RFA Eaglesdale
RFA Eaglesdale
Previous name: Empire Metal
Subsequent name: N Tisar
Official Number: 168248
Class: 1st DALE CLASS Freighting Tanker
Pennant No: X104 / B 512 / A104
Laid down: 20 December 1940
Builder: Furness Shipbuilding, Haverton Hill
Launched: 18 November 1941
Into Service: 9 January 1942
Out of service: 21 July 1958 - Laid up on the River Tyne
Fate: Broken 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
18 November 1941 Launched by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton-Hill as Yard Nr 339 named EMPIRE METAL for the MoWT
28 November 1941 Mr Charles M Morgan RFA (Lieutenant Commander (E) RNR) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
2 January 1942 at Middlesborough
9 January 1942 completed. Acquired by the Admiralty and renamed EAGLESDALE
19 January 1942 in collision with the British ss KINGSWOOD on the River Tees and was damaged above the waterline
22 January 1942 sailed Middlesborough to the Tyne arrived the same day
February 1942 fitted for OAS trials
12 February 1942 sailed the Tyne to Methil Roads arriving the next day - to anchor
16 February 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN47 along with BISON arrived the Clyde 19 February 1942
17 February 1942 passed Dunnet Head
19 February 1942 prepared for OAS trials in the Clyde area
20 February 1942 at Greenock
4 March 1942 having sailed Londonderry she commenced extensive OAS trials with German equipment from the captured supply ship GEDANIA fitted with rubber hoses and deck rollers.The success of these trials resulted in the general introduction of the rubber hose and deck rollers
9 March 1942 at Londonderry
17 March 1942 at Greenock
18 March 1942 Captain Frank P Hennin RFA appointed as Master
25 March 1942 sailed River Clyde in ballast in convoy OS23 for Freetown and then Curacao, Netherland Antilles arriving on 14 April 1942
22 April 1942 sailed Curacao to Table Bay, South Africa due 19 May 1942
26 May 1942 sailed Capetown independently to Port Elizabeth arriving on 28 May 1942
30 May 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to East London arriving 31 May 1942
12 June 1942 sailed East London independently to Durban arriving the next day
13 June 1942 sailed Durban independently to Mombasa arriving 22 June 1942
6 October 1942 sailed Diego Suarez independently to Mahe arriving on 10 October 1942
1 November 1942 Able Seaman Stephen Cavanagh, Fireman John Fish, Cook John Ireland, Steward Rex F Mitchell, Fireman John Morris, Ordinary Seaman William Mowbray, Ordinary Seaman Robert S Sanderson and Carpenter Harry Thompson all discharged dead - while being repatriated to the UK on s.s. Mendoza this ship was torpeoded and sunk in the Indian Ocean by German U Boat U178 The survivors were picked up by the SAN whaler NIGEL and the American CAPE ALVA and were landed at Durban
Those who were lost are recorded with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial
31 March 1943 carried out trials of the British system of OAS
1 April 1943 sailed Mombasa independently to Bombay arriving on 14 April 1943
22 April 1943 to 8 June 1943 undergoing repairs at Bombay
11 June 1943 sailed Bombay in convoy BP83 to Bandar Abbas arriving on the 16 June 1943
16 June 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Abadan arriving on 18 June 1943
20 June 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas arriving 22 June 1943
26 June 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in convoy PA43 to Aden arriving 3 July 1943
13 August 1943 Mr John B Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
26 October 1943 was at Mombasa
4 January 1944 sailed Seychelles independently to Colombo arriving 12 January 1944
26 January 1944 under going repairs at Colombo
3 February 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy CX17 to Addu Atoll arriving 6 February 1944
7 February 1944 sailed Addu Atoll independently to Colombo arriving 14 February 1944
24 March 1944 at 8.05S 81.48E RASed with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH supplying her with 710 tons of FFO
9 April 1944 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 11 April 1944
26 April 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy JC 46 to Trincomalee along with RFA’s APPLELEAF (1) and ECHODALE arriving 28 April 1944
30 April 1944 sailed Trincomalee under escort
25 October 1944 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 31 October 1944
2 November 1944 sailed Abadan independently to Colombo arriving 11 November 1944
15 November 1944 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee 17 November 1944
13 January 1945 sailed Chittagong in convoy RK3A to Akyab arriving 14 January 1945
6 March 1945 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 8 March 1945
6 April 1945 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo and RASed with HMS/m Sirdar and HMS Meadowsweet
8 April 1945 arrived at Colombo
14 April 1945 sailed Colombo to Freemantle
27 April 1945 RASed tugs towing AFD 18 and 20 from Colombo
5 May 1945 arrived at Fremantle, Australia
15 May 1945 Mr Wilfred C Shortland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 May 1945 sailed Freemantle independently to Colombo arriving 1 June 1945
9 June 1945 sailed Colombo independently to Darwin arriving 26 June 1945
27 June 1945 sailed Darwin independently to Manus arriving 8 July 1945 joining RFA GREEN RANGER, RFA BACCHUS (2), RFA BROWN RANGER
12 July 1945 sailed Manus
21 October 1945 sailed Manus independently to Sydney, NSW arriving on 30 October 1945
27 December 1945 2nd Officer R C Rogers RFA and Miss Joyce Mills of Moree Station, Yass, NSW were married at St James' Church, Sydney NSW. The reception was held onboard.
12 February 1946 arrived at Sydney, NSW
June 1946 Captain Henry F Colbourne RFA appointed as Master
28 September 1946 sailed Abadan for Geraldton, Western Australia
24 July 1947 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master
13 October 1947 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 December 1947 Captain Raymond V Boodle RFA appointed as Master
6 March 1948 Mr Frederick O Brims RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer until 15 October 1950
Chief Engineer Officer Frederick O Brims RFA - image taken earlier in his sea going career
7 June 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
21 July 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
5 September 1948 at Port Said
24 September 1948 at Port Said
22 October 1948 at Port Said
12 November 1948 at Port Said
7 February 1949 to 10 February 1949 at Newcastle on Tyne
25 March 1949 at Bombay, India
17 April 1949 arrived at Macquarie Point Oil terminal, Hobart, Tasmania to discharge 10,000 tons of FFO. She had arrived from Abadan via Bombay where they had changed the crew
22 April 1949 due to sail from Hobart - delayed until the 23 April 1949
23 April 1949 sailed but had to return the same day when 100 miles out from Hobart with an engine defect
25 April 1949 sailed again from Hobart, Tasmania to Colombo for boiler cleaning.
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RFA Eaglesdale - Photograph Courtesy of the Mercury, Hobart, Tasmania
7 June 1949 at Abadan
11 July 1949 at Rosyth
25 July 1949 at Newcastle upon Tyne
2 September 1949 Captain Douglas S Norrington RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
20 November 1949 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Abadan
24 November 1949 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Abadan
21 June 1950 to 26 June 1950 at Plymouth
10 July 1950 Mr J Mel. Lumsden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 September 1950 at Devonport Engine Room Cassab Gooland Sarwar Hoosein discharged dead from natural causes
18 November 1951 landed an injured seaman at Bighi Hospital, Malta following an accident on board when he crushed his fingers
4 February 1952 Captain Thomas Elder DSC RFA appointed as Master
22 May 1952 Mr S Turner RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
30 September 1952 at 7.06N 82.0E Lascar Seaman Hussain Ali discharged dead - apparently through hear failure - buried at sea
16 February 1953 Mr Ciriaco G McFadzean RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 July 1953 Captain D A C Butler RFA appointed as Master
1 October 1954 Captain Edward E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master
7 February 1956 at Mestre, Venice, Italy Seaman 1st Class Ismail Adam discharged dead from burns
1956 - One of 35 RFA's in Operation Musketeer
3 June 1956 Mr W C Shortland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
29 November 1956 Captain Leslie G Rowling DSC RFA appointed as Master
28 March 1957 Mr Frederick B Hobson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
10 September 1957 Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA appointed as Master
Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA
21 July 1958 laid up on the River Tyne
15 and 22 January 1959 offered for sale in The Times on these dates 'as lying' at Admirals Quay, Hebburn on Tyne
November 1959 sold to Soc Misr de Nav Maritime SAE, renamed as N Tisar and the registration changed to Egypt
26 November 1959 sailed in tow from the Tyne after sale for £65,000
29 November 1959 after resale, arrived Hamburg for breaking up by Eisen u.Metall KG Lehr & Co
Notes:
1. Served as a RAS oiler with the Eastern Fleet and at the Cape between 1943 and 1946.
2. Was part of the British Pacific Fleet Train - hence the B-pennant number