Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Starboard broadside view of S.S. CLAN BRODIE at Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff.

Clan Line was established in 1878 when Charles Cayzer acquired two steamers to operate a service to Bombay. The firm later extended its operations to other parts of India and South Africa. CIan Brodie was built at Greenock in 1940, and was originally the seaplane depot ship HMS Athene. She was bought by Clan Line in 1946 and converted into a conventional cargo vessel of 7,473 gross tons. (Source: Shipping at Cardiff: Photographs from the Hansen Collection 1920-1975 by David Jenkins, 1993.)

S.S. CLAN BRODIE. Laid down as Cameron class steamer CLAN BRODIE for the Clan Line, but requisitioned by the Admiralty while still on the stocks, and completed 1940 by Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Co., Greenock, as Air Transport ship, HMS ATHENE. She was fitted with a single catapult and was capable of carrying 40 seaplanes. 1946 – Rebuilt as a merchant vessel (with a split bridge), renamed CLAN BRODIE, and finally delivered to Clan Line Steamers Ltd, managed by Cayzer, Irvine & Co Ltd. 1962 – Transferred to King Line Ltd., London. In June 1963, while at Colombo, she was sold for scrap to Hong Kong Salvage & Towage Co Ltd., and arrived at Mollers Ltd at Hong Kong in the July to be broken up.