SS Empire Baffin

Empire Baffin was a 6,978 ton cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was commissioned in 1943 as HMS Sancroft, being converted into a cable laying ship for Operation Pluto. She was returned to the MoWT in 1946 and subsequently sold and renamed Clintonia. A final change of ownership in 1960 saw her renamed Aspis and she was scrapped in 1963.

History

Empire Baffin was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow as yard number 958. She was launched on 28 August 1941 and completed in October 1941. She was operated under the management of J Robinson & Sons,North Shields.

War service

Empire Baffin was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

Convoy PQ 2 sailed from Liverpool on 13 October 1941 and arrived at Archangel on 30 October.Empire Baffin joined from Scapa Flow on 17 October.

Convoy QP 3 sailed from Archangel on 27 November 1941 and dispersed on 3 December. Empire Baffin was carrying a cargo of magnasite bound for the Tees.