Casgliadau Arlein

Starboard Broadside view of S.S. POLAR CHIEF, at Cardiff Docks, 01 September 1947.

POLAR CHIEF (8040gt) : Built 1897 as cargo liner MONTCALM, by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd., Jarrow, for the African Steamship Company Ltd., Liverpool, managed by Elder Dempster Lines. Rebuilt to 6981gt in 1899. 1914 – Requisitioned by the Admiralty and used initially as a troopship, she was rebuilt as a dummy battleship later that year, and renamed HMS AUDACIOUS. Used as a depot ship in 1915. 1916 – Transferred to the British Shipping Controller, and managed by Frederick Leyland Ltd., Liverpool. Converted to a tanker in October, she was transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in November, and renamed RFA CRENELLA, managed by Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company. She survived attack from a torpedo in 1917 off the coast of Ireland. 1919 – Sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum, and renamed ss CRENELLA. 1923 – Sold to Christian Nielsen & Co., Larvik, Norway, renamed REY ALFONSO and used as a whale oil depot ship. She was resold to H.M. Wrangell & Co., Haugesund in 1925 but retained her name. 1927 – Sold to Anglo-Norse Company, Tonsberg, and renamed ANGLO-NORSE (7166gt) managed by Hans Borge. . 1929 – Sold to the Falkland Whaling Company, rebuilt as a whaler (8040gt), and renamed POLAR CHIEF. She was laid up at Tonsberg when war broke out in September 1939, but managed to get to the UK before Germany invaded Norway. 1940 – Requisitioned by MoWT, managed by Christian Salvesen & Co., Leith. She was renamed EMPIRE CHIEF in November 1941. In January 1942, she ran aground off Reykjavik, but was refloated and managed to return to Britain for repairs. 1946 – Returned to her owners and former name. POLAR CHIEF was broken up at Troon in 1952. (info from Wikipedia)