Greer Garson of World War II in "Mrs. Miniver". ("Guinness Book of World Records" credits her with the longest Oscar acceptance speech, at five minutes and 30 seconds, after which the Academy Awards instituted a time limit.) In 1942, Garson also co-starred in the powerful, dramatic film "Random Harvest" with Academy Award winner Ronald Colman. Set at the end of World War I with Ronald Colman as a shell-shocked, amnesiac soldier and Greer Garson as his love interest, "Random Harvest" received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It lost to "Mrs. Miniver", and Garson won the Academy Award for that role.
SS Empire Miniver with scrap iron, sailed from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 28 June for Halifax. After arriving there on 2 July, "West Cobalt" sailed the next day in Convoy HX-55 for Liverpool. On the night of 15/16 July, "West Cobalt" dropped astern of the convoy and was last sighted at 01:00 by British merchant ship "Loch Don". "West Cobalt" continued on, however, and reached Liverpool independently on 18 July. Soon transferred to the Ministry of War Transport, the newly renamed ship, now named "Empire Miniver", was assigned to Andrew Weir & Co. of London for operation. She sailed from Liverpool in her