Many Maltese traveled on this ship as it was the ferry to Europe making trips thrice weekly to Syracuse.
My Grandad was part of the crew as a Boatswain in the fifties
Here is some more info
The MV Star of Malta was launched in 1925 as the luxury yacht Camargo. She was built for a wealthy American - Julius Fleischmann of Cincinnati who was an expert yachtsman. While cruising on board Camargo in the South Pacific with his wife and two children he secretly created maps that were later used by the US government when attacking the many Japanese-held islands during World War ll.
In 1938 Camargo was sold to the President of the Dominican Republic, Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo, and renamed Ramfis.
In 1942 she was acquired by the US Navy, converted for naval service and commissioned as USS Marcasite (PY-28) on May 12, 1942 with Lt. Cdr Leander Jeffrey in command.
She saw service at Pearl Harbour escorting merchant ships operating in the Hawaiian Islands. Having left Pearl Harbour she was next stationed at Seattle, where she served as a patrol and weather station ship. She was decommissioned on October 5, 1944 and sold that same month for conversion to commercial use and renamed Comando.
In 1947 she was acquired by the Minster SS Co. Ltd (Mitchell Cotts & Co. Malta) and renamed Westminster. In 1952 she was sold to a Maltese, Paul M. Laferla, who operated her thrice weekly as the passenger ferry Star of Malta between Malta and Syracuse. The vessel also carried mail.
On July 29, 1955 at about 8 a.m., while returning from Syracuse, the Star of Malta ran aground in thick early mist on the Mercanti Reef some 200 feet off Dragonara Point and capsized.
Video clip of the Ship aground
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=39584
