RFA Abbeydale

Previous name:
Subsequent name:   

Official Number              165409

                                                                        

Class:                              1st Class Dale 

Pennant No:                    X32 / A109

Laid down:
Builder:                           Swan Hunter
Launched:                       28 December 1936
Into Service:                    4 March 1937
Out of service:                18 September 1959 - laid up

Fate:                                 Broken Up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

11 January 1937 Captain W Frost RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR (Ret)) appointed as Master

2 October 1937 Radio Officer G F Heatherington RFA discharged dead

10 March 1938 Mr H M Pearson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 April 1939 Captain G W Callaway RFA (Lieut-Commander RN (Ret)) appointed as Master

26 May 1939 Engineroom Storekeeper Ah Sow Lam discharged dead. He is buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta

Image courtesy of British War Graves with thanks

26 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG1 for Devonport. RFA Aldersdale was in the same convoy.

21 October 1939 joined convoy OA22 sailing from Falmouth - the convoy dispersed on 23 October. Abbeydale continued onto Trinidad arriving on 10 November 1939.

29 December 1939 was in a list of ships reported as sunk by the German Navy and published in 'Bremer Zeituag'. The German error/exaggeration was fully reported in the Canberra Time, Australia of the 26 January 1940

26 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX38 to the Clyde

October 1940 Mr H S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 November 1940 refit on the Clyde until 4 December 1940 then anchored at Tail of Bank until 23 December.

14 December 1940 Captain A Edwards RFA appointed as Master

23 December 1940 sailed from Glasgow, in ballast to, Curacao in Convoy OB 263 arriving on 13 January 1941

12 Mar 1941 sailed Trinidad to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

4 September 1941 until 7 September 1941 under going repairs at Trinidad

Was in Operation Torch - was awarded North Africa 1942 battle honour

22 December 1942 sailed from Algiers in convoy MKS 4 to the Mersey arriving 6 January 1943. RFA Derwentdale was in this same convoy making to the Clyde

11 January 1943 Captain George F Rutter RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master. Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 March 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON170 for New York arriving on 20 March 1943

27 June 1943 17.04 hrs  torpedoed by U73 and badly damaged (broken in half) in the Mediterranean off the Algerian Coast at 36.53N 01.55E while part of convoy XTG-2 in ballast. No fatalities. Towed to Algiers and repaired during 1944/5 at Taranto Dockyard.

29 September 1944 Electrician Neilson Davie Bruce discharged dead

Electrician Bruce's entry on the Tower Hill Memorial

25 April 1946 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master

27 September 1947 Captain S Sonley RFA appointed as Master

6 November 1947 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master again

12 November 1947 Mr D S Wood RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 November 1948 Captain D A Rees RFA appointed as Master

5 April 1950 Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 September 1951 Captain T G Hill RD RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

18 August 1952 Mr J H McKenzie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 September 1953 Captain P H Brooke RFA appointed as Master

5 August 1954 Captain F C Holt RFA appointed Master

17 October 1954 Mr H S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 November 1955 Captain G W Webster RFA appointed Master

15 December 1955 Mr J G Simpson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 January 1957 Mr P Ryan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 February 1957 Captain R D Almond RFA appointed Master

16 April 1957 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 July 1958 Captain E E A LeSage RFA appointed as Master

30 November 1958 Mr C H Gurr RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 September 1959 laid up at  Devonport

5 July 1960 offered for sale by the Ministry of Transport 'as lying' at Devonport in The Times of this day

4 September 1960 arrived at Thomas Wards, Barrow for breaking up.