[Fairfield]

Built by Scotts' at Greenock in 1952 and taken 21 years later in Glasgow.She lasted till 1977 with ED before going for scrap.

[davidcalgary]

I remember seeing her in Lagos.

[barrypriddis]

Am I right in thinking that she was part funded by MOD when being built, and had engines capable of more than commercial speed, so that the vessel could fulfill a military requirement?

[eldersuk]

She was part funded by MOD and was fitted with companionways in the hatches for conversion to trooping and stregthened for gun emplacements. She was also capable of running at a higher speed than that which was commercially viable.

Sister ship EBOE was identical.
Built by Scott's S&E, Greenock 1952. Both were powered by 6 cyl Doxford 725mm x 2250mm 8000 bhp, 16 knots, which were at the time reputed to be the biggest built.

Derek

[ruud]

Ahoy,

Found this piccie taken by Fotoflite incorperating Skyfotos, so the credits to them.
The EBANI 1952 © Fotoflite incorperating Skyfotos

[Cornishman]

I did four trips on her as Acting Junior out of Tilbury in '67 - 68. I believe that there were a total of six ships built to this War Office (MOD) sponsored design, EDs having two. The grey stuff seems to prompt that Ropners had two more and it may have been that Lyles had the other two. The decks were certainly strengthened to mount guns, as indicated on bulkhead drawings.
We were generally able to make about 15 kts @ 105 rev/min, but were limited by concerns about cracks in the crankcase under one of the main bearings.
The Doxford was generally reliable, however, we succumbed to failure of one of the lower piston water cooling system glands, located in the crankcase, which resulted in complete lub. oil emulsification. Chief's tears nearly matched the 2000 + gallons of oil replaced. Another notable incident concerned the mechanical fuel valves, one of which stuck open whilst manoeuvring and causing the pressure relief valve to lift.
Whilst on the subject of the Doxford fuel system, it seems to have taken modern diesel technology a long time to catch up with the common rail system in use then.
Final observation regarding Doxfords - their starting air was 600 psi, rather than the 450 psi on B&W and Sulzer.
The Eboe and Ebani, and probably Egori too, since she was on the same service, didn't do the creeks on account of size and manoeuvrability.
After coasting for some months after leaving her I requested a steamship. Dave Jarvis seemed surprised but sent me to join Perseus for a trip around the globe.

[David Wilcockson]

Eldersuk
So if she had been chartered by MOD what sort of speed could she make & how many troops would she have been able to uplift. Did she carry 12 passengers on normal commercial service.
David

[eldersuk]

Ebani carried 12 passengers but I've no idea how many troops she would be capable of carrying. She had 5 hatches, 4 of which could be used for troop carrying, at a guess I would say 500 per hatch - depends how the army pack them in.
We used to run these ships at about 70% power which gave us about 16 knots so I suppose 19-20 knots would be a realistic estimate of maximum speed.

Derek

[David Wilcockson]

Derek
Thanks for that, so many times you hear rumours of what ships could do & it turns out to be some kind of urban myth, nice to bottom the truth out in this case & interesting as well. Would have looked mighty impressive doing around 20 knots. A certain amount of vessels built for British owners just after WW 2 had provision for gun emplacements & decks strengthened, the likes of Clan Line & corresponding `K` class of PSNC spring to mind, don`t know when the practice was abandoned but would have thought early/mid 50`s most likely.
David

[lakercapt]

Think that the two Ropner's vessels were Somersby and Swiftpool.
They were fast too

[David Wilcockson]

lakercapt
Swiftpool went to BI when only a few years old, & didn`t Somersby go to the RFA, not sure about the last bit.
David

[japottinger]

Egori's engine built by Scotts' at Greenock was the first turbocharged diesel, there was quite a long write up in Motor Ship magazine.

[eldersuk]

Slight correction Jim, first turbocharged Doxford.

Derek

[japottinger]

Oops! I omitted the Doxford.

[WilliamH]

For Dave Wilcockson Somersby did go to the RFA, she was fitted out as a stores replenishment vessel at Smiths Docks, North Shields in the mid 50's

[gillywhizz]

I travelled with my family as an eight year old from a very cold Tilbury docks in November 1968 to Bathurst (Banjul) in The Gambia. Unfortunately whilst passing The Canaries my younger brother aged 2 had a febrile convulsion and we had to make an unscheduled stop at Gran Canaria where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital. We stayed in Gran Canaria for a week, whilst The Ebani carried on its journey. We flew to The Gambia arriving a day before the boat.As a child I remember being spoilt by the crew and there was a rocking horse that had been found in a cupboard somewhere for me to play on. I have very fond memories of this ship.

[Pat Kennedy]

Originally Posted by David Wilcockson

Derek
Thanks for that, so many times you hear rumours of what ships could do & it turns out to be some kind of urban myth, nice to bottom the truth out in this case & interesting as well. Would have looked mighty impressive doing around 20 knots. A certain amount of vessels built for British owners just after WW 2 had provision for gun emplacements & decks strengthened, the likes of Clan Line & corresponding `K` class of PSNC spring to mind, don`t know when the practice was abandoned but would have thought early/mid 50`s most likely.
David

Alfred Holt's "Jason" and Ixion", were also supposed to have been built with extra engine capacity. As they could cruise at 18 knots, I imagine the extra capacity would bring them up to 20 knots or more.
There was a rumour going round when I was at sea that if a shipping company had 99 ships, than the 100th had to be built for MOD use in time of war. I dont know if this was true or not, perhaps someone out there knows.

Pat

[Bill Davies]

Pat,
I would say the 'H' Class were more than capable of 20kts.
Brgds
Bill

[RayJordandpo]

"There was a rumour going round when I was at sea that if a shipping company had 99 ships, than the 100th had to be built for MOD use in time of war. I dont know if this was true or not, perhaps someone out there knows".

Pat,
I was lead to believe similar. I thought if a shipping company had more than 99 ships they had to pay for the upkeep of a warship (urban myth perhaps?)
Story has it that Ellerman and Wilson kept their fleet below a hundred to avoid this ruling. I would be very interested to know if this was true and in what year
Ray Jordan

[compass1]

Re: photos of Ebani,Eboe (and other ED ships). When I was apprentice with them ('55 to '59) focs'le and poop areas used to be painted white which set off the lines of the hull nicely. When did this practice stop and why?

[eldersuk]

It stopped in the mid 60's as a supposed economy measure when the accountants began to gain control.

Derek

[Bill Davies]

eldersuk,
The corporate link between Elders & AH went back a long time but the amalgamation of the crews came in the late 60s I am told. How did it impact on life in EDs??

[J Smith]

Bill Davies:
You ask how the amalgation of crews impacted on life in ED's -
Well, I and many others got out quickly!
James Smith

[eldersuk]

The amalgamation of the crews did not affect me too much personally - it was the change in management, both in the personnel and style which made the difference. From working for a friendly company it became like working for a government department. Nothing hostile you understand, but suddenly impersonal.

[Bill Davies]

Eldersuk,
Thanks yours. I heard similar from many 'old friends'. I am not sure if I mentioned it before but I came face to face with this management when I bought a house off one of the Directors in Gayton on the Wirral in 1970. What an arrogant man. Could not even bring himself to engage in pleasantries.