SS Harold O. Wilson

A locomotive being unloaded from Harold O. Wilson on 3 November 1945
History
United States
Name	Harold O. Wilson
Namesake	Harold O. Wilson
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2396
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$803,647[1]
Yard number	181
Way number	5
Laid down	12 December 1944
Launched	12 January 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. J.S. Bragdon
Completed	24 January 1945
Identification	Call Signal: ANHY [1]
Fate	Sold for commercial use, 20 June 1947
United States
Name	North Beacon
Operator	Northeastern Steamship Corp.
Acquired	20 June 1947
Fate	Sold, April 1955
United States
Name	Texmar
Operator	Bethlehem Steel
Acquired	April 1955
Fate	Wrecked and sold for scrapping, January 1961
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m^3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m^3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS Harold O. Wilson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Harold O. Wilson, who was lost at sea while he was an oiler on SS Flora MacDonald, that was torpedoed by German submarine U-126, 30 May 1943, off Sierra Leone.

Construction

Harold O. Wilson was laid down on 12 December 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2396, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. J.S. Bragdon, and launched on 12 January 1945.[3][1]

History

On 3 November 1945, one of the first US locomotives for the French railroad system was unloaded from Harold O. Wilson in Marseille.[4]

She was allocated to the United States Navigation Company, on 24 January 1945. On 20 June 1947, she was sold to Northeastern Steamship Corp., and renamed North Beacon. In April 1955, she was sold to Bethlehem Steel, and renamed Texmar. In January 1961, she was wrecked and sold for scrapping.[5][6]

References

1. MARCOM.
2. Davies 2004, p. 23.
3. J.A. Brunswick 2010.
4. "SC 216515 Marseille, France. One of the first U.S. locomotives for the French railroad system is unloaded from the Liberty ship HAROLD O. WILSON, on November 3, 1945". NHHC. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
5. Liberty Ships.
6. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Harold O. Wilson". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• "SS Harold O. Wilson". Retrieved 18 November 2017.