Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                     163014

Class:                                      ENVOY CLASS Tug

Pennant No:                            W165  /  A165

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Cochrane, Selby 
Launched:                               11 March 1944
Into Service:                            25 May 1944
Out of service:                         1965 
Fate:                                          Sold out of Service

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   There were 6 Admiralty-designed Fleet Tugs in this Class, 3 of which saw service as RFA’s. As completed they were armed with 1 x 12 pdr AA gun, 1 x 2 pdr AA , 2 x 20 mm AA and 4 x .303 machine guns. They had a bollard pull of 16 tons and  a complement of 33

11 March 1944 launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby as Yard Nr 1281 named HMS ENVOY

25 May 1944 completed

28 June 1944 sailed the Solent and joined convoy FTM21 to Southend arriving the next day

6 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTM29 to Portsmouth arriving the next day towing Goree

7 August 1944 sailed the Solent in convoy FBC47 to Falmouth arriving the same day

31 August 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FBC69 to Plymouth arriving the next day

17 January 1945 sailed Oran in convoy GUS66 to Hampton Roads arriving 6 February 1945

30 April 1945 sailed Gibraltar in convoy MKS98G to Liverpool arriving 8 May 1945

3 July 1948 Captain J C Reid appointed as Master and Mr A Brown appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1949 under RFA conditions and renamed RFA ENVOY

8 April 1949 at Falmouth alongside HMS Arethusa

10 January 1950 F J Sullivan appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 September 1951 RFA's Envoy, Jaunty and Saucy sailed from Spithead this day with HMS Duke of York in tow to be laid up at the Gareloch

7 September 1951 while arriving off the Gladstone Dock Liverpool with HMS Duke of York in tow was in collision with the mv Royal Iris which struck the battleshipo. 60 people on the mv Royal Iris were injured

29 April 1953 arrived at Devonport with HMS Petard under tow from Chatham

1 May 1953 sailed Devonport with HMS Petard under tow to Belfast arriving on 4 May 1953

29 January 1954 sailed Portsmouth towing HMS Stork (a frigate in the reserve fleet) for Londonderry - she broke her tow in heavy weather. The tow was reconnected and she was taken into Liverpool on 8 February 1954 due to the continuing heavy seas.

February 1955 with RFA Enforcer and Admiralty tug Superman towed the depot ship HMS Montclare from the Clyde to Portsmouth for refit. She broke her tow and it was re-established with some difficulty

9 April 1955 Captain J R Hayward OBE appointed as Master

28 April 1959 Captain R F Dunkley appointed as Master

24 January 1960 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar

19 February 1960 reduced to Care and Maintenance at Devonport

25 November 1963 on the Disposal List Devonport

23 February 1965 offered for sale 'as lying' at HM Dockyard, Pembroke Dock in The Times of this day

28 April 1965 purchased for £19,000 by Loucas Matsa & Sons, Piraeus and renamed MATSAS

1968 renamed Georgios L. Matsas by her owners

1973 purchased for scrap by Oldscrap Landaris Carvoudakis, Perama

27 July 1973 breaking up commenced

22 March 2011 at Bonhams sale rooms, New Bond Street, London the ships bell was sold for £300 inclusive of buyers premium.