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Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 140441
Class: SECOND 2000t BELGOL CLASS Tanker
Pennant No: X67 / X 27
Laid down:
Builder: Earle's, Hull
Launched: 18 October 1917
Into Service: 18 December 1917
Out of service: 4 March 1942
Fate: Sunk by Japanese armed forces
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: There were 10 ships in this Class, all Admiralty designed of which 5 were named after Allied countries while the other 5 were given names indicating power or speed, all with the OL suffix. 3 of them, RFA’s FRANCOL, MONTENOL and SERBOL had upright funnels with a single tall mast close by, while the remainder had a raking funnel and 2 raking masts. During WW2 the mainmast was removed from these.
26 July 1917 Engineer Lieutenant F C Pavitt RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
18 October 1917 launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull as Yard Nr 624 named FRANCOL
9 November 1917 Lieutenant W T Williams RNR appointed in command
18 December 1917 completed
23 April 1918 Fireman Robert Bateson MMR 384716 logged as a deserter. He had signed on the ship on 5 December 1917. He was arrested on 27 April 1918.
24 April 1918 Able Seaman Thomas Cousins MMR 82035, Greaser Jno Jones, Fireman Thomas McArdle MMR 865981 and Greaser J Jones logged as deserting the ship. Able Seaman Cousins and Greaser Jno Jones both signed on on 23 November 1917. Fireman McArdle signed on on 9 January 1918. Greaser Jones signed on on 1 April 1918.
9 June 1918 Able Seaman Beu Sweeten MMR 927290 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917.
10 June 1918 Greaser Jas Graham MMR 943636 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917
21 June 1918 Pumpman John Thomas MMR 842984 and Greaser Hy Granite MMR 896460 both logged as deserting the ship. Both had signed on on the 23 November 1917
28 June 1918 Ordinary Seaman Robert Pasher MMR 927204 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917.
9 September 1918 Ordinary Seaman K Liversay logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 1 July 1918
12 September 1918 Stoker A Sykes MMR 957505 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 1 July 1918
5 June 1919 Greaser Thomas Hinch MMR 969349 logged as an absentee
28 July 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her with petrol and oil in drums
18 August 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her
3 September 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her. RFA Turmoil (1) alongside at the same time
19 September 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her 440 tons FFO
9 October 1919 arrived at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea
18 October 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her 295 tons FFO
1 November 1919 Captain W T Williams RFA appointed as Master under a Board of Trade Agreement - previously had been in command as Lieutenant RNR since 9 November 1917. Discharged on 25 January 1920
5 November 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS EREBUS refuelling her 275 tons FFO
15 November 1919 at Riga alongside HMS DRAGON to refuel her
23 November 1919 at Riga alongside HMS DRAGON to refuel her
24 November 1919 at Riga RFA Celerol arrived and came alongside Francol. Both then sailed
1 December 1919 Able Seaman Andrew Horgan MMR 1012510 logged as an absentee in Copenhagen.
6 December 1919 Greaser Victor Bardot MMR 878865 and Fireman H McCann MMR 974452 both logged as deserting. Greaser Bardot had signed on on 9 August 1919 and Firemnan McCann had signed on on 14 September 1919
27 December 1919 Able Seaman James William Campbell, Able Seaman Patrick Trehayne, aged 27, Greaser Charles Sheehan MMR 713819, aged 31 all discharged dead. AB Trehayne and Greser Sheehan are both buried in Pembroke Dock (Llanion) Cemetery. AB Campbell is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Ordinary Seaman John Tyler MMR 883964 discharged dead. He is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. AB Trehayne, AB Campbell, Greaser Sheehan and OS Tyler were all accidentally drowned in Pembroke Dock. Greaser Sheehan's body was recovered on 6 March 1920
26 January 1920 Captain Richard Narramore Smardon RFA appointed as Master
26 January 1920 2nd Cook Tam Yow discharged dead. He had signed on on 23 January 1920
28 January 1920 Mr R McWhannel RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
7 March 1920 arrived at Aden with HM Submarines L2, L8, L19, L20, L22 and L33
25 May 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her
8 June 1920 off Wei-hair-Wei target towing for HMS Hawkins sub calibre shoot
10 June 1920 off Wei-hair-Wei target towing for HMS Hawkins sub calibre shoot also as a torpedo target for the same ship
6 July 1920 at Wei-hair-Wei target alongside HMS Hawkins and later alongside HMS Ambrose
7 July 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her
9 July 1920 off Wei-hai-Wei towing target for full calibre practice by HMS Cairo
22 July 1920 sailed Wei-hai-Wei
30 July 1920 off Wei-hai-Wei towing target for full calibre practice by HMS Cairo and HMS Hawkins
12 August 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her
2 November 1920 at Shanghai secured alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her
11 December 1920 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master. Previously Master of RFA Trefoil
25 December 1920 arrived at Hong Kong
24 January 1921 conducted OAS experiments with the cruiser HMS CAIRO off Hong Kong transferring 143 tons of FFO
31 January 1921 at Hong Kong sailed towing target for full calibre practice by HMS's Cairo and Carlisle
12 May 1921 sailed from Wei-hai-Wei with BP target in tow with HMS Hawkins and HM Submarines L3 and L9. Returned to Wei-hai-Wei four hours later still towing the target
30 May 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei with work party onboard from HMS Ambrose. Then sailed towing BP target. Returned and anchored at 16:00hrs the same day
17 June 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei with work party onboard from HMS Ambrose
20 June 1921 Captain E Gatley RFA appointed as Master. Previously Master of RFA Kharki
21 September 1921 2nd Engineer J W Campbell RFA discharged dead. He had signed on on 26 January 1920
1 October 1921 sailed Wei-hai-Wei
19 February 1922 berthed at Singapore. Sailed 23 February 1922 for Rangoon
15 March 1922 off Hong Kong towed target for HMS Durban to carry out full calibre shoot
14 June 1922 arrived at Wei-hai-Wei
4 July 1922 and 5 July 1922 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins to carry out full calibre shoot
15 August 1922 alongside HMS Durban to refuel her at Hong Kong
27 September 1922 and 28 September 1922 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins and other ships in the Cruiser Squadron to carry out full calibre shoot
11 October 1922 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her
25 January 1923 off Hong Kong towing target for HMS Diomede for full calibre shoot
13 March 1923 at Hong Kong target party from HMS Diomede boarded
29 March 1923 at Yokohama, Japan alongside HMS Diomede to refuel her
20 April 1923 arrived Wei-Hai-Wei
24 April 1923 sailed Wei-Hai-Wei towing target for sub-calibre shoot by HMS Diomede. Returned to Wei-Hai-Wei
26 April 1923 sailed Wei-Hai-Wei towing target for sub-calibre shoot by HMS Diomede. Returned to Wei-Hai-Wei
27 April 1923 HMS Despatch transfered S A Ammunition to RFA Francol at Wei-Hai-Wei
2 May 1923 alongside HMS Diomede and HMS Despatch to refuel them at Wei-Hai-Wei
5 May 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Durban to refuel her and the sailed to Hong Kong
20 June 1923 sailed Hong Kong
24 June 1923 arrived Wei-Hai-Wei
2 August 1923 Mr D E Morgan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 August 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Durban to refuel her
18 August 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her
21 August 1923 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins to carry out full calibre shoot
14 September 1923 at Yohohama, Japan alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her
27 September 1923 at Yokohama, Japan alongside HMS Durban to refuel her
6 June 1924 Captain Stanley B Spillett RFA appointed as Master
1925 had the lower portion of her forehold fitted out as a temporary magazine
22 April 1925 Chief Engineer Officer D E Morgan RFA married Miss E M Smith, Sister in the Government Civil Hospital which took place at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wanchi, Hong Kong
4 June 1925 Mr Edward B Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Edward B Morton RFA
19 October 1927 Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA appointed as Master
Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA
10 May 1928 Captain F J Connolly RFA appointed as Master
12 March 1929 Captain F J Connolly RFA discharged dead at Hong Kong - buried at the Protestant Cemetery, Hong Kong on 14 March 1929 with mourners from the RFA's Francol, Kharki, Fortol and officers from the Naval Stores Department from HM Dockyard.
9 May 1931 Captain N Colbridge RFA appointed as Master and Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 February 1932 Captain Cecil R Rosen RFA appointed as Master
13 February 1934 Mr William W Ridgway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
22 March 1935 Captain I Evans RFA appointed as Master
December 1937 Captain C J Leach RFA appointed as Master
12 January 1938 Captain A Spencer RFA appointed as Master
7 January 1939 Captain Frederick G Drake RFA appointed as Master
3 September 1939 at Hong Kong on the outbreak of WW2
17 December 1939 in collision with HMS Birmingham while refuelling her. The Birmingham had to have her bow repaired and a propeller replaced in Hong Kong
12 November 1940 Seaman Gunner Basil Schofield appeared before the Marine Court, Hong Kong charged with being absent from the Francol since since 30 October 1940. He pleaded Guilty and was sentenced to be returned to the ship
July 1941 Captain John H Burman RFA appointed as Master
11 December 1941 refueled USS Alden DD211 at Singapore
January 1942 served as the Eastern Fleet Oiler along with RFA RUTHENIA at Singapore
25 February 1942 the cargo from the damaged RFA WAR SIRDAR was transferred to her
27 February 1942 sailed Tanjong Priok in the Dutch East Indies, along with RFA WAR SIRDAR in convoy with the Depot Ship HMS ANKING, carrying a full load of Australian troops, the minesweeper MMS.51 and escorted by the Australian sloop HMAS YARRA and the Indian sloop HMIS JUMNA
2 March 1942 sailed Tjilatjap with escorts
3 March 1942 while on passage to Freemantle, in position 11.00 S 109.00 E near Tjilatjap, 300 miles south of Java, the above convoy was attacked by the Japanese heavy cruisers ATAGO, TAKAO and MAYA together with the destroyers ARASHI and HOWAKI and in the ensuing battle, which lasted only 90 minutes, all 4 ships were sunk. There were only 13 survivors from FRANCOL all of whom became PoW’s. Those lost are remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, the Hong Kong Memorial and the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Those named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London
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