The SS Richmond P. Hobson was built by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company from June 25th to the end of July 1943 and allocated to the Isbrandtsen Company of New York to serve as cargo for the Army Transportation Service. Throughout her rather long career, she will change hands a surprising number of times. Between 1947 and 1953, she will sail under the Panamanian flag for Cia. Faralon de Nav. After returning to the stars and stripes for a short period, she will down the Union Jack in 1954, after being acquired by Fafalios Ltd. with which she stays in service until 1961, when the London-based firm sells it to Yugoslav operator Jugoslavenska Slobodna Plovidba. The now-named Trebisnjica ends up aground on the Hogsty Reef in Southern Bahamas where her wreck can be found to this day. With such an eventful history it’s hard to say how many sailors got to breathe in the asbestos dust emanating from the many areas of the ship lined with the toxic mineral, but the number is most certainly too high.
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