WHEATON VICTORY
A typical Victory ship built for the US War Shipping Administration (WSA), Los Angeles as a Troop Transport. She was launched on 22 March 1945 by California Shipbuilding Co., Los Angeles with several important persons in attendance. She was among a group of 150 Victory ships named for American colleges and universities.
She served a total of 77 days during the conflict and after she was decommissioned she became Alpherat in 1947 for Dutch owners followed in 1963 by being sold to China Merchants S.N. Co., Keelung where she was renamed Hai FU, as shown in this photograph.
Her China ordeal was not for long as on 26 October 1963 she ran aground at the entrance to Honolulu Harbour. It was evaluated as a total loss and sold for scrap. She was towed to Kaohsiung, Taiwan and broken up.
Photograph belongs to Stuart Smith.
Copyright. A Duncan, Gravesend, Kent
