SS CHARLES J. FINGER

This Liberty ship was named after..... Charles J. Finger (1869-1941) whom was an author of juvenile books.  His book Tales from Silver Lands (1924) won the 1925 Newbery Medal.   Some of Finger's other works include Tales Worth Telling (1927), Courageous Companions (1929), and A Dog at His Heel.  Finger was an accomplished musician. He directed the San Angelo Conservatory of Music in Texas, from 1898 to 1904.[4] Among his piano students in San Angelo was David Wendel Guion, who would later achieve notability for arranging and popularizing the ballad "Home on the Range."

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The Liberty Ship freighter SS Charles J. Finger was built at Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corp. with emergency Hull No. 2909.  Her Keel was laid on December 8th, 1943.  Her hull kissed the water [launched] on January 28th, 1944, and was delivered to her 'Operator" Overlakes Freighter Corp.  After her postwar duties she entered the James River Reserve Fleet on October 20th, 1945 and was withdrawn on February 24th, 1947.

SS Charles J. Finger

1947 March the Charles J. Finger was sold to Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni and was to display the Denmark flag.....her name was changed to St. Thomas.
1951 she was sold again to Aragon Cia. Nav., S.A. and this time she would display the Panama flag with a name change to Cavostaras.

1953 she was sold again to Cia Europa Comm. y Maritima, S.A. and she would display the Panama Flag with a name change to Despina.

                                                                       SS Despina


1959 Re-flagged to display the Greece flag....and she was renamed Amfithea.
1963 she was sold to Chogule Steamships, Ltd. and was to fly the India flag....and to be renamed Maratha Explorer.
1966 she was sold to Pent-Ocean Steamships Ply., Ltd. and was again to display an India flag, and her named changed to Samudra Vijay.
1970 August. she was purchased by Shipbreakers, Bombay, India to be scrapped.

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Author: Bud Shortridge