The SS Alexander Lillington was a Liberty ship constructed in the United States during World War II, designed to serve as a cargo vessel for wartime logistics. Built by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in their Cape Fear River yard, the ship's construction began with the laying of the keel on November 2, 1942, and was launched relatively quickly on December 6, 1942. As a Liberty ship, she would have been built for rapid production, featuring a standard design intended to replace ships lost to wartime action and to support Allied supply chains. Named after Alexander Lillington, a North Carolina Patriot militia officer known for his roles in the Battles of Moore's Creek Bridge and Camden, the vessel carried a designation of MC contract 869, indicating her place within the U.S. Maritime Commission's wartime production program. During her active service, the SS Alexander Lillington was chartered to the South Atlantic Steamship Company under the War Shipping Administration, which managed her operations until January 1947. Afterward, she was operated by the Waterman Steamship Corporation until December 1947. Following her active service, the ship was transferred into the Wilmington Fleet of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in January 1948, where she remained as part of the U.S. maritime reserve fleet. During her reserve period, she was chartered to Boland & Cornelius. The vessel's service life concluded when she was scrapped in 1961, marking the end of her contribution to maritime history. Overall, the SS Alexander Lillington exemplifies the mass-produced Liberty ships that played a vital role in the Allied war effort, facilitating the transportation of troops, supplies, and equipment across the Atlantic and beyond. Her relatively short active career and subsequent placement in the reserve fleet reflect the typical lifecycle of Liberty ships—built quickly for wartime needs and later phased out as newer or more modern ships replaced them.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.