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Previous name:
Subsequent name: Portnall
Official Number: 140335
Class: SECOND 1000 t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler
Pennant No: X10 / A107
Laid down:
Builder: Barclay Curle
Launched: 12 July 1917
Into Service: September 1917
Out of service: 1948 Sold - bought back into Service 1951
Fate: Broken up 1959
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a further programme of tanker construction for the newly-formed RFA Service. Eventually there were 18 ships in this Class, 12 of which were named after trees with the OL suffix, while the remainder had names connected with the oil industry also with the OL suffix. 4 of the Class were diesel engined and were sold after the Armistice but the rest, being triple expansion steamers, had long and successful lives.
11 July 1917 Engineer Lieutenant J H Sharp RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
12 July 1917 launched by Barclay Curle & Co Ltd, Whiteinch as Yard Nr 548 named BOXOL.
24 August 1917 Lieutenant W Clinton RNR appointed in command
27 September 1917completed
20 October 1917 and 21 October 1917 off Greenock alongside HMS Knight Templar to receive oil from her ballast tanks
1 January 1918 Lieutenant Frederick Stanley Browne RNR appointed in command
7 August 1918 Lieutenant W Jones Williams RNR appointed in command
18 November 1918 Greaser Angus McIntyre MMR 778262 logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 8 August 1918
4 March 1919 Engineer Lieutenant W Rathbone RNR appointed Chief Engineer Officer. He was discharged to hospital on 7 March 1919
11 March 1919 Engineer Lieutenant Clifford N Ansell RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
12 March 1919 Greaser Charles Conlin MMR 891978 logged as deserting. He had signed on on 27 September 1917
24 September 1919 Lieutenant Fred J. Sweeting RNR appointed in command. On 1 November 1919 the crew signed Board of Trade Articles and he became Master
23 December 1919 at Pola alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with FFO
1 January 1921 Captain F S Browne RFA appointed as Master
8 June 1922 2nd Engineer Officer Sydney S Clarke RFA discharged dead. He is buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta
Image courtesy of British War Graves with thanks
23 October 1922 at Malta alongside HMS Diomede on No 13 buoy refuelling her
4 August 1923 Mr R Blacklock RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
10 August 1923 Captain J M Edwards RFA appointed as Master
22 November 1925 Mr P Greenwood RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
30 July 1926 Captain R S Jarvis RFA appointed as Master
20 November 1926 Mr A C Fraser RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
11 December 1928 at Malta alongside HMS Enterprise refueling her - 1,012 tons of FFO supplied
10 September 1929 Mr William S Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
29 August 1930 Captain A L Jones RFA appointed as Master
1 September 1931 Mr John B Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 February 1932 Captain H W R Fowler RFA appointed as Master
26 July 1933 Mr Edward B Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Edward B Morton RFA
23 December 1933 Captain H M Sinclair RFA appointed as Master
26 July 1934 Captain J H Jones RFA appointed as Master
5 July 1935 Captain R R Ferguson RFA appointed as Master and Mr J M Brown RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 August 1936 arrived at Malta from Haifa with HMS Arethusa
24 November 1936 Mr L T Tomlinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 July 1938 Captain D A Rees RFA appointed as Master
26 September 1938 detailed as 'Guard Ship' at Ghajn Tuffieha, Malta
January 1939 Captain William W Peddle RFA appointed as Master
Captain William W Peddle RFA
April 1939 Mr A Sharp RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 March 1941 Captain James Jolly RFA appointed as Master
6 November 1941 Mr C Scott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 March 1942 Captain Alfred W Camamile RFA appointed as Master
March 1942 was damaged by near misses during an air attack at Malta
15 August 1942 used to discharge oil from the tanker Ohio which had arrived at Malta in Operation Pedestal
RFA Boxol alongside the tanker Ohio taking oil from her
to transfer it into the underground tanks in Malta
12 April 1943 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master
12 February 1943 Able Seaman Paul Saliba discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Cross of Sacrifice in Pembroke Military Cemetery, Malta
Images courtesy of British War Graves with thanks
12 April 1943 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master
26 February 1944 was fouled by another vessel at Malta - details unknown
26 April 1944 sailed Naples under escort to Malta arriving on 28 April 1944
19 April 1945 Captain C H Grainer RFA appointed as Master
18 September 1946 Mr S Turner RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
2 December 1946 Captain John MacAngus RFA appointed as Master
15 April 1948 Sold out of service to Oscar Shipping Co. (Lykiardopulo), London Replaced as harbour oiler at Malta by RFA Rowanol
19 June 1948 renamed PORTNALL by her owners
1951 reacquired by the Admiralty for service during the Korean War, was renamed Boxol and stationed at Gibraltar
25 September 1951 Captain H G Carkeet RFA appointed as Master
3 October 1951 Mr R S Gilmour RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
July 1953 Laid up at Pembroke Dock in company with RFA‘s LIMOL and PHILOL
2 September 1959 arrived at Rees, Llanelly for breaking up.
Notes: Whilst serving at Malta during WW2 she was kept empty except when required for a fuelling operation, when she loaded from the underground tank
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