Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                   184616 

Class:                                    EDDY CLASS Fleet Attendant Oiler

Pennant No:                          A107

Laid down:                            23 March 1951

Builder:                                 Caledon Ship Building, Dundee 
Launched:                            29 November 1951
Into Service:                          25 April 1952
Out of service:                       5 November 1962
Fate:                                       Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  This Class were a part of the RFA’s first post-WW2 construction programme and the ships were Admiralty-designed to act as Fleet Attendant Oilers. Even as they were being built for world-wide service however, their designed functions had become obsolete due to the rapid and wide scale practice of refuelling at sea. This resulted in RFA EDDYCOVE, ordered on 23 January 1951 and RFA EDDYMULL, ordered on 27 March 1951 being cancelled in 1952 and the remaining 8 ships in the Class refocused on harbour and coastal service within a short time. With the exception of RFA EDDYFIRTH, the remainder of the Class had very short service lives with the RFA.

1 October 1951 Mr David L S Hood DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 January 1952 Captain R R McKenzie RFA appointed as Master

April 1952 ran trials

25 April 1952 completed and sailed Dundee for Rosyth

1 May 1952 at Chatham alongside HMS Campania refuelling her - 736 tons of FFO

March 1953 was time-chartered to Shell in UK waters

15 June 1953 took part in the Queen Elizabeth 11 Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with 6 other RFA’s

19 June 1953 Captain Albert V Barton RFA appointed as Master

10 November 1954 Mr F Barclay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 August 1955 Captain John Toms RFA appointed as Master

13 June 1956 Mr A E McCann RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 November 1956 Able Seaman Frederick Redhead discharged dead.  He is buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta

Image courtesy of British War Graves

29 January 1957 Mr F Campbell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 January 1958 Captain T H Macrow RFA appointed as Master

8 July 1958 ran aground at Rhu Narrows on the Clyde (Gareloch) but was soon refloated

16 September 1961 arrived Gibraltar to act as a petrol hulk for the RAF whilst their fuelling installation was being overhauled and she was kept topped up by Shell coastal tankers from Casablanca.

9 November 1962 laid up at Gibraltar

21 and 28 May 1963 offered for sale 'as lying' at HM Dockyard, Gibraltar in the Times on these dates

26 August 1963 sailed Gibraltar in tow of the tug RIFLEMAN

10 September 1963 arrived Portsmouth for demolition by H.G. Pounds Ltd

6 January 1964 Eddybay's ships bell offered for Sale for £10.00 in the Times of Malta

27 August 1964 after resale to Belgian breakers, sailed Portsmouth in tow

29 August 1964 arrived at Antwerp to be broken up by Scrappingco SA, Willebroek.