empire Driver was a cargo ship that was built in 1942 by William Gray & Co Ltd , West Hartlepool , Co Durham , United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1945 , she was transferred to the French Government and renamed Radiotélégraphiste Biard . She was sold to an Italian company in 1950 and renamed Dea Mazzella . In 1956 , she was renamed Maria Mazzella . Further sales in 1960 and 1964 saw her renamed Falzarego and Grazia Prima respectively . In 1965 , she was sold to Liberia and renamed Missouri . She served until 1969 when she was scrapped . Description . The ship was built in 1942 by William Gray & Co Ltd , West Hartlepool . She was yard number 1137 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at 7 , 042 GRT . 4 , 860 NRT . Her DWT was 10 , 300 . 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 Harland & Wolff Ltd , Glasgow . History . World War II . " Empire Driver " was launched on 24 September 1942 and completed in November . The United Kingdom Official Number 168917 and Code Letters BDFV were allocated . Her port of registry was West Hartlepool and she was placed under the management of Watts , Watts & Co Ltd . " Empire Driver " arrived at Middlesbrough , Yorkshire on 24 November 1942 . She departed on 15 December to join Convoy FN 891 , which had departed from Southend , Essex the previous day and arrived at Methil , Fife on 16 December . She then joined Convoy EN 175 , which departed on 19 December and arrived at Loch Ewe on 21 December . She then sailed to the Clyde , arriving on 23 December . Three days later , " Empire Driver " departed the Clyde for Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire , where she arrived on 28 December . " Empire Driver " was a member of Convoy KX 8 , which departed from Milford Haven on 3 January 1943 and dispersed at sea at on 21 January . She was carrying a cargo of petrol and stores bound for Gibraltar , where she arrived on 13 January . She departed from Gibraltar on 18 January , joining convoy KMS 7G , which had departed from the Clyde on 7 January and arrived at Algiers , Algeria on 21 January . " Empire Driver " was a member of Convoy MKS 7 , which departed from Algiers on 5 February and arrived at Liverpool , Lancashire on 17 February . Her destination was the Clyde , where she arrived that day . " Empire Driver " was a member of Convoy KMS 11G , which departed from the Clyde on 14 March and arrived at Bône , Algeria on 28 March . She left the convoy at Algiers , arriving on 27 March . On 3 April , she joined Convoy TE 20 , which had departed from Gibraltar on 1 April and arrived at Bône on 4 April . " Empire Driver " departed from Bône on 15 April and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April . She sailed three days later to join Convoy OS 46 , which had departed from Liverpool on 15 April as a combined convoy , OS 46 and KMS 13 , the convoy separated at sea on 24 April . KMS 13 sailing to Gibraltar , where it arrived on 26 April ; and OS 46 sailing to Freetown , Sierra Leone , where it arrived on 3 May . " Empire Driver " departed from Freetown on 10 May for Montevideo , Uruguay , arriving on 28 May and departing that day for Buenos Aires , Argentina , where she arrived the next day . On 17 June , she departed from Buenos Aires for Cape Town , South Africa via Montevideo , arriving on 10 July . She sailed four days later for Port Elizabeth , from where she departed on 19 July for Mombasa , Kenya , arriving on 6 August . " Empire Driver " departed that day for Aden , arriving on 12 August and departing three days later for Suez , Egypt , where she arrived on 22 August . She departed on 21 September for Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , arriving three days later and departing on 25 September for Massawa , Eritrea , where she arrived on 27 September . On 6 October , " Empire Driver " departed from Massawa for Aden , arriving two days later . < ref name = Port / . She then joined Convoy AKD 3 , which departed on 10 October and arrived at Durban , South Africa on 29 October . She left the convoy at Lourenço Marques , Mozambique on 28 October . She departed from Lourenço Marques on 7 November for Port Louis , Mauritius , arriving a week later . On 7 December , " Empire Driver " departed from Port Louis for Aden , arriving on 19 December and sailing two days later for Suez , where she arrived on 27 December . She then sailed to Port Said , from where she sailed on 31 December for Haifa , Palestine , arriving on 1 January 1944 . " Empire Driver " departed from Haifa on 7 January for Port Said , arriving three days later . She then sailed to Suez , from where she sailed on 11 January for Aden , arriving on 16 January . She departed two days later for Lourenço Marques , where she arrived on 31 January . On 12 February , " Empire Driver " departed from Lourenço Marques for Cape Town , where she arrived on 17 January , departing the next day for Buenos Aires , which was reached on 7 March . She departed on 16 March for Rosario , arriving the next day and departing four days later for Buenos Aires , where she arrived on 22 March . She departed on 28 March for Freetown , where she arrived on 15 April . " Empire Driver " was a member of Convoy SL 156 , which departed from Freetown on 21 April and rendezvoused at sea with Convoy MKS 47 on 3 May . She returned to Freetown for defects to be rectified . Defects rectified , she joined Convoy SL 157 , which departed on 1 May and rendezvoused at sea with Convoy MKS 48 on 11 May . " Empire Driver " was carrying a cargo of linseed and cased meats . The combined convoy arrived at Liverpool on 22 May . Her stated destination was the Clyde , but she sailed to Loch Ewe to join Convoy WN 586 , which arrived at Methil on 24 May . She departed four days later as a member of Convoy FS 1466 , which arrived at Southend on 30 May . " Empire Driver " departed from Southend on 11 June for Loch Ewe via the Tyne , which was reached on 18 June via convoys FN 1385 , FN 1837 and EN 397 . She then joined Convoy ON 241 , which had departed from Liverpool on 18 June and arrived at New York on 2 July . She departed from New York on 21 July for the Hampton Roads , Virginia , where she arrived two days later . " Empire Driver " was a member of Convoy UGS 50 , which departed from the Hampton Roads on 3 August and arrived at Port Said on 29 August . She left the convoy at Augusta , Italy , arriving on 25 August . The next day , she sailed to Naples as a member of Convoy VN 61 , arriving on 27 August . " Empire Driver " departed from Naples on 3 October 1944 for Algiers , arriving two days later and departing the day after that for Casablanca , Morocco , where she arrived on 8 October . She departed on 17 October to join Convoy UGS 56 , which had departed from the Hampton Roads on 2 October and arrived at Port Said on 28 October . She then sailed to Suez , from where she departed on 5 November for Aden , arriving on 11 November and sailing two days later for Albany , Australia . Arrival there was on 11 December and " Empire Driver " sailed the next day for Wallaroo , where she arrived on 17 December . She departed on 21 December for Adelaide , arriving the next day . " Empire Driver " departed from Adelaide on 6 January 1945 for Fremantle , arriving on 12 January and departing eight days later for Geraldton , where she arrived on 21 January . She departed from Geraldton on 27 January for Colombo , Ceylon , arriving on 13 February and departing the next day for Karachi , India , where she arrived on 21 February . She departed on 5 March for Cape Town , arriving on 28 March and sailing two days later for Rosario , where she arrived on 18 April . " Empire Driver " departed from Rosario on 24 April for Buenos Aires , arriving the next day . Post - war . " Empire Driver " departed from Buenos Aires on 10 May for Pernambuco , Brazil , arriving on 30 May . She departed on 10 June for Gibraltar , from where she departed on 29 June for London , arriving on 7 July . By 14 August 1945 , " Empire Driver " had been transferred to the French Government and renamed " Radiotélégraphiste Biard " . She was named for Victor Biard , the radio operator on the British merchant ship , which was torpedoed and sunk by the on 13 June 1941 . She was placed under the management of Compagnie des Chargeurs Reunis , Le Havre , Seine - Maritime . In 1950 , " Radiotélégraphiste Biard " was sold to Pasquale Mazzella , Naples and renamed " Dea Mazzella " . In May 1951 , " Dea Mazzella " was caught up in industrial action by the Ship Painters ' and Dockers ' Union at Melbourne . The dockers had blacked certain New Zealand - flagged ships in support of striking dockworkers from that country . " Dea Mazzella " was berthed by two tugs manned by Royal Australian Navy crews and was loaded by Royal Australian Air Force personnel . On 11 July 1956 , " Dea Mazzella " was in collision with the Panamanian Liberty ship , which sank at . Later that year , she was renamed " Maria Mazzella " . In 1960 , " Marial Mazzella " was sold to Pala & Franchescini , Genoa and renamed " Falzarego " . A further sale in 1964 to Società per Azioni Costanza , Genoa saw her renamed " Grazia Prima " . In 1965 , she was sold to Luzmar SA , Liberia and renamed " Missouri " . She served until 1969 , arriving on 8 February at Santander , Spain for scrapping .