Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 167577
Class: Armament Stores Carrier
Pennant No: Y9
Laid down:
Builder: Ailsa Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Troon
Launched: 26 September 1938
Into Service: December 1938
Out of service: 27 April 1951
Fate: Scrapped
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: One of a group of nine coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s, although some of them, on making deep sea voyages, had a proportion of RFA Officers among their complement. They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships
26 September 1938 launched by Ailsa Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Troon as Yard Nr 428 named BEDENHAM
November 1938 Captain J H A Hogan appointed in command
December 1938 completed
July 1939 Captain A H Paice appointed in command
24 June 1940 sailed the Tyne in convoy FS203 along with RFA Celerol to Southend arriving pn the 26 June 1940
4 September 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG43 to Liverpool arriving on 18 September 1940
30 October 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OG45 to Gibraltar arriving on 11 November 1940
29 December 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG49 to Liverpool arriving on 15 January 1941
5 February 1941 sailed Liverpool in convoy OG52 to Gibraltar arriving on 21 February 1941
3 April 1941 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG58 to Liverpool arriving on 21 April 1941
RFA Bedenham in war time - guns mounted either side of the bridge and on the stern
Published with permission of Bobby Sinclair
24 June 1941 sailed the Clyde in convoy WN145 along with the Admiralty MFA British Lady to Methil arriving on 27 June 1941
11 August 1942 sailed Lyness in convoy WN321 to Methil arriving on 13 August 1941
29 October 1942 sailed Methil in Convoy EN 156/2 to Scapa Flow arriving on 1 November 1942
25 June 1943 Mr W T Green appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 September 1943 Captain L M Robertson appointed in command
18 October 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH delivering ammunition
10 June 1944 sailed the Solent in Convoy ETC 5 along with HMS SUCCOUR to later become RFA SUCCOUR and RFA CHATTENDEN to Seine Bay arriving the next day
4 July 1944 sailed Southend in Convoy ETC 27 to Seine Bay arriving the next day
26 August 1946 arrived at Malta from Oran with a Fleet Air Arm Firefly aircraft as deck cargo. The aircraft had crashed having taken off to fly to HMS Ocean. It returned to Oran and crashed on landing
24 March 1948 arrived at Malta from Haifa
20 April 1951 sailed Devonport with ammunition for the Dockyards at Gibraltar and Malta arriving 24 April 1951. Captain Cyril Doughty was the ship's Master.
27 April 1951 whilst berthed alongside Berth 39, Ordnance Wharf at Gibraltar, discharging depth charges into a lighter, one of them ignited. Several men were organised to fight the fire from the quayside, but to no avail. The lighter exploded and the fire spread to BEDENHAM, causing a violent explosion in which the bow was blown out of the water and onto the Wharf. Fifteen people were killed in the explosion, many were injured and many of the local buildings suffered substantial damage. The Admiralty accepted full responsibility for the damage, and approximately £250,000 was paid out in indemnity
RFA Bedenham explodes
RFA Bedenham sinking beneath the water
RFA Bedenham - the next day
The Bedenham memorial in Gibraltar
May 1951 RFA Sea Salvor arrived from Malta to salvage the wreck of the Bedenham
October 1951 Gallantry Awards to those involved in the RFA Bedenham explosion were: -
George Cross (posthumously)
Sub Officer George Campbell Henderson, HM Dockyard Fire Service, Gibraltar
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Military Division)
Captain St John Cronyn DSO Royal Navy
King's Police and Fire Services Medal (for Gallantry) (posthumously)
Chief Fire Officer Albert Alexander Indoe, HM Dockyard Fire Brigade, Gibraltar
Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry
Constable Jospeh Baglietto,
Constable Manuel Felices
George Medal
Surgeon Lieutenant James Golding Harding Sheppard MB BS Royal Navy
Acting Leading Sick Berth Attendant (Local) Malcolm Hughes D/SMX 868808
Chargeman of Labourers Juan Manuel Cruz, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
Naval Armament Supply Officer James Keen, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
Police Constable Michael Orfila, Gibraltar Police Force
British Empire Medal (Civil Division)
Assistant Surgery Attendant Anthony Ballantine, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
Foreman Vicente Pisarello, REME Garrison Workshops, Gibraltar
Kings Commendation for Brave Conduct
Ambulance Driver Alfredo Banda, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
1st Class Master of Yard Craft David Stewart Hutcheon, HM Dockayrd, Gibraltar
Chargeman of Skilled Labourers Cecil Neville Knowles, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
Fireman Driver Alfred McGrail, City Fire Brigade, Gibraltar
Surgery Attendant Francis Joseph Parody, HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
31 May 1952 the remains of the ship were towed to the Tyne by the tug RFA SAUCY
24 June 1952 the wreck was purchased for demolition by Messrs Clayton & Davie Ltd, Dunston-on-Tyne
Notes:
1. She suffered from a “singing propeller” (a 4 bladed bronze one ) and where possible she was kept out of convoys.
2. Was replaced by RFA AMHERST
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