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Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number 165409
Class: 1st DALE CLASS Freighting Tanker
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: -
Background Data: Originally there were to have been 19 ships in this Class. The first 6 were purchased off the stocks from the British Tanker Co Ltd whilst building at the instigation of the then Director of Stores, Sir William Gick, who was concerned at the age of the RFA Fleet and ships that were approaching the end of their economic lives. A further 2 ships were purchased from Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd for evaluation purposes. At the outbreak of WW2, a further 11 ships were acquired from the MoWT war programme although one of these, to have been named EPPINGDALE, which had been registered in London as EMPIRE GOLD on 21/02/43 and intended for transfer to the Admiralty for manning and management as an RFA and despite 5 Officers being appointed to her, the intended transfer was cancelled the following day and she thus never entered RFA service. 3 of this Class were converted into LSG’s and were then reconverted back into tankers at the end of the War.
1936 Ordered by the British Tanker Company Ltd
28 December 1936 launched by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 1506 named ABBEYDALE
11 January 1937 Captain W Frost RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR (Ret)) appointed as Master
4 March 1937 completed after running trials
5 March 1937 sailed on her maiden voyage from the Tyne to Trinidad
2 October 1937 Radio Officer G F Heatherington RFA discharged dead he is buried in Kranji Military Cemetery, Singapore in Plot 14 Row C Grave 23
Image courtsey of Tony Beck with thanks
10 March 1938 Mr Harold M Pearson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
26 April 1939 Captain George 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
9 July 1939 arrived at Auckland, New Zealand to discharge from Abadan
15 July 1939 sailed Auckland, New Zealand for the Persian Gulf
9 September 1939 Sailed Port Said in Convoy Blue 1 which also contained RFA ALDERSDALE
26 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG1 for Devonport. RFA Aldersdale and RFA SERBOL 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.
24 November 1939 at Kingston, Jamaica Donkeyman H P Mann accused before the Master by the Chief Engineer Officer of using foul and insolent language towards him and refusing to obey his lawful commands. The Master declined to deal with the allegations as he belived them to be so serious and directed that the allegations should be dealth with by a magistrate.
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 Times, Australia of the 26 January 1940
24 January 1940 Bosun R E Finker logged for desertion
30 January 1940 Donkeyman H P Mann appeared before the Magisrate at Kingston, Jamaica charged under the Sections 480/486, Merchant Shipping Act. He was convicted. He signed off the ship.
26 February 1940 arrived at Panama
27 February 1940 sailed Colon to Kingston Jamaica arriving on 29 February 1940
3 March 1940 sailed Kingston, Jamaica to Trinidad arring on 7 March 1940
17 March 1940 arrived at Bermuda having sailed from Trinidad
6 April 1940 sailed Bermuda to Trinidad
15 April 1940 sailed Trinidad to Halifax arriving 25 April 1940
26 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX38 to the Clyde along with RFA OLWEN (1) arriving at Greenock on 12 May 1940
16 May 1940 Mr M N Carlyle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 May 1940 sailed Greenock, up the Clyde to Glasgow
12 June 1940 sailed Glasgow
June 1940 was allocated for Operation Accordion - the proposed invasion of the Azores
October 1940 Mr Hentry S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
22 November 1940 refit on the Clyde until 2 December 1940 then anchored at Tail of Bank until 4 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
20 January 1941 sailed Curacao to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 22 January 1941
16 February 1941 sailed Kingston, Jamaica to Trindad arriving on 21 February 1941
12 March 1941 sailed Trinidad to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
29 April 1941 arrived at Montevideo from Port Stanley, sailing again on 30 April 1941
9 June 1941 arrived at Rio Janerio sailing the next day
14 July 1941 arrived at Montevideo, sailed the next day to Trinidad
4 September 1941 until 7 September 1941 under going repairs at Trinidad
26 September 1941 arrived at Montevideo from Trinidad
28 September 1941 sailed Montevideo to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands arriving 3 October 1941
9 October 1941 sailed Port Stanley, Falkland Islands to Trinidad
16 November 1941 arrived at Trinidad
4 December 1941 sailed Trinidad to New Orleans arriving 12 December 1941
12 December 1941 at New Orleans under repair until 12 January 1942
13 January 1942 sailed New Orleans to Curacao arriving 21 January 1942
25 January 1942 sailed Curacao to Freetown arriving 10 February 1942
5 March 1942 arrived at St. Helena from Freetown
13 March 1942 sailed St Helena to Freetown arriving 20 March 1942
30 March 1942 undertook OAS trials.
7 April 1942 arrived at St Helena from Freetown
17 April 1942 sailed St Helena
10 August 1942 to 15 August 1942 In Operation Beserk as Force W - a sea / air exercise in the Atlantic. Reports show she had an inexperienced crew which resulted in complete disorder
October 1942 was fitted out as a DEMS at Gibraltar
November 1942 Undertook the first recorded multi-ras in the Mediterranean with two ships abeam and one astern.
10 November 1942 Joined Convoy KMS 2 to participate in Operation Torch - the Allied Landings in French North Africa. Other RFA’s involved in Operation Torch were RFA’s BROWN RANGER, DERWENTDALE (1), DEWDALE (1), ENNERDALE (1), NASPRITE and VISCOL
11 November 1942 Arrived Arzeu Beachead on Operation Torch for which she was awarded the North Africa 1942 Battle Honour
12 November 1942 arrived Algiers in Convoy KM 62G
21 November 1942 was damaged after fouling a sunken wreck whilst on Fleet Attendant Duties at Oran
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
8 January 1943 under going repairs
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 repairs completed
3 March 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON170 and acted as Escort oiler for New York arriving on 20 March 1943
22 March 1943 under going repairs at New York until 24 March 1943
16 June 1943 sailed Gibraltar, along with RFA’s BROWN RANGER and CELEROL, in Convoy KMS 16
18 June 1943 sailed Alexandria in Convoy XTG 2
27 June 1943 17.04 hrs torpedoed by the German submarine U73 (Oberleutnant zur See Horst Deckert) 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 by HMSV SALVESTOR 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
14 October 1944 her after part arrived Taranto in tow
18 October 1944 her fore part arrived Taranto in tow
30 May 1945 was finally taken in hand for rejoining and permanent repairs
25 April 1946 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master
July 1946 permanent repairs completed
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
17 June 1948 berthed at Sydney, NSW to discharge
23 November 1948 Captain D A Rees RFA appointed as Master
26 November 1949 arrived Fremantle, Australia from Abadan
30 November 1949 sailed Fremantle, Australia for Abadan
5 April 1950 Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 July 1950 berthed at Fremantle, Australia from Abadan
17 July 1950 sailed Fremantle, Australia for Abadan
22 December 1950 arrived Sydney, Australia to discharge from Abadan
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 Robert D Almond RFA appointed Master. He remained in command until 1 July 1958
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
29 July 1959 arrived Devonport to destore
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
11 August 1960 sold to BISCO for scrap
4 September 1960 arrived Thomas Ward's Barrow in tow of the British tug CAMPAIGNER for breaking up
14 September 1960 breaking up commenced
Notes:
She was originally destined to be one of a Class of what was to become 93 tankers over a 15 year period, the lead ship of this Class being launched as BRITISH FAME on 19 June 1936
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