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Abonema (1907) - a general history

Kitty’s Brook had been built as Elder, Dempster’s Abonema, one of the sisters.  In 1920 a change of heart, or perhaps change of trade, saw her becoming Sapele for the same owners.  When sold in 1929, the first of three Argentinean owners bought her, renaming her San George and converting her Richardsons, Westgarth triple-expansion engines to oil burning.  In 1935 she became Santa Catherina, as which Bowater’s Newfoundland Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd. probably paid a high price for a ship which gave them barely a year’s work.

Kitty’s Brook was acquired in 1941, but was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U 588 off the east coast in position 42.56N by 63.59W, on 10th May 1942, whilst carrying United States Government stores from New York to Argentia, Newfoundland.  Nine lives were lost, but vengeance was swift, as the U-588 was herself sunk by a Canadian corvette that July.

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