Clan Allan was a 7,043 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1942 as Empire Forest by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

[3] The ship was built in 1942 by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham as Empire Forest for the MoWT.

[2] Empire Forest was operated under the management of Smith, Hogg & Co Ltd.[2] She departed from the River Tyne on her maiden voyage of 22 March 1942, to join Convoy FN 661,[5] which had departed from Southend, Essex the previous day and arrived at Methil, Fife on 23 March.

[6] She then joined Convoy EN 63, which sailed the next day and arrived at Oban, Argyllshire on 27 March.

Empire Fores then joined Convoy ON 80,[5] which departed from Liverpool, Lancashire on 27 March and arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on 15 April.

She left the convoy off Halifax,[8] sailing on to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where she arrived on 17 April.

[5] Empire Forest sailed from Saint John on 10 May for Cape Town, South Africa, where she arrived on 10 June.

[5] Empire Forest sailed from Um Qasr on 26 September for Karachi, India, where she arrived on 2 October.

[11] She then joined Convoy GN 41, which sailed that day and arrived at New York, United States on 21 February.

[12] Carrying general cargo, Empire Forest joined Convoy SC 121, which sailed on 23 February and arrived at Liverpool on 14 March.

[15] She then joined Convoy KMS 13, which sailed that day and arrived at Bône, Algeria on 29 April.

Empire Forest sailed on 14 May to join Convoy MKS 13,[5] which had departed from Bougie, Algeria that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 19 May.

[17] She sailed on 28 May to join Convoy OS 48,[5] which formed at sea on 29 May and arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 7 June.

[5] Empire Forest sailed from Middlesbrough on 14 August for Hull, Yorkshire, arriving the next day.

She sailed on 30 October for the River Tyne, from where she departed on 2 November for Methil, arriving the next day.

She sailed on 23 November join Convoy MKS 32,[5] which had departed from Alexandria the previous day and arrived at Gibraltar on 3 December.

[32] Empire Forest sailed from Alexandria on 31 January 1944 to join Convoy MKS 39,[5] which had departed from Port Said the previous day and arrived at Gibraltar on 11 February.

[36] She sailed on 5 May to join Convoy GUS 38,[5] which had departed from Port Said on 24 April and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 22 May.

Carrying general cargo and explosives, Empire Forest sailed with Convoy HX 295 on 10 June.

[5] She departed from the Seine Bay on 11 September with Convoy FTM 2A, which arrived at Southend the next day.

[5] Empire Forest departed from Liverpool on 24 September with Convoy OS90KM, which split at sea on 1 October.

Empire Forest sailed with Convoy HA 73 on 16 October and arrived at Augusta two days later.

[5] Carrying a cargo of coffee, She sailed that day with Convoy MKS 72G, which arrived at Liverpool on 30 December.

[53] She was the only ship in Convoy MH 13, which departed from Milford Haven that day and arrived at the Clyde on 5 February.

[5] On 21 November, Empire Forest departed from Leixões for the United Kingdom laden with a cargo of 25 million tins of sardines - almost the whole of Portugal's production for that year.