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Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 132547
Class: FIRST 2000t CLASS Harbour Tanker
Pennant No: N 96 / X 14
Laid down:
Builder: Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Co., Greenock
Launched: 3 March 1911
Into Service: 30 June 1911
Out of service: 28 June 1935
Fate: Sold to P & W McLellan, Bo'ness for breaking up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: The 5 ships in this Class, although not sister ships, were similar and were all Admiralty-designed around 1908. RFA MIXOL and RFA THERMOL were both unsatisfactory as far as their stability went, and 200 tons of permanent ballast was always carried in numbers 1 and 3 tanks, which were never pumped out. RFA TREFOIL and RFA TURMOIL (1) were experimental ships which were mechanically unsatisfactory and they were little used
23 May 1910 contract cost of £40,107 10sh was accepted. (Hansard)
3 March 1911 Launched by Greenock and Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Greenock as Yard Nr 326 named BURMA. The Lady Sponsor was Miss Ruby Yates, the daughter of the Senior Naval Constructor of the Admiralty resident in Clyde District
30 June 1911 Completed at a cost of £43,854 as the first tanker ever to be constructed to the order of the Admiralty and was designed for oiling destroyers at sea whilst towing or being towed by battleships and cruisers or else from alongside when in harbour
August and September 1911 Carried out oiling at sea trials at Portland with the torpedo boat destroyers HMS MOHAWK when 117 tons were transferred, with HMS SWIFT when 270 tons were transferred, and with HMS AMAZON when 105 tons were transferred. CinC Home Fleet reported that “the use of tanker vessels for oiling destroyers at sea was unlikely to be of service and that further trials were unnecessary”
April 1913 Captain George H Franklin RFA (Commander RD RNR) was Master
8 September 1914 took on charge a Dent Deck Watch No 40897 which had been bought by the Admiralty 1897 and had been issued on charge by HMS Argonaut and HMS Mutine. Landed off charge on 25 May 1920.
10 November 1911 undertook OAS trials with the battleship HMS AGAMEMNON
24 April 1915 Lieutenant WiIliam Frost RNR appointed in command
4 August 1915 Engineer Lieutenant William J Ford RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 November 1915 sailed Aberdeen under escort of Admiralty trawler Xerxes. Xerxes (commanded by Lieutenant John Joseph William Whitfield RNR ) was ordered to escort the Burma clear of the area. The Burma sailed at 8.40pm, twenty minutes before the trawler, forcing the escort to catch up. With the light failing, the masthead, stern and starboard lights of the oiler were sighted and it was estimated that she was steering to the south-east. The trawler matched the course and slowly overhauled her, and when off her starboard quarter signalled by light, asking the oiler to confirm her course and speed. The tanker did not immediately reply, and the trawler, still assuming that she was heading south-east, decided to take station ahead of her. The pair were actually on a converging course, as the oiler was steering to the south -south-west. The officers of the Xerxes became confused as the pair closed, and thought that the Burma had altered course towards them. Before any action could be taken she crossed the bows of the tanker and at 9.28pm was struck on the port side amidships. She hung on the bows for some moments before falling away to sink on the starboard side of the oiler, with the loss of four men. The position was then 57.50.30N 01.59.30W. The blame for the incident was shared by both commanding officers. The Master of the Burma, Lieutenant William Frost, had not been on the bridge when the escort was closing, leaving an inexperienced third officer in command, who had failed to appreciate the dangerous situation that was developing. Lieutenant Whitfield had been guilty of an error of judgement in attempting to take station ahead of the tanker whilst judging her course and speed 'by eye'. Both officers were reprimanded.
23 June 1916 Able Seaman Robert Duffing and Fireman Thomas William Duffield both discharged dead having been killed by a mine. They were buried at sea.
27 September 1916 Lieutenant Charles J Cooper RNR appeared before a court martial charge with Act to the prejudice of good order and naval discipline in being improperly absent from his ship. The charge was adjudged to be proved. He was adjudged to forfeit 3 months' seniority and to be severely reprimanded
18 January 1917 Lieutenant John E Hawick RNR appointed in command. On 31 July 1917 Lieutenant J E Hawick RNR transfered to command RFA Fortol
18 August 1917 Able Seaman J Caroll logged as deserted from the ship. He had signed on the ship on the 12 January 1917
11 October 1917 Lieutenant David E A Jones RNR appointed in command. On 16 May 1918 Lieutenant Jones transfered to command RFA Mixol
Lieutenant David E A Jones RNR
20 October 1917 was attacked by a submarine when in the Mediterranean. The torpedo missed.
12 November 1917 Stoker J Olsen logged as deserted from the ship. He had signed on the ship on the 13 July 1917
13 May 1918 Lieutenant John Henderson RNR appointed in command
27 October 1918 Able Seaman J C Philip MMR 873912 discharged dead. Died at Dundee. Buried in Tayport Cemetery, Fife. He had signed on the ship on the 4 July 1917.
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
13 November 1918 Stoker Thomas Callaghan MMR 917084 logged as deserted while en-route from the ship to HMS Eaglet at Liverpool. He was arrested on the 13 February 1919. He had signed on the ship on 26 December 1917
1 December 1918 anchored at Granton Roads with RFA Distol alongside to load
2 December 1918 at Granton Roads HMS's Valorous, Tenacious, Sarfedon, Violent, Voyager and Kemperfelt alongside refuelled
4 December 1918 at Granton Roads HMS Voyager came alongside to discharge her FFO
5 December 1918 sailed Granton Roads to Methil
11 December 1918 anchored at Burntisland Roads
21 December 1918 anchorded at Leith Roads
28 December 1918 Stoker R McCade fined 30 days pay, lost 30 days CG and suffered stoppage of leave for 30 days for being absent without leave for 144 hours
31 December 1918 anchored at Leith Roads with HMS Marksman alongside to refuel
20 May 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS Vindictive refuelling her with 520 tons FFO
1 August 1919 Able Seaman and Signaller James Bruce logged as deserting. He had signed on on 28 June 1919
3 October 1919 Able Seaman George F Williamson MMR 882556 discharged dead. Buried at Dunfermline Cemetery. He had signed on the ship on the 8 April 1917
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
10 October 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS Castor to refuel her
28 October 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS Castor to refuel her
1 March 1920 secured alongside HMS Renown at No 3 Basin, Portsmouth Dockyard to refuel her
16 March 1920 secured alongside HMS Renown at Portsmouth Dockyard to refuel her
30 March 1920 Able Seaman Harry Keysell MMR 759410 discharged to RN Barracks, Portsmouth for detention. He had signed on on 24 October 1919
25 October 1920 at Danzig secured alongside HMS's Dunedin and Delhi to refuel them
26 October 1920 at Danzig working party from HMS Delhi onboard
1 July 1921 Captain Fred J Sweeting RFA appointed as Master
1 and 2 July 1921 at Portsmouth alongside HMS Barham refuelling her. The battleship received 1,100 tons of FFO
17 July 1921 at Portsmouth alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her
29 August 1921 at Spithead alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her
1 Sptember 1921 at Spithead alongside HMS Barham refuelling her. The battleship received 2,000 tons of FFO
1 October 1924 Captain W Whiteley RFA appointed as Master and Mr Clifford N Ansell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 December 1924 Captain W Bushell RFA appointed as Master
14 May 1925 Chief Officer Reginald J Harland RFA appointed as Acting Master
21 May 1925 2nd Engineer Officer W Mackay RFA appointed as Acting Chief Engineer Officer
1926 - 1935 in reserve at Rosyth Dockyard -
21 May 1935 offered for sale in The Times 'as lies' by tender.
28 June 1935 sold for £3,715 to P & W McClellan Ltd for demolition at Bo’ness
August 1935 demolition commenced
13 March 1936 demolition completed
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