Official Number:              165468

Class:                               1^st DALE CLASS Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                     X 66 / A128

Laid down:
Builder:                             Lithgows
Launched:                        31 March 1937
Into Service:                      6 June 1937 
Out of service:                  8 October 1959 laid up at Devonport.
Fate:                                  17 February 1970 arrived Bilbao, Spain for breaking 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 fro 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, London

31 March 1937 Launched by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr 887 named BISHOPDALE for the Admiralty

21 May 1937 Captain A L Jones RFA appointed as Master

8 June 1937 completed after running trials

31 July 1937 at Abadan Hospital Junior Engineer Officer Leonard Ernest Passell discharged dead - natural causes - heat stroke

9 June 1938 Mr C A Drummond RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 September 1939 sailed Port Said in Convoy Blue 2 arriving Gibraltar 30 September 1939

5 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar in Convoy HG 2 with FFO and detached for Portsmouth

17 October 1939 sailed Southend in Convoy  OA 21until convoy dispersed on 22 October 1939

3 November 1939 Captain George F Rutter RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

18 November 1939 sailed Liverpool in Convoy  OB 37 for Bermuda

6 January 1940 Mr C M Martin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 January 1940 at Kingston, Jamaica - sailed 18 January 1940 for Colon, Republic of Panama and passage through the Panama Canal on 3 February 1940

28 June 1940 sailed Bermuda to Trinidad arriving 4 July 1940

22 July 1940 at Bermuda until 27 July 1940

23 October 1940 anchored in the Bay of Panama with HMCS PRINCE ROBERT alongside

29 October 1940 supported the HMCS PRINCE ROBERT  which was ordered to intercept the German PRINZ EUGEN’s support ship OSBORNO

11 November 1940 at Oroco Bay refuelled HMCS PRINCE ROBERT

1 January 1941 Refuelled the cruiser HMS DIOMEDE at Tortola, BVI

5 June 1941 RASed with HMS Eagle near the Azores being protected by HMS Dunedin (Force F)

6 June 1941 RASed with HMS Dunedin while being protected by HMS Eagle

13 June 1941 further RAS with HMS Eagle followed by HMS Dunedin

September 1941 On 3 occasions she successfully refuelled the carriers HMS EAGLE and HMS FORMIDABLE using the trough method while lying stopped and at right angles to them.

15 November 1941 sailed Kingston, Jamaica to Curacao arriving on 18 November 1941

19 November 1941 sailed Curacao to Bermuda arriving 25 November 1941

1 December 1941 sailed Bermuda to Trinidad arriving 6 December 1941

19 January 1942 one of her officers, taking passage on the Canadian steamer LADY HAWKINS was killed when the latter was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by  U-66 about 150 miles from Cape Hatteras in North Carolina - see Roll of Honour

6 February 1942 RASed with HMS Warspite at Henderson Island, South Pacific after the battleship’s lengthy repair period in the USA

6 April 1942 arrived Sydney, NSW  and was made available to the RAN and operated in Australian waters for a while

11 April 1942 sailed Sydney, NSW for Noumea, New Caledonia and just missed being struck by a torpedo

13 May 1942 arrived Sydney, NSW

18 May 1942 RAS'ed alongside USS Salt Lake City CA25 in Noumea Harbour

17 June 1942 at Noumea, New Caledonia USS Wharton (AP-7) refuelled alongside

1 July 1942 Captain M W Westlake RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

5 August 1942 while sailing for Brisbane from Noumea struck a mine in an Allied mine field which had been laid by HMAS Bungaree, there was no fire or casualties. The 33 minefields round this harbour amounted to 2,061 mines. Later to sailed to Sydney, Australia for docking and repair which lasted until the following February

20 August 1942 Mr Aleander B McIntyre RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander (E) RNR (Retd) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 February 1943 sailed Sydney NSW in Convoy GP 33 arriving at Brisbane, Queensland 6 February 1943

16 February 1943 berthed at Darwin sailing on 19 February 1943 to Thursday Island arriving 22 February 1943

22 February 1943 sailed Thursday Island to Townsville arriving 25 February 1943

25 February 1943 sailed Townsville, Queensland in Convoy  TS 17 arriving Brisbane, Queensland 28 February 1943

9 March 1943 sailed Sydney NSW in Convoy GP 38 arrived Brisbane, Queensland 13 March 1943

13 April 1943 sailed Brisbane, Queensland in Convoy BT 51arrived Townsville, Queensland 17 April 1943

14 May 1943 whilst simulating being a Japanese aircraft carrier so that the RAAF could practice night bombing  on her using bags of flour in company with the American destroyer USS MUGFORD, the latter had to dash off to rescue survivors from the hospital ship CENTAUR  which had been torpedoed by  the Japanese submarine I-177 and sank within 2 or 3 minutes with heavy loss of life. The survivors were landed at Brisbane, Queensland the following day

15 May 1943 arrived Brisbane, Queensland

27 August 1943 aerial image of RFA Bishopdale by the RAAF showing her deck layout including her defensive armament - 12 pounder gun forward, 4 inch AA aft, single oerlikon AA guns are mounted port and starboard  forward of the Amidships and after superstructure 

18 October 1943 was involved in a minor collision with USS Solon Turman. There was no damage to Bishopdale and the damage to the US ship was confined to a small life raft being carried away from her starboard quarter

11 November 1943 Sailed Townsville, Queensland in Convoy TN 177. At Cleveland Bay was involved in a collision with the USS Bunker Hill causing damage to Bishopsdale's port quarter Oerlikon gun nest supports. The ships seaworthiness was not impaired. The Bunker Hill suffered a scratch to her paint work.

15 November 1943 convoy TN 177 arrived Port Moresby, on the south east shore of Papua New Guinea

January 1944 RASed with HMAS Shropshire

31 January 1944 at Gili Gili anchorage, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea USS Brooks (APD-10) alongside being refuelled

8 February 1944 at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea loaded from US oiler W S Farish which she had loaded at Curacao on 6 December 1943

6 March 1944 Sailed Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea  in Convoy MV 71 which arrived Sydney NSW on 13 March 1944

13 June 1944 at Hollanida, New Guinea received a pump over from the ss Esso Pittsburg

15 June 1944 at Hollanida, New Guinea USS FLETCHER alongside to be refuelled

October 1944 was part of Task Group 77.7, the Leyte Gulf Service Force of the U.S. 7th Fleet for the invasion of Leyte Gulf along with the provision ship MERKUR and the ammunition ships POYANG  and YUNNAN

16 October 1944 at Humboldt Bay, Dutch New Guinea USS Belfast (PF 35) alongside being refuelled - 149,557 gallons of FFO

24 October 1944 at Humboldt Bay, Dutch New Guinea USS Belfast (PF 35) alongside being refuelled - 75,000 gallons of FFO

8 November 1944 RAS'ed alongside HMAS Stawell at Hollandia, Humbolt Bay, Dutch New Guniea

HMAS Stawell coming alongside RFA Bishopdale

13 November 1944 at Hollanida, New Guinea received a pump over from the ss Esso Roanoke receiving roughly half of her 4.176 million gallons of FFO

14 December 1944 in San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf she was hit by a crashing Japanese VAL dive bomber which struck No 3 wing tank, exploding on contact and was extensively damaged and was out of action for the next few months. 2 of her crew were killed and a third later died of his injuries sustained. Her Master was awarded the DSC

January 1945 involved supporting Allied Forces in the Liberation of the Philippines as part of Task Group 77.10

16 May 1945 sailed Biak, the largest of the Schouten Islands off the northern coast of West Papua,.in Convoy BG 539 arrived Morotai, a small island in the Moluccas Group about 300 miles NW of Sansapor, New Guinea on 19 May 1945

21 July 1945 to 23 July 1945 at Culebra Island the tanker USS Banshee II pumped over her cargo

29 July 1945 at Morotai USS Charrette (DD58) alongside to refuel

31 July 1945 at Morotai USS Charrette (DD58) alongside to top up her fuel

13 August 1945 at Morotai USS Charrette (DD58) alongside to refuel

August 1945 was attached to the British Pacific Fleet

19 October 1945 sailed Subic Bay

6 December 1945 arrived Hong Kong

27 December 1945 sailed Colombo to Abadan

10 January 1946 sailed Abadan passing Aden 18 January 1946 arrived the River Clyde 10 February 1946

22 February 1946 in refit in Elderslie Dry Dock, Glasgow

8 March 1946 Mr Alexander Ballantyne OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 March 1946 Captain H M Sinclair RFA appointed as Master

17 April 1946 sailed Glasgow passed Gibraltar 22 April 1946 and arrived at Malta on 27 April 1946

5 May 1946 sailed Malta arrived Port Said 9 May 1946 and then sailed to Aden

15 May 1946 sailed Aden to Abadan

24 May 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo arriving 3 June 1946

7 June 1946 sailed COlombo

14 June 1946 while on passage from Columbo, Ceylon to Hong Kong ran aground in the Johore Strait off Shah Alam

16 June 1946 sailed Singapore to Hong Kong

29 June 1946 sailed Hong Kong to Singapore

8 July 1946 sailed Singapore to Hong Kong

19 July 1946 sailed Hong Kong returning there on 22 July 1946

29 September 1946 sailed Hong Kong and returned there

2 October 1946 sailed Hong Kong

11 October 1946 arrived at Singapore under tow with engine trouble

1 November 1946 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong arriving 10 November 1946

20 December 1946 sailed Hong Kong to Abadan arriving 16 January 1947

18 January 1947 sailed Abadan to the UK

18 March 1947 Captain Robert D Almond RFA appointed as Master Remained in command until 10 April 1948

8 August 1947 Mr C J Abel RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 April 1948  Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master

17 September 1948 arrived at Chowder Bay, NSW from Singapore

24 September 1948 sailed Chowder Bay, NSW for Abadan

14 March 1949 Mr J S Aitken RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 June 1949 Mr A J Daniel RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 November 1949 arrived Melbourne, Victoria to discharge from Abadan

21 December 1950 Captain F G Edwards RFA appointed as Master

15 September 1951 Mr H Ringshaw RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 February 1953 Captain George S Perry RFA appointed as Master

10 August 1953 arrived Sydney, NSW to discharge from Ras Tamura

16 August 1953 sailed Sydney, NSW to Ras Tamura

1 September 1953 at 05.51S 106.01E at sea Quartermaster Sek-Kam Sing discharged dead - natural causes - heart failure - buried at sea

26 March 1954 Captain B Smith RFA appointed as Master

28 November 1954 arrived Auckland, New Zealand

14 November 1955 arrived Auckland, New Zealand

8 December 1955 Captain J W Cunningham RFA appointed as Master

29 January 1956 Captain H R Davies RFA appointed as Master

23 May 1957 Mr J G Simpson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 September 1958 Captain R G Edmonds RFA appointed as Master

8 October 1959 laid up at Devonport

18 November 1969 on the Disposal List at Devonport

22 November 1969 and 29 November 1969 offered for sale 'as lying' at Devonport in The Times on these dates by the Board of Trade

28 January 1970 sold to Spanish breakers

11 February 1970 sailed Devonport in tow for the breakers

17 February 1970 arrived Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Luis Arbulu Arana (Hierros Ardes)

Notes:

1.  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 at Newcastle as BRITISH FAME on 19 June 1936.

2. MERKUR (ex RIO BRAVO) was originally built for North German Lloyd and was requisitioned by the RAN in 1942 and returned after the War .

3. POYANG, built for China Nav Co Ltd, was requisitioned by the RAN on 22/05/42 and was returned in 11/45. She arrived Singapore for demolition on 30/07/70