Baxtergate was a 7,072 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1944 as Empire Cowdray by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Sunderland, United Kingdom.

[2] Following completion in October 1944, two days of sea trials were held before the ship entered service.

Once loading was complete, the crew were given a brief shore leave so that they could have a beer before the ship sailed to join a convoy.

After they had sobered up, the crew were all fined for refusing the lawful command of the Captain and causing the ship to miss the convoy.

[4] She then joined Convoy ON 264, which departed Southend that day and arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on 21 November.

[5] Empire Cowdray left the convoy to unload her coal at Baltimore, Maryland and then sailed to Philadelphia, where a cargo of grain and crated aircraft was loaded.

[7] Empire Cowdray was the first Allied merchant ship into Cagliari after Germany forces had left Sardinia.

[7] She then joined Convoy UGS 78, which departed from the Hampton Roads that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 18 March.

Empire Cowdray then sailed to Suez from where she departed on 2 April,[7] for Port Sudan to load a cargo of cottonseed and maize.

Empire Cowdray then sailed to Port Said, from where she departed on 4 September for Alexandria, Egypt, arriving the next day.

[7] The war ended on 15 September and the crew were allowed a half pint of lager each to celebrate.

The ship's First Officer told the crew that they were committing mutiny on the high seas by refusing to sail.

During preparation for sailing, a crew member was injured in an accident whilst the rudder was being checked.

Empire Cowdray sailed to South Shields, County Durham, arriving on 15 October.

Baxtergate arrived at Barrow in Furness, Lancashire on 1 December 1960 with a load of iron ore from Bône, Algeria.