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Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 168256
Class: 1st DALE CLASS Freighting Tanker
Pennant No: X105 / A105
Laid down: 15 February 1941
Builder: Furness Shipbuilding, Haverton Hill
Launched: 18 December 1941
Into Service: 12 February 1942
Out of service: 5 February 1959 - laid up at Devonport
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
15 December 1941 Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
18 December 1941 launched by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton-Hill as Yard Nr 340 named EASEDALE for the MoWT
31 January 1942 Captain Frederick G Drake DSC RFA appointed as Master
12 February 1942 completed and acquired by the Admiralty
22 February 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN50(2) in ballast and detached to Loch Ewe arriving the next day
26 February 1942 joined convoy ON71 from Belfast Lough
8 March 1942 convoy dispersed to Curacao
14 April 1942 sailed Curacao
25 April 1942 sailed in Convoy Y from Durban, South Africa to Diego Suarez arriving 5 May 1942 - all ships in this convoy were for Operation Ironclad and included RFA Derwentdale
5 May 1942 sailed in the naval force for the invasion and capture of Madagascar - along with RFA DERWENTDALE (1)
16 July 1942 Mr L Cowell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
31 July 1942 sailed Diego Suarez for Killindini with the AMC CHITRAL as escort and accompanied by RFA BACCHUS (2)
3 September 1942 Sailed Mombasa in Convoy F for service during Operation Stream - at Majunga, Madagascar and Operation Jane - at Tamatave, Madagascar arriving 10 September 1942
27 September 1942 sailed Tamatave independently to Diego Suarez arriving 2 November 1942
30 October 1942 1 of her Ratings, being repatriated to the U.K. aboard the Elder Dempster steamer ABOSSO was killed when the latter was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-575 in the North Atlantic approx 700 miles NW of the Azores in position 48.30 N 28.50W whilst on an independent voyage from Cape Town to Liverpool
2 November 1942 arrived Diego Suarez
2 December 1942 sailed Diego Suarez independently to Mauritius arriving 6 December 1942
7 December 1942 sailed Mauritius independently to Diego Suarez arriving 10 December 1942
30 January 1943 sailed Diego Suarez independently to the Seychelles arriving 2 February 1943
24 February 1943 sailed the Seychelles independently to Abadan arriving 7 March 1943
9 March 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas arriving 13 March 1943
16 March 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Mombasa arriving 28 March 1943
19 June 1943 sailed Mombasa independently to Diego Suarez arriving 24 June 1943
27 June 1943 sailed Diego Suarez independently to the Seychelles arriving 30 June 1943
4 July 1943 sailed the Seychelles independently to Bombay arriving 12 July 1943
8 September 1943 sailed Bombay in convoy BP94 to Bandar Abbas arriving on 13 September 1943
13 September 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Abadan arriving 15 September 1943
16 September 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas arriving 19 September 1943
24 September 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in convoy PB57 arriving at Bombay on 30 September 1943
9 October 43 sailed Bombay in convoy BP98 to Bandar Abbas arriving on 14 October 1943
14 October 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Abadan arriving 15 October 1943
18 October 1943 sailed Abadan independently
28 October 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in convoy PB61 arriving at Bombay on 1 November 1943
6 January 1944 sailed Bombay in convoy BM81 arriving at Colombo on 11 January 1944
30 January 1944 sailed in convoy JC35 and detached to Trincomalee arriving 1 February 1944
18 February 1944 Mr F W Howell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
25 February 1944 sailed Trincomalee in convoy CJ17 to Colombo arriving 27 February 1944
15 March 1944 sailed Calcutta in convoy JC40A arriving at Colombo on 17 March 1944
26 March 1944 Captain S Thomas RFA appointed as Master
17 August 1944 to 27 August 1944 escorted by the Netherlands Cruiser Tromp while aircraft attacked targets on Sumatra
22 August 1944 RAS'ed HMS Kenya during Operation Banquet (air strikes at Padang and at Emmerhaven as a diversion during US operations in New Guinea)
9 November 1944 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 10 November 1944
30 November 1944 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 2 December 1944
19 March 1945 sailed Abadan independently to Colombo arriving 30 March 1945
3 April 1945 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee
8 April 1945 sailed Trincomalee under RN escort
11 April 1945 to 16 April 1945 ships of Force 63 (including the Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth - with her escort frigate HMS LOSSIE.) refuelled from Force 70 which was Easedale plus an RN escort
26 April 1945 deployed with RFA OLWEN in Force 69 for replenishment of Task Force 63 destroyers deployed in the Andaman Sea to prevent any Japanese naval interference during cover of landings at Rangoon (Operation BISHOP) under the escort of HMS Paladin
10 May 1945 sailed Trincomalee under RN escort
August 1945 attached to the British Pacific Fleet along with RFA’s BACCHUS (2), BISHOPDALE, BROWN RANGER, CEDARDALE, DINGLEDALE, GREEN RANGER, RAPIDOL, SERBOL, WAVE EMPEROR, WAVE GOVERNOR, WAVE KING, WAVE MONARCH and HMS (later RFA) OLNA
16 February 1946 Mr John B Russell OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 September 1946 Captain Archibald Hobson DSC RFA appointed as Master
17 September 1948 Captain George F Rutter RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
9 February 1949 at Simonstown, South Africa
30 November 1949 to 31 December 1949 at Rosyth, Scotland
1 December 1949 Mr R B Turner RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
25 June 1951 Captain Frederick L Finch RFA appointed as Master
20 July 1951 at sea at 23.51N 59.12W Donkeyman Greaser Shirajudeen Hussain discharged dead. Apparent natural causes. Buried at sea
2 June 1952 at sea at 37.15N 10.24E Lascar Seaman 2nd Class Ebrahim Fackeerkhan discharged dead. Presumed suicide by drowning
8 August 1952 Captain Frank P Hennin OBE RFA appointed as Master
1 July 1953 Mr Philip E Bassadona RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 July 1954 Mr B C Jeremiah RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 September 1954 Captain S P Sice appointed as Master
23 August 1955 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master
16 November 1955 Mr A B Tate RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
18 April 1957 Captain H W Flint RFA appointed as Master
15 June 1957 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
5 February 1959 laid up at Devonport
7 May 1959 offered for sale in 'The Times' lying 'as is' at Portland
18 February 1960 purchased by ESCESO SPRL, Brussels for service as a storage hulk
7 March, 1960 arrived Willebroek, Belgium to be broken up
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