SS Baxtergate Baxtergate was a 7 , 072 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1944 as Empire Cowdray by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd , Sunderland , United Kingdom . She was built for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1948 , she was sold into merchant service and renamed Granhill . A further sale in 1951 saw her renamed " Baxtergate " . She served until scrapped in 1960 . Description . The ship was built in 1944 by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd , Glasgow . Launched on 19 August and completed in October , she was yard number 4 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She was assessed at 7 , 072 GRT . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine . History . Second World War . " Empire Cowdray " was built for the MoWT . She was initially operated under the management of the Alexander Steamship Company . Following completion in October 1944 , two days of sea trials were held before the ship entered service . Following these , a cargo of coal was loaded at Hendon Docks . Once loading was complete , the crew were given a brief shore leave so that they could have a beer before the ship sailed to join a convoy . When it was time to sail , the crew ignored orders to return to their ship , not returning until being threatened with being put in jail . When the crew did return to the ship , they were too drunk to sail , causing the ship to miss the convoy . After they had sobered up , the crew were all fined for refusing the lawful command of the Captain and causing the ship to miss the convoy . " Empire Cowdray " joined Convoy FS 1623 , which had departed from Methil , Fife on 1 November 1944 and arrived at Southend on Sea , Essex on 3 November . She then joined Convoy ON 264 , which departed Southend that day and arrived at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States on 21 November . " Empire Cowdray " left the convoy to unload her coal at Baltimore , Maryland and then sailed to Philadelphia , where a cargo of grain and crated aircraft was loaded . She then joined Convoy UGS 63 , which departed the Hampton Roads , Virginia on 11 December and arrived at Gibraltar on 27 December . She did not dock at Gibraltar , but proceeded to Bizerta , Tunisia , arriving on 31 December and leaving that day for Cagliari , Italy , where she arrived on 2 January 1945 . " Empire Cowdray " was the first Allied merchant ship into Cagliari after Germany forces had left Sardinia . Several ships had been sunk as blockship s and all the cranes in the harbour had been sabotaged . The ship was unloaded using her own derricks . There was no motor transport available so transport of her cargo was by horse and cart , which slowed down the rate of discharge . " Empire Cowdray " departed Cagliari on 12 January for Algiers , Algeria , arriving on 14 January . She departed the next day for Gibraltar , arriving on 17 January , where she joined Convoy GC 110 , which arrived at Casablanca , Morocco on 18 January . She departed Casablanca on 23 January , joining Convoy GUS 67 , which had departed from Oran , Algeria on 22 January and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 14 February . Her destination was Baltimore , Maryland , where she arrived on 11 February . " Empire Cowdray " departed Baltimore on 3 March for the Hampton Roads , arriving the next day . She then joined Convoy UGS 78 , which departed from the Hampton Roads that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 18 March . She left the convoy at Bermuda on 7 March . Two days later , " Empire Cowdray " departed from Hamilton , joining Convoy UGS 79 , which had departed the Hampton Roads on 9 March and arrived at Casablanca on 23 March . Her destination was Port Said , Egypt , where she arrived on 1 April . " Empire Cowdray " then sailed to Suez from where she departed on 2 April , for Port Sudan to load a cargo of cottonseed and maize . She then sailed to Aden , arriving on 7 April . She departed Aden the next day for Colombo , Ceylon , arriving on 18 April and departing the same day for Madras , India , where she arrived on 21 April . On 30 April , " Empire Cowdray " departed Madras for Calcutta , arriving on 4 May . She departed Calcutta on 24 May for Bombay , arriving on 6 June . " Empire Cowdray " departed Bombay on 4 July for Lourenço Marques , Mozambique , arriving on 23 July . She departed Lourenço Marques on 3 August for Aden , arriving on 17 August and departing the same day for Suez , where she arrived on 23 August . " Empire Cowdray " then sailed to Port Said , from where she departed on 4 September for Alexandria , Egypt , arriving the next day . She departed Alexandra on 8 September for Freetown Sierra Leone . The war ended on 15 September and the crew were allowed a half pint of lager each to celebrate . She arrived at Freetown on 24 September . From Freetown , " Empire Cowdray " called at Gibraltar to replenish her stores . On the morning of departure , breakfast was liver , bacon and mash . The crew complained that the liver was off , and refused to eat it , demanding a meal before they would return to work . An offer of corn flakes was turned down . The ship ' s First Officer told the crew that they were committing mutiny on the high seas by refusing to sail . The crew pointed out that the ship was not on the high seas , so therefore they could not be committing mutiny . After intervention by the Captain , the crew were provided with a breakfast that satisfied them . During preparation for sailing , a crew member was injured in an accident whilst the rudder was being checked . He was taken off the ship by launch and taken to hospital . " Empire Cowdray " sailed to South Shields , County Durham , arriving on 15 October . Post - war . In 1946 , management was transferred to Goulandris Bros Ltd , London . On 29 July 1948 , " Empire Cowdray " was sold to her managers and was renamed " Granhill " . In 1950 , " Granhill " ran aground in the Weser at Bremen , West Germany . She was refloated undamaged . In December 1950 , she loaded a cargo of timber at Lagos , Nigeria . Her boilers had been filled with river water at Sapele . On 7 January 1951 , one of her boilers failed due to sludge . The ship was in the Bay of Biscay at the time . She had to be taken in tow and various expenses were sustained by Goulandris Bros . In 1957 , the owners of the timber successfully sued Goulandris Brothers for £22 10s 4d for losses incurred due to the late delivery of the timber . There was disagreement between the two sides as to whether the Hague Rules or York - Antwerp Rules applied . The judge deciding that the latter applied . In 1951 , " Granhill " was sold for £350 , 000 to Turnbull , Scott & Co Ltd and was renamed " Baxtergate " . In 1960 , she was sold to the British Iron and Steel Corporation . " Baxtergate " arrived at Barrow in Furness , Lancashire on 1 December 1960 with a load of iron ore from Bône , Algeria . After the cargo was discharged , she was scrapped by T W Ward Ltd , Barrow in Furness .