Empire Baffin was a 6,978 ton cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

She was commissioned in 1943 as HMS Sancroft, being converted into a cable laying ship for Operation Pluto.

[7] Convoy QP 9 sailed from the Kola Inlet on 21 March 1942 and arrived at Reykjavík on 3 April.

[10] Empire Baffin was attacked by German aircraft, which bombed her scoring several near misses.

Empire Baffin had to return to Loch Ewe due to being damaged in severe weather.

[16] Empire Baffin was taken over by the Admiralty and converted by Green & Silley Weir Ltd, London to a cable laying ship for Operation Pluto, and commissioned as HMS Sancroft.

[1] Those killed whilst serving on Empire Baffin during the war are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Later that year, she was sold to Stag Line Ltd,[1] North Shields[3] still under the management of J Robinson & Sons.