I was in love with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. That's the one thing I'm so indebted to her for.
WC Fields (1880-1946)
Picture: Perseus Book Group
First Liberty ship launchedIn 1941, the first Liberty ship, the S.S. Patrick Henry, was launched. Three months later, on 30 Dec 1941, it was delivered at Baltimore, Maryland, to the U.S. Maritime Commission. It was built in 244 days by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipbuilding Co., of that city. It was the first of 2,741 Liberty ships launched, of which 385 were built at Baltimore, in a three-year WW II emergency merchant ship construction program. The S.S. Patrick Henry could average a speed of about 11 knots, and had a general cargo capacity of 9,146 tons. The American patriot Patrick Henry had ended a speech (23 Mar 1775) with the phrase “give me Liberty, or give me death,” Hence the emergency ships became known as Liberty ships, after President Roosevelt said their mission was to bring liberty to European allies with relief supplies.« |
