THE LIBERTY SHIPS

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THE LIBERTY SHIPS

Thompson built a welded ship up at Sunderland,
Ten thousand tons she carried, and structure simply planned,
When the U-boat war broke out we had to hold the line,
But cargo ships were sinking in that horrendous time.

So using modern methods he mass produced some more,
`Empire`was the prefix of every name they bore,
There was the Empire Ranger, and the Empire Deer,
Among the names of many, launched there on the Wear.

She was called an ugly duckling dressed in wartime grey,
Holds were four in number and flush decks all the way,
Eleven knots her foremost speed, armed with basic guns,
But crucial to our lifeline on dangerous convoy runs.

Copied by our Allies they built `em in the States,
And named them after heroes - of the nation’s `greats`,
Like the William Hooper, Dan Boone or Joseph Meek,
Delivered from the shipyards, several every week.

They built them too in Canada but named them after `Parks`,
Canadians that manned them, trained and then embarked,
Mount Pleasant Park and Jasper Park sadly met their fate,
Shattered by the enemy while steaming with their freight.

British crews that joined them, had a different name,
Sailing in the `Fort` boats constructed just the same,
Fort Bedford and Fort Brandon just two of plenty more,
That carried precious cargoes from shore to distant shore.

Later on the `Victory` ships came onto the scene,
Longer and much faster and broader in the beam,
They called them after cities like the Bedford Victory,
All crewed by unsung heroes that fought the war at sea.

Joe Earl April 2010

The President had told the country that these ships would bring liberty to Europe. From then on, they were known as 'Liberty` Ships. It was said during the war that if a Liberty Ship delivered its cargo but once, it paid for itself.

Approximately 2,742 liberty ships were built and 200 of them were sunk.

We are both lucky and pleased to have a friend in Captain Joe Earl, we appreciate his work and the fact that he not only shares this with us, but allows us to post here for the benefit of all.

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