SS Empire Copperfield Empire Copperfield was a 6 , 013 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd , Sunderland , United Kingdom . She was built for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) , spending much of her war service in the Mediterranean . Towards the end of the war she was serving in the Indian Ocean . In 1946 she was sold into merchant service and renamed Graigwen . A sale to India in 1958 saw her renamed Jag Devi . She served until 1963 , when she was scrapped . Description . The ship was built in 1943 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd , Sunderland . She was launched on 16 July 1943 and completed in September . The ship was long , with a beam of and a depth of . She was assessed at 6 , 013 GRT , 4 , 040 NRT . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by George Clarke ( 1938 ) Ltd , Sunderland . " Empire Copperfield " was built for the MoWT . She was placed under the management of G Nisbet & Co Ltd , Glasgow . The Code Letters GCKV and United Kingdom Official Number 180051 were allocated . Her maiden voyage was on 12 October 1943 , from Sunderland to Methil , Fife . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy EN 294 , which departed Methil on 13 October and arrived at Loch Ewe on 15 October . She then departed from Oban , Argyll on 16 October for Liverpool , where she joined Convoy KMS 30G , which departed Liverpool on 17 October and arrived at Gibraltar on 31 October . History . War service . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy KMS 31 , which departed Gibraltar on 10 November and arrived at Port Said , Egypt on 21 November . " Empire Copperfield " left the convoy at Bône , Algeria . On 29 November , she departed Bône as a member of Convoy MKS 32 , which had departed from Port Said on 22 November and arrived at Gibraltar on 3 December . She left the convoy on 30 November at Philippeville . On 10 December , " Empire Copperfield " joined Convoy UGS 24 , which had departed the Hampton Roads , United States on 14 November and arrived at Port Said on 12 December . She left the convoy at Augusta , Italy , arriving on 8 December . On 12 December , " Empire Copperfield " departed Augusta as a member of Convoy AH 12 , which arrived at Bari on 14 December . She departed Bari on 16 December and arrived at Taranto on 17 December . On 19 December , " Empire Copperfield " departed Taranto as a member of Convoy HA 13 , which had departed Bari that day and arrived at Augusta on 21 December . She then joined Convoy GUS 25 , which had departed Port Said on 16 December and arrived at Hampton Roads on 17 January 1944 . " Empire Copperfield " left the convoy at Philippeville , where she arrived on 24 December . " Empire Copperfield " departed Philippeville on 4 January 1944 as a member of Convoy UGS 27 , which had departed from the Hampton Roads on 15 December 1943 and arrived at Port Said on 11 January . She left the convoy at Augustsa , arriving on 7 January . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy AH 18 , which departed Augusta on 12 January and arrived at Bari on 14 January . " Empire Copperfield " left the convoy at Brindisi on 14 January . She then sailed to Bari , arriving that day . She then joined Convoy HA 20 , which departed Bari on 18 January and arrived at Augusta on 26 January . " Empire Copperfield " departed Augusta on 2 February , joining Convoy KMS 39 , which had departed Gibraltar on 28 January and arrived at Port Said on 7 February . On 11 February , she departed Port Said bound for Alexandria , Egypt , arriving on 12 February . " Empire Copperfield " departed Alexandria on 20 February , joining Convoy MKS41 , which had departed Port Said on 19 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 2 March . She left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 25 February . She departed Augusta the next day as a member of Convoy AH 27 , which arrived at Bari on 28 February . " Empire Copperfield " left the convoy at Taranto on 27 February . " Empire Copperfield " departed Taranto on 4 March , joining Convoy HA 28 , which had departed Bari that day and arrived at Augusta on 6 March . She departed Augusta on 10 March , joining Convoy GUS 33 , which had departed Port Said on 5 March and arrived at Hampton Roads on 4 April . She left the convoy at Bône , arriving on 13 March . " Empire Copperfield " departed Bône on 20 March , joining Convoy KMS 44 , which had departed Gibraltar on 17 March and arrived at Port Said on 27 March . She left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 22 March . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy VN29 , which departed Augusta on 24 March and arrived at Naples , Italy on 25 March . She then joined Convoy NV 29 , which departed Naples on 28 March and arrived at Augusta on 29 March . " Empire Copperfield " departed Augusta on 31 March , joining Convoy GUS 35 , which had departed Port Said on 25 March and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 22 April . She left the convoy at Bône , arriving on 3 April . She departed Bône on 9 April , joining Convoy KMS 46 , which had departed Gibraltar on 6 April and arrived at Port Said on 14 April . She left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 12 April . On 13 April , she joined Convoy VN 33 , which arrived at Naples on 14 April . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy NV 33 , which departed Naples on 17 April and arrived at Augusta on 18 April . She departed Augusta on 19 April , joining Convoy GUS 37 , which had departed from Port Said on 14 April and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 11 May . " Empire Copperfield " left the convoy at Algiers , Algeria , arriving on 23 April . " Empire Copperfield " departed Algiers on 3 May , joining Convoy GUS 38 , which had departed Port Said on 24 April and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 22 May . She left the convoy at Gibraltar , arriving on 5 May . She departed Gibraltar on 10 May as a member of Convoy MKS 48G . " Empire Copperfield " was carrying a cargo described as " stores " and had three passengers on board . The convoy rendezvoused with Convoy SL 157 on 11 May . The combined convoy arrived at Liverpool , United Kingdom on 22 May . " Empire Copperfield " departed Liverpool as a member of Convoy OS 81 on 22 June . She was carrying a cargo of stores bound for Taranto . The convoy split at sea on 3 July , with Convoy KMS55G continuing to Gibraltar , arriving the next day . " Empire Copperfield " then joined Convoy KMS55 , which departed Gibraltar that day and arrived at Port Said on 14 July . She left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 10 July . Later that day , she departed Augusta as a member of Convoy AH 54 , which arrived at Bari on 12 July . " Empire Copperfield " then sailed to Brindisi , Italy , from where she departed on 22 July as a member of Convoy HA 56 , arriving at Augusta on 24 July . She departed Augusta that day as a member of Convoy MKS 56 , which had departed from Port Said on 18 July and arrived at Gibraltar on 29 July . She was late in joining the convoy and left it at Algiers , where she arrived on 27 July . " Empire Copperfield " departed Algiers on 11 August , joining Convoy UGS 49 , which had departed from the Hampton Roads on 24 July and arrived at Port Said on 19 August . She left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 15 August . She departed Augusta the next day as a member of Convoy VN 59 , which arrived at Naples on 17 August . On 1 September , " Empire Copperfield " departed Naples as a member of Convoy SM 6 , which arrived at a port in southern France on an unspecified date . ( Operation Dragoon was taking place at this time ) . She is then believed to have joined Convoy ARM 5 , which departed on 8 September and arrived at Oran , Algeria on 11 September . " Empire Copperfield " arrived at Algiers on 12 September . On 25 September , she joined Convoy KMS 63 , which departed Gibraltar on 23 September and arrived at Port Said on 3 October . She left the convoy at Augusta , on 29 September . The next day , she joined Convoy AH 70 , which arrived at Bari on 1 October . She left the convoy at Taranto on 30 September . " Empire Copperfield " departed Taranto on 5 October and arrived at Augusta the next day . On 7 October she departed Augusta as a member of Convoy KMS 64 , which had departed Gibraltar on 2 October and arrived at Port Said on 12 October . She left the convoy at Alexandria , arriving on 11 October . This was her penultimate convoy of the war . She would now mostly sail independently outside the protection of the convoy system . " Empire Copperfield " departed Alexandria on 24 October for an unrecorded destination . " Empire Copperfield " is next recorded as departing Piraeus , Greece on 8 November and arriving at Alexandria on 11 November . On 19 November she departed Alexandria , arriving at Alexandria on 22 November . She is next recorded as departing Piraeus on 28 November , arriving at Alexandria on 2 December . On 9 December , " Empire Copperfield " departed Alexandria for Port Said , arriving the next day . On 18 December , she departed Port Said for Augusta , arriving there on 23 December . " Empire Copperfield " departed Augusta on 28 December and arrived at Naples on 29 December . " Empire Copperfield " is recorded as arriving at Naples on 29 January , and departing that same day for an unrecorded destination . She is next recorded as departing Naples on 7 February for Catania , Italy , arriving the next day . On 11 February , she departed Catania for Gibraltar , where she arrived on 16 February . " Empire Copperfield " departed Gibraltar on 19 February for Casablanca , Morocco , arriving on 21 February . On 25 February , she departed Casablanca for Freetown , Sierra Leone , where she arrived on 6 March . She departed Freetown on 17 March for Casablanca , arriving on 26 March . She departed Casablanca on 31 March to join Convoy MKS 92G , which departed Gibraltar on 31 March and arrived at Liverpool on 8 April . " Empire Copperfield " was carrying a cargo of iron ore . She was bound for Newport , Monmouthshire , arriving on 7 April . " Empire Copperfield " departed Newport on 10 April and arrived at Port Said on 24 June . She departed Suez on 26 June and arrived at Aden on 1 July , departing the same day for Colombo , Ceylon . On 31 July , she departed Colombo for Trincomalee , arriving on 2 August . " Empire Copperfield " departed Trinocmalee on 8 August for Calcutta , India , where she arrived on 12 August . Postwar service . " Empire Copperfield " was at Calcutta when the Second World War ended . On 20 August , she departed Calcutta for Rangoon , Burma , arriving on 24 August . On 28 August , she departed Rangoon for Calcutta , arriving on 1 September . On 9 September , she departed Calcutta for Rangoon , arriving on 13 September . " Empire Copperfield " departed Rangoon on 18 September and arrived at Calcutta on 5 October for an unknown destination . She is next recorded as leaving Singapore on 16 October and arriving back there on 3 November . She departed Singapore on 6 December and arrived at Calcutta on 15 December . " Empire Copperfield " departed Calcutta on 23 December and arrived at Madras , India on 27 December . In 1946 , " Empire Copperfield " was sold to I Williams & Co Ltd , Cardiff and was renamed " Graigwen " . In 1958 , " Graigwen " was sold to the Great Eastern Shipping Co , Bombay , India and was renamed " Jag Devi " . She served until 1963 , arriving at Bombay on 19 July for scrapping .