RFA Ebonol (1)

Previous name:
Subsequent name:             Enoshima Maru, Ebonol

Official number:                   140441

Class:                                    SECOND 1000 t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler

Pennant No:                          X22

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Clyde Shipbuilding Company, Port Glasgow, Yard No 329
Launched:                            16 October 1917

Into Service:                         12 December 1917
Out of service:                      20 December 1941 Scuttled at Hong Kong
Fate:                                      Captured by Japanese forces recovered and sold out of service

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

16 October 1917 launched by Clyde Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr 329 named  EBONOL

26 October 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Albert Nicholls RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 November 1917 Lieutenant E W Russell RNR appointed in command from RFA Distol

4 May 1918 Lieutenant Percival K Matheson RNR appointed in command

Lieutenant Percival K Matheson RNR

Commanding Officer

1 June 1918 Stoker Edward Quigley MMR 953588 logged as deserting. He had signed on on 1 March 1918.

2 February 1919 Stoker John Boulder MMR 938532 logged as an absentee - recovered on 8 February 1919 and demobilised. He had signed on on the 19 May 1918

13 April 1919 Leading Stoker H Brooks MMR 890664 logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 4 December 1917

18 July 1919 Lieutenant W Martin RNR appointed in command from RFA Trefoil

26 July 1919 Leading Stoker John Jones MMR 769873 logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 20 June 1919

31 August 1919 Cook's Boy Jack Kelly MMR 947482 logged as deserting. He had signed on on 22 May 1919

1 September 1919 Leading Stoker James Ridley logged as deserting. He was seen in Portsmouth on 4 September 1919. He had signed on on 1 August 1919.

1 November 1919 Captain William Martin RFA appointed as Master on Board of Trade Home Trade articles. He had previously been in command as a Lieutenant RNR. He remained in command when the crew signed Foreign article on 12 January 1920.

22 November 1919 Steward's Boy J S Wythe discharged as being incompetent

24 November 1919 Fireman Morris Sexton MMR 998015 logged as deserting. He had signed on 6 May 1919.

3 January 1920 Able Seaman W H Street MMR 993435 discharged absent without leave

10 February 1920 at Vigo Spain with HMS COCKCHAFER alongside 'topping up with oil'

12 March 1920 sailed Plymouth with RN ships for Hong Kong for service on the China Station

23 March 1920 at Port Said with HMS COCKCHAFER alongside receiving fresh water

23 December 1920 at Port Said alongside HMS Malaya to refuel her. 150 tons of FFO transfered

16 June 1923 Chief Officer Charles L Cutsforth RFA appointed as Acting Master

24 May 1924 Mr A G Forbes RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 November 1924 Chief Officer S G Kent RFA appointed as Acting Master

1 June 1925 Mr L H Taylor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 May 1926 Captain Robert T Gallon RFA appointed as Master

10 March 1927 Mr George S G Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 September 1927 Captain F S Browne RFA appointed as Master

28 January 1928 Captain Charles L Cutsforth RFA appointed as Master

2 February 1931 Captain R R Ferguson RFA appointed as Master

6 May 1931 Mr W H A Lawson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 December 1933 Captain I Evans RFA appointed as Master

5 January 1934 Mr W S Ritchie RD RFA (Engineer Lieutenant RNR (Ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 February 1935 Captain G F Rutter RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

19 February 1937 Mr L Cowell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 January 1938 Captain Frederick G Drake RFA appointed as Master

1 December 1938 Captain C J Leach RFA appointed as Master

July 1939 Mr A A Woodley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 September 1939 at Devonport on the outbreak of WW2

December 1939 Captain J H Phillips RFA appointed as Master

25 January 1940 at Hong Kong with HMS FALMOUTH alongside - Ebonol received 185 tons of FFO from the warship

26 January 1940 Mr M Walker RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 February 1940 arrived Hong Kong for Fleet Attendant duties

7 September 1940 Captain J H Burman RFA appointed as Master

2 March 1941 Mr Joseph Jacob Humphries RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

July 1941 Captain J Sonley RFA appointed as Master

19 December 1941 scuttled at Deepwater Bay, Hong Kong by British forces to avoid capture by the invading Japanese. The  Japanese subsequently raised her and she re-entered their service named  ENOSHIMA MARU

22 June 1942 the ICRC in Geneva confirmed that the Officers were PoW’s

11 September 1942 Chief Engineer Joseph Jacob Humphreys RFA died as a prisoner of war

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

18 October 1945  recovered by the British at Batavia - towed to Singapore by RFA GOLD RANGER and her name reverted to EBONOL (1).

November 1945 Instructions were issued that only essential repairs should be carried out to enable her to function as a Port Oiler at Singapore

13 December 1945 Mr F R Harmer RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer

1946 at SIngapore as a depot ship

23 March 1946 Captain J Bottomley RFA appointed as Master

8 August 1946 instructions were issued that no further repair work was to be carried out and that the ship was to be disposed of

15 August 1947 sold out of service to Chin Ah & Company.

23 July 1948 sailed Singapore for Sabang

24 August 1948 berthed at Singapore from Sabang

24 January 1949 at Port Swettenham Quartermaster Abbas Bin Abdul Janni discharged dead by drowning

14 November 1949 sold to the Great Southern Steam Ship Company of Hong Kong

24 May 1950 while on passage from Swattow to Hong Kong, carrying passengers and a cargo of sugar, she sank in bad weather 3 miles off Sugar Loaf Island, Hong Kong after an explosion. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but it is thought that she may have hit a mine laid by Nationalist Chinese forces. Seven of her passengers were killed but all of her crew were saved - reported in Lloyd's Casualty List dated 16 June 1950

RFA Ebonol (2)

For details of RFA Ebonol (2) please go to RFA Rowanol