Santagata was a 7,049 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 by Sir W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom as Empire Farmer for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

The ship was built in 1944 by Sir W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland.

[6] Empire Farmer then joined Convoy EN.238, which departed from Methil that day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 6 June.

[9] She then joined Convoy KMS19T, which departed from Malta on 23 July and arrived at Tripoli, Libya the next day.

Empire Farmer is next recorded as departing from Salerno, Italy on 5 October, arriving at Malta two days later.

Empire Farmer departed from Port Said on 6 November and arrived back at Alexandria the next day.

Empire Farmer departed from Lagos on 28 January for Takoradi, Gold Coast, arriving two days later.

[23] Empire Farmer left the convoy and put into Loch Ewe, arriving on 6 March.

[6] Empire Farmer departed from Southend on 12 June and spent the next five weeks sailing in convoy to and from the Seine Bay.

She sailed on 18 August to join Convoy ON249[6] which had departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at New York, United States on 2 September.

[6] Empire Farmer departed from Gibraltar on 5 November with Convoy GC95, arriving at Casablanca, Morocco the next day.

Empire Farmer departed from Guantanamo Bay the next day as a member of Convoy GN183, which arrived at the Hampton Roads on 30 January.

[6] Empire Farmer departed from London on 11 November for Hull, Yorkshire, arriving the next day.

[6] She was transferred to the French Government on 15 November 1945 and renamed Administrateur en Chef Thomas,[4] in honour of Thomas Prudent, who was mortally wounded on 6 August 1944 whilst attempting to escape from a train after being arrested by the Gestapo for his part in the St. Nazaire Raid on 28 March 1942.

[2] On 4 December, she departed from Le Havre on her maiden voyage in CGT service, bound for New York.

On 22 July 1947, she was in collision the tanker Wyoming Valley at New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

On 2 December 1947, Administrateur en Chef Thomas collided with USS LCT-932 at Bassens, Gironde, causing a leak to her stern.

[4] In 1950, the ship was re-engined with a 1940-built Burmeister and Wain 6-cylinder four-stroke Single Action diesel engine.

[2] On 23 December 1950, Santagata ran aground on the Goodwin Sands in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north east of the South Goodwin Lightship whilst on a voyage from Casablanca, Morocco to Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom.