Fort & Park Royston Granges

[zelo1954]

Folks:
On Woody of IOW's website there are 2 photos of Royston Grange. There were two similar vessels:

FORT ASH (1943)
Owners;Managers: Dominion of Canada; Dene Shipping Co., London for Ministry of War Transport (UK),.
1950: Houlder Bros., London, renamed ROYSTON GRANGE;
1952: Italian owners, renamed GIUAN;
1960: Italian owners, renamed CINQUETERRE;
1961: Liberia owners, renamed TILEMAHOS: 1965: Gibraltar owners, renamed ELICOS;
1966: Broken up Split


SAPPERTON PARK (1944)
Nom. Manager: Canadian Transport Co., Ltd., Vancouver
Launched as Fort Toulouse - Transfer to Ministry of War Transport (UK), cancelled
1946: Harmac Alberni, Canadian transport Co.Ltd.
1948: Royston Grange, Houlder Line Ltd./Furness Withy & Co. Ltd. UK
1949: Yiannis, Rio Padro Cia. Nav SA, Panama/Goulandris Bros. (Hellas) Ltd., Piraeus
1967: Scrapped in Japan.

The links to the two photos are:

http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum/Old%20Ship%20Picture%20Gallery/R/slides/Royston%20Grange%20(3).html

and

http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum/Old%20Ship%20Picture%20Gallery/R/slides/Royston%20Grange%20(4).html

Is there any way of telling which Royston Granges these photos are. They could both be the same vessel for all I know.

Cheers, Geoff

[non descript]

Geoff

The good news is that they are not the same ship. - The one underway is the ex Fort Ash and the one alongside is ex Fort Toulouse – both built 1943.

I will update with some other information later.

Regards
Mark

[Bruce Carson]

It's confusing, but as far as I can make out:
The 'Harmac Alberni' (ex 'Sapperton Park') became Houlder's 'Royston Grange' in 1948. She was sold Panamanian in 1949 and renamed 'Yiannis.
One source states that the 'Fort Ash' was managed by Houlder in 1948, bought by them in 1949, but was not renamed 'Royston Grange' until 1950. She was sold to an Italian company and renamed 'Guian' in 1952. Another Source (The Ships List) has the 'Fort Ash' managed by Houlder beginning in 1946, bought by Houlder in 1947 and renamed 'Royston Grange' in 1950.
Both agree that the 'Fort Ash' was the 'Royston Grange' beginning in 1950 until she was sold in 1952.

Bruce C.

[non descript]

The 5 ships to bear the name Royston Grange, in chronological order are:

Royston Grange (1) Built 1897 – Acquired by Houlders 1899 - remained in the fleet until broken up 1928

Royston Grange (2) Built 1918 – War Bison, Australier, Salado – Acquired by Houlders 1935 - sunk 25-11-1939 by U28

Royston Grange (3) Built 1943 - Fort Toulouse - Sapperton Park, Harmic Alberni, Acquired by Houlders in 1947 – sold in 1949 and re-named Yiannis – broken up in 1966

Royston Grange (4) Built 1943 – Fort Ash – Acquired 1950 - Sold 1952 Giuan, 1960 Cinqueterre, 1961 Tilemahos, 1965 Elicos 1966 broken up

Royston Grange (5) Built 1959 – Lost in collision & fire in the River Plate 11-05-72

[oldbosun]

Definitely not the same ship Zelo 1954. Too many obvious differences. I 'lifted' both the photos and put them side by side.
Port side view has jumbo derricks fore and mainmasts, starboard side view does not.
Port side view shows the tall engine room vents. Starboard side view does not.

Starboard side view ship has funnel capped. Port side view does not.

Not the best of quality pictures anyway. Not that I'm beefing, because I love all those old ship pictures regardless of quality.

[Bruce Carson]

There's a photo of the ex 'Fort Ash' in Houlder colours on the Shaw Savill and & Albion site:

http://www.shawsavillships.co.uk/royston1.htm

Bruce C.

[zelo1954]

There's a photo of the ex 'Fort Ash' in Houlder colours on the Shaw Savill and & Albion site:

http://www.shawsavillships.co.uk/royston1.htm

Bruce C.

Thanks everyone on this thread (+ one private message) for clearing this up. Funny you know I thought this was quite a knotty little problem - yet I asked the question on here with full expectation that I'd get an answer overnight. It reminds me of my "2 SD-14 Dunelmias" query a couple of months back - same result. (Applause)

Cheers, Geoff

[non descript]

Geoff, the Old Chinese Proverb suggests: "A quality question deserves a quality response"
Have a good one and thank you for helping to get my brain cells working again.

Kind regards
Mark