A great American honor was bestowed upon the borough of Coaldale and the anthracite industry by the United States Government when in February of 1945 the SS Coaldale, a victory ship, was launched at the Bethlehem Steel-Fairfield Shipyard in Baltimore, MD.

Complete details of the launching are difficult to find. However, on Feb. 16, 1945, James “Casey” Gildea wrote in his weekly newspaper the Coaldale Observer, that on Feb. 21 Regina Miller, the daughter of a Coaldale miner, would smash a bottle of champagne across the bow of the vessel as part of a traditional ship-christening ceremony.

According to Gildea, the SS Coaldale was built in recognition of the outstanding production achievements by the anthracite miners during World War II. Anthracite was vital to the war effort and national defense.

Gildea stated that no better justification of a historic statement made by United Mine Workers Union President John L. Lewis—“Anthracite miners will never take a backward step”—was needed.

The SS Coaldale was 455 feet long, weighed 7,612 tons and would carry 1,600 passengers. It had a top speed of 17 knots. A history of Coaldale Borough was entered in its first log.

From 1943 to 1945, a total of 531 victory ships were built. They were designed to carry war cargo but the SS Coaldale was converted to a troop transport. Initially, it made runs to the European Theater of War bringing U.S. military personnel home.

Late in 1945, the SS Coaldale began operating in the Pacific Theater of War and continued that service until 1948 when it was sold and renamed the Nanking Victory. The ship was resold three more times, its last name being the Hong Kong Mariner in 1962.

Finally, in August of 1972, it was taken to Taiwan and cut up for scrap—a sad ending for a ship that had served our nation with dignity

1946 Laid up James River.

1948 NANKING VICTORY, China Union Lines Ltd, Shanghai / Keelung.

1951 HASSAN, Fidelity Steamship Co, Panama.

1952 APPINGEDIJK, Holland America Line, Rotterdam.

1954 APPINGEDYK, same owners.

1962 HONGKONG MARINER, Overseas Maritime Co, Monrovia.

1972 Scrapped Taiwan