Previous name:                   Texol

Official Number                    140251

Class:                                    5000T FAST LEAF (ex TEXOL) CLASS Fleet Attendant Tanker

Pennant No:                          X32  Y7.178    X32   X01

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Workman Clark, Belfast
Launched:                             28 November 1916
Into Service:                          16 February 1917

Out of service:                      1947

Fate:                                       Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   All ordered in 1915, the six Admiralty-designed vessels in this Class were very advanced ships for their day. They were designed to act as Escorts on Atlantic Convoys during WW1, whilst also bringing cargoes of oil fuel from the U.S. to Britain. They were fitted with six boilers and four powerful cargo pumps with a pumping rate of 2000 tonnes per hour, which for many years was too high to be used by HM ships. They were originally planned to be named after oil bearing countries with the now usual OL suffix, but their military appearance and naval names caused difficulties with the U.S. Neutrality Act, so various modifications were made and they were then placed under commercial management and given LEAF names in common with other converted ships running as Admiralty tankers under commercial management

28 November 1916 launched by Workman Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast as Yard Nr 368 named TEXOL for the Shipping Controller

16 February 1917 completed at a cost of £287,234. Placed under management of Lane & MacAndrew Ltd, London as an oiler transport and was renamed APPLELEAF (1)

1917 - 1918 served on North Atlantic convoy duties

5 May 1917 sailed Port Arthur, Texas with 5,181 tons of FFO

11 June 1917 sailed Devonport

6 August 1917 0800hrs sailed Devonport escorted by HMS Christopher with paravanes deployed. Paravanes recovered at 2240hrs

10 November 1917 was mined in the North Sea and was towed to port for repairs

12 December 1917 underwent trials in Belfast Lough during repair period

8 April 1918 repairs completed and she re-entered service

9 May 1918 damaged by a fire on the Clyde. 150 tons of cargo was lost

7 September 1918 re-entered service after fire damage was repaired

3 December 1919 grounded on passage from Libau (Latvia) to Copenhagen but was refloated

13 May 1920 at Batoum alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 53 tons of FFO

6 June 1920 at Constantinople alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 165 tons of FFO

31 July 1920 at Constantinople alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 134 tons of FFO

27 August 1920 at Bayukdere alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 32 tons of FFO

17 October 1920 at Constantinople alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 150 tons of FFO

26 December 1920 at Suez alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her with 2,010 tons FFO

22 February 1921 at Funchal, Maderia alongside HMS Delhi refuelling her

23 February 1921 at Funchal, Maderia alongside HMS's Danae and Dunedin refuelling them

24 February 1921 sailed Funchal, Maderia

14 June 1921 at Copenhagen alongside HMS Danae refuelling her

15 July 1921 at Copenhagen alongside HMS Danae refuelling her

11 August 1921 at Copenhagen alongside HMS Danae refuelling her - supplied 210 tons FFO

30 September 1921 at Invergordon alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her

5 November 1921 at Invergordon alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her - supplied 500 tons FFO and also alongside HMS Warspite refuelling her - supplied 252 tons FFO

1922 to 1926 in reserve at Rosyth along with 4 of her sisters

18 November 1926 Captain John Henry Jones RFA appointed as Master and Mr R McWhannell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1926 to 1930 Brought out of reserve during the General Strike and was chartered to Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London, running mainly between the Caribbean and the U.K

9 January 1928 Captain James D Ashworth RFA appointed as Master

27 August 1928 Captain Charles H Noel RFA appointed as Master

6 November 1929 Captain J B Hurst RFA appointed as Master

18 June 1930 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master

1930 to 1933 served on Admiralty freighting duties between the West Indies and the U.K

20 April 1931 Mr R McWhannell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 October 1931 Mr R Blacklock RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 September 1932 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master

10 April 1934 Captain Charles H Noel RFA appointed as Master

Captain Charles H Noel RFA

20 December 1934 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong with Captain and Mrs N L Hammond RE as passengers

1934 served on the China Station, where she relieved RFA BELGOL

RFA Applelaf's Christmas Card for 1936 while on the China Station.

Kind donated by Andrew Gourley from Captain Charles Noel's collection

28 January 1937 Captain S G Kent RFA appointed as Master

11 February 1937 Mr D H Evans RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 January 1938 Twelve unauthorised Chinese were found on board at Hong Kong. They appeared before the Marine Court and were fined $20 each. They claimed they were looking for friends. The ship was due to sail to Singapore within four hours.

22 January 1938 Seaman Fong Chow Foi appeared before a Singapore Court after 3,000 tahils of Chandu (opium) were discovered under a false deck in the chain locker. Its value was given as $24,000. He was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months rigorous imprisonment

3 September 1939 at Hong Kong on the outbreak of WW2

14 November 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Penang arriving the next day

21 November 1939 sailed Penang independently to Singapore arriving 2 December 1939

26 December 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Hong Kong arriving 5 January 1940

8 January 1940 Captain Reginald Percival Harris RFA appointed as Master

16 February 1940 Mr F Campbell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 April 1940 sailed Hong Kong independently to Singapore arriving 25 April 1940

4 April 1940 rendered assistance to the Norwegian steamer PRODUCE which had run aground on North Reef, Paracel Islands in the South China Sea the previous day and which broke up rapidly as she was in a very exposed position. 37 persons were rescued

10 June 1940 sailed Singapore to Penang arriving 12 June 1940. Returned to Singapore 3 July 1940

23 July 1940 sailed Singapore independently to Hong Kong arriving on 28 July 1940

14 August 1940 sailed Hong Kong to Singapore arriving 20 August 1940

18 October 1940 arrived Colombo

21 October 1940 refuelled Ranchi at Colombo

4 November 1940 refuelled Ranchi at Colombo

21 November 1940 refuelled Ranchi at Colombo

22 November 1940 Junior Engineer Officer James Crerar RFA discharged dead. He is buried in Colombo (Kanatte) General Cemetery, Ceylon in Plot 6B Row N Grave 9

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

3 December 1940 sailed Colombo independently arriving Trincomalee 5 December 1940

13 December 1940 sailed Trincomalee to Colombo arriving 14 December 1940

15 January 1941 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 17 January 1941

24 January 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 1 February 1941

10 February 1941 sailed Mahe, Seychelles independently to Dar-es-salaam arriving 14 February 1941

14 February 1941 resupplied Minesweeping Group 109

16 February 1941 sailed Dar-es-salaam independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 19 February 1941

9 March 1941 sailed Mahe to Port Victoria, Mauritius arriving 13 March 1941

17 April 1941 sailed Mahe, Seychelles independently to Colombo arriving 22 April 1941

10 May 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee

17 May 1941 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving the next day

21 May 1941 sailed Colombo to Trincomalee

3 June 1941 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving the next day

1 July 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 6 July 1941

August 1941 at Bombay for repairs

11 August 1941 Captain Reginald Percival Harris RFA discharged dead. He is buried in the Kirkee War Cemetery, Bombay, India in Plot IV Row K Grave 12

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

7 September 1941 sailed Bombay independently to Colombo arriving 10 September 1941

12 September 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving the next day

17 September 1941 sailed Trincomalee independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 23 September 1941

22 September 1941 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master

1 October 1941 sailed Mahe, Seychelles independently to Colombo arriving 7 October 1941

21 October 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 3 November 1941

16 November 1941 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving the next day

25 November 1941 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving the next day

27 November 1941 sailed Trincomalee to Colombo

13 December 1941 3rd Engineer Officer Francis L Burns RFA discharged dead. He is buried in Colombo (Kanatte) General Cemetery, Celyon in Plot 6 Row M Grave 6

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

21 January 1942 refuelled H M Ships Indomitable, Nestor, Nizan and Napier at Addu Atoll

24 January 1942 refuelled H M Shipos Indomitable, Nestor, Nizan and Napier off Cocos Island

5 February 1942 arrived at Trincomalee

8 February 1942 refuelled HMS Royal Sovereign at Trincomalee

14 February 1942 Radio Officer Henry George Blake discharged dead.  He is buried in Trincomalee War Cemetery in Plot 2 Row C Grave 5.

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

28 February 1942 sailed Colombo under orders to sail to 6.40N,84.30E and 2.30N, 91.50E to provide oil if necessary for groups of ships of China Force proceeding to westward

8 March 1942 arrived at Trincomalee

11 March 1942 sailed Trincomalee under escort arriving Colombo on 13 March 1942

25 March 1942 refuelled H M Ships Ramillies and Royal Sovereign at Addu Atoll

31 March 1942 sailed Colombo escorted by HMS Shoreham

2 April 1942 refuelled three EF destroyers south of Ceylon

14 June 1942 Steward Lee Hsing Chin discharged dead. He is buried in Colombo (Kanatte) General Cemetery, Ceylon in Plot 6C. Row A. Grave 3

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

29 June 1942 sailed Colombo in convoy C20 to Cochin arriving 2 July 1942

22 July 1942 sailed Cochin independently arriving Colombo 24 July 1942

29 July 1942 sailed Colombo in company with RFA BROOMDALE in convoy JC3 arriving Trincomalee 31 July 1942

1 August 1942 sailed Trincomalee as part of one of three dummy convoys used in Operation Stab - a diversionary operation to invade the Andaman Islands - in company with RFA BROOMDALE and thus take attention away from the US invasion of Guadacanal . Sailed at 0400Z revered course at 1700Z back to Trincomalee. Also in this dummy convoy was RFA Broomdale and two other merchant ships with RIN and RN escort ships

07 October 1942 sailed Colombo for Diego Garcia in Convoy C 29 and arrived 11 October

30 November 1942 sailed Colombo to Addu Atoll arriving 17 December 1942

17 December 1942 sailed Addu Atoll to Colombo arriving 20 December 1942

January 1943 Mr A S A Duncan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 March 1943 Rescued 17 DEMS gunners and 46 of the crew of 55 from the U.S. freighter ANDREA F LUCKENBACH which had been torpedoed by the German U-221 whilst  in Convoy HX 228 and had her stern blown off

14 March 1943 sailed Colombo in convoy C44 to Addu Atoll and Diego Garcia arriving 21 March 1943 - escort HMS Gawler

10 April 1943 sailed Addu Atoll to Colombo arriving 13 April 1943

20 April 1943 sailed Addu Atoll in convoy XC19 to Colombo arriving 23 April 1943

14 May 1943 Mr J H Dawe RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 May 1943 sailed Colombo in convoy CX3 to Addu Atoll arriving 18 May 1943

24 June 1943 joined convoy KR5 at sea to Colombo arriving 27 June 1943

29 July 1943 sailed Colombo in convoy CX5 to Addu Atoll arriving 1 August 1943

17 September 1943 sailed Addu Atoll in convoy XC6 to Colombo arriving 20 September 1943

9 December 1943 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 11 December 1943

26 April 1944 sailed Colombo along with RFA’s EAGLESDALE and ECHODALE in convoy JC46 to Trincomalee arriving 28 April 1944

22 September 1944 sailed Trincomalee under escort to Addu Atoll arriving 25 September 1944

29 October 1944 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 3 November 1944

11 November 1944 sailed Port Said in convoy GUS 58 to Gibraltar arriving 21 November 1944

25 November 1944 sailed Gibraltar in Convoy MKS 68g which r/v with Convoy SL 177 the following day and finally detached from the Convoy and arrived Southend on 04 December

5 December 1944 sailed Southend in Convoy FN 1562 (Southend - Methil) and detached from the Convoy the following day and arrived at Sunderland

2 April 1945 at Scapa Flow alonside HMS ANSON refuelling her with 1,640 tons of FFO

23 April 1945 at Scapa Flow alonside HMS ANSON refuelling her with 1,171 tons of FFO

2 November 1945 sailed Clyde anchorage to Belfast arriving the next day

5 November 1945 sailed Belfast to Glasgow arriving the next day

4 December 1945 arrived at Bowling, sailed the next day to the Clyde anchorage

15 December 1945 at Glasgow

11 June 1946 laid up at Tail of Bank thence to Finnart Bay.

5 July 1946 handed over to Hadley Shipping Co to look after on a care and maintenance basis until such time that disposal instructions were received.

27 November 1947 sold by Ministry of Supply for scrap.

15 December 1947 arrived Troon for breaking up by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd