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Official crests were first approved for RFA Ships around 1962 and these are recorded in our RFA Crest section, however we understand that many ships in the RFA fleet had crests made up locally, and it is these crests and badges that we would like to recor...
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RFA Ennerdale arrived at Penang on the 26th November 1945 and was given sailing orders to depart on the 3rd December; bound for Singapore. On the way down to Singapore Ennerdale was requested to rendezvous off the Perak River to collect some spare landing...
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In 1942 the Allies planned to invade and occupy the part of North Africa that was under the control of the Vichy French Government and stop the Germans and Italians from using it. Planning for the invasion was begun early in 1942 and on the 22nd Octob...
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In late 1940 the German Navy wanted to send two surface raiders – the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau into the Atlantic to attack Allied convoys. Operation ‘Berlin’, as the attack was called, commenced on 28 December 1940 when both ships attem...
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In 1919 RFA Birchol – a 1,000 ton harbour oiler was deployed to Archangel, Russia in support of three United States Naval submarine chasers that had been sent to provide immediate naval assistance to that country’s forces in northern Russia.
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NO! – this isn’t the RFA’s first submarine – only HMS/m Astute at sea between Barrow and Faslane before being commissioned
Image published with the kind permission of the Editor of 'Ships Monthly'...
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The following exchange of signals it is reported have taken place: -
From: HMS Cossack To: RFA Maine
RPC Cocktails 1945 tonight =
1400K
From: RFA Maine To: HMS Cossack
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A correspondent of the Glasgow Herald in October 1953 told his readers that Admiral the Earl Mountbatten, the Fourth Sea Lord, had described the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as ‘Fairy Godmothers of the Fleet’. The Admiral went onto say – ‘It...
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The “Wave” class of 21 ships (20 to be RFA’s) were built to a standard 1943 wartime design with slight variations in layout and complied with the builder’s normal construction plans and details. The designs changed and differed across the three bu...
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Back in the 1950’s some of the RFA’s fleet of tankers were hired out to commercial companies on charter. RFA Wave Emperor was one such tanker which was chartered to the Esso Standard Oil Company, and engaged in freighting oil from the Caribbean to va...
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In 1982, during the Falklands Conflict a plan was hatched in Argentina to destroy British ships in Gibraltar harbour. This plan was approved by Admiral Jorge Anaya, who kept it secret from the Junta.
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RFA Bishopdale arrived at San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in the early part of December 1944, to join the British Pacific Fleet Train that was beginning to assemble there, in preparation for the push by the Allies across the Pacific to the Ja...
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In June, 1918 the Admiralty made plans for an air ship to be built which would "be required to patrol the North Sea for six days without support, as far as 300 miles from a home base." It was to have a combat ceiling of 22,000ft, and was required to carry...
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On the 30th of November 1948 two engineer's from RFA Wave Protector appeared before Mr Justice W. Harding in the the Criminal Court in Valetta, Malta.
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A sailor of the RFA Bacchus fell asleep at the wheel and the ship deviated 104 degrees off course a Singapore Court was told on the 20 May 1957.
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On the 8th June 1982, at the height of the Falklands conflict RFA Sir Tristram was in San Carlos Water with her sister ship RFA Sir Galahad when Argentinean Skyhawk jets attacked both ships.
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The World War 2 naval action, which culminated in the Battle of the River Plate, had its makings with the sailing from Wilhelmshaven, Germany on the 21 August 1939 of the Panzerschiffe or pocket battle ship Admiral Graf Spee and her subsequent sinking of ...
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The following article is taken from a magazine published in the latter stages of the Second World War, it’s year is unknown, but it is from the papers of AB Douglas Mee, who served on RFA Orangeleaf from 1942/43 and reproduced with the kind permission o...
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The core part of the RFA’s work has always been and always will be the supply of fuel, stores and ammunition to ships of the Royal Navy, more recently whilst underway, or by what is termed a RAS or Replenishment at Sea. It is also true that the RFA, h...
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In the early 1960’s whilst Cliff Richard was strutting his stuff, skirts were getting shorter and hair was getting longer the Ministry of Transport asked Yarrow’s Admiralty Research Department to seek tenders for the installation of a nuclear reactor ...
