RFA Grey Rover

RFA Grey Rover

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                       338950

Class:                                      ROVER CLASS Small Fleet Tanker

Pennant No:                            A269

Laid down:                              28 February 1968
Builder:                                   Swan Hunter, Hebburn on Tyne
Launched:                               17 April 1969

Into Service:                            10 March 1970

Out of service:                         15 March 2006

Fate:                                       Arrived at ship breakers at Liverpool 18 October 2009

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:   In 1967, tenders were invited for what eventually turned out to be 5 ships in this Class. Owing to unsatisfactory performance from the original engines, which had been a political decision, the first 3 ships in the Class were re-engined in 1974. The final 2 ships differed slightly from the earlier 3 and had improved accommodation standards and different stern anchor arrangements

 

17 April 1969 launched by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd, Hebburn as Yard Nr 7  named  GREY ROVER. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Parker ,the wife of Vice Admiral Sir John Parker KBE,CB,DSC who was Flag Officer Medway

9 July 1969 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

10 April 1970 completed and accepted 3 months later than the original planned date

September 1970 took over from RFA Black Ranger as the FOST tanker

July 1972 anchored in Hollesley Bay near Orfordness in support of the Army’s Operation  Polex 72 - the pumping of  2000 tons of jet fuel, ferried in dracones towed by  workboats to a nearby off-shore pumping station, through a specially constructed 12  mile pipeline to USAF Bases at Bentwaters and Woodbridge

28 July 1973 was struck below the waterline by the Canadian submarine HMCS Okanagan.

15 October 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 18 October 1973

28 October 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 31 October 1973

4 November 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 13 November 1973

April 1974 re-engined with 2 x 16 cyl Pielstick 400 x 460mm diesel engines by Crossley Premier Engines Ltd, Manchester. 15360 bhp. Speed now 19½ knots

25 April 1976 Carried out abeam refuelling trials which involved just the connection of hoses, with the British merchant tanker BRITISH TAMAR

17 June 1976 to 22 June 1976 along with RFA STROMNESS and the frigates HMS EXMOUTH and HMS  MERMAID she stood by off the Lebanon to  evacuate British nationals

23 April 1977 with HM Royal Yacht BRITANNIA moored in Grand Harbour, Malta

June 1977 Captain Roy B Mathews RFA in command

5 September 1977 along with RFA’s REGENT, TARBATNESS and TIDEPOOL sailed Portsmouth as part of Task group 317.6 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS TIGER

7 December 1978 to 9 December 1978  whilst part of Task Group 332.1 on passage from Karachi to the Seychelles was ordered to loiter off Iran owing to civilian unrest and the possible evacuation of  British nationals which resulted in the overthrow of the Shah

17 January 1980 due to the Iranian Crisis was part of the RN Task Force which was despatched to the   Mediterranean to co-operate with the USN along with RFA FORT GRANGE

11 September 1980 Captain Shane Redmond RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Shane Redmond RFA

 

23 June 1981 off Portland Bill the ashes of the late 2nd Officer Roger B Thomas RFA, who died on 10 June 1981,  were scattered in the presence of his parents and several RFA Officers

December 1981Captain Ollie G Lynch RFA in command

7 April 1982 was established as the resident work-up tanker in the Portland Area

April to June 1982 during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - she was the only operational  RFA tanker which remained on the Home Coast. She carried out RAS trials with STUFT ships en route to the Falkland Islands in the SW Approaches to the English Channel  whilst herself based at Portland. The smallest vessel worked with was the trawler FARNELLA and the largest was the liner QUEEN ELIZABETH 2

May 1982 undertook a trial RAS with the RMS QE2 prior to the troop ships departure to the Falklands War

 

10 August 1983 to 16 August 1983 was diverted from Armilla Patrol duties in the Gulf, along with the frigates HMS ANDROMEDA and HMNZS WAIKATO to the vicinity of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean owing to illegal incursions in the area

December 1983 ordered to Cyprus along with the frigates HMS ACHILLES and HMS ANDROMEDA to support Operation Offcut - naval support to British troops in the multi-national force in the Lebanon, along with RFA’s BLUE ROVER,  BRAMBLELEAF (3) and later RELIANT (3)

8 December 1983 released from Operation Offcut and returned to the U.K

25 September 1984 a team from Grey Rover fought a fire on motor yacht YANKEE CLIPPER in Freeport in the Bahamas

27 January 1994 berthed at Cape Town, South Africa in company with HMS Norfolk for a five day visit.

April 1994 whilst on patrol off South Georgia she rescued the single-handed yachtswoman Anne  Lise Guy and her boat  WILDFLOWER

10 May 1994 humanitarian aid - assisted 28 surviving crew of the Chilean vessel FIRO SURE V after a severe fire had killed two and injured many others and escorted the  vessel back  to Grytviken

15 June 1998 to 27 November 1998 in refit

28 March 1999 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 June 2001 to 20 August 2001 routine docking at Wallsend

20 March 2002 to 25 March 2002 berthed at Las Palmas

30 January 2003 to 20 April 2003 was retasked from the South Atlantic for Operation Telic - the 2nd Gulf War - along  with 13 other RFA‘s

13 February 2003 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 1 August 2003

29 May to 3 June 2003 visited ports in South Korea with HMS Liverpool

8 August 2003 returned to Plymouth on completion of Operation Telic duties

30 November 2003 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 7 June 2004

25 March 2004 berthed at Gibraltar from Southampton

2004 conducted the first RAS with a unit of the Singapore Navy.

18 June 2004 with HMS Exeter visited Qingdao, Shangdong Province, People's Republic of China and the North Sea Fleet of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy.

4 January 2005 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 1 July 2005

30 June 2005 Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

Captain Shaun Jones RFA

18 May 2005 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 16 March 2006

8 December 2005 sailed Port Stanley, Falklands Islands for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Christmas and New Years Holidays 

2 February 2006 whilst supporting the destroyer HMS SOUTHAMPTON was involved in a major  £350 million drugs bust in the SW Caribbean which involved the merchant ship  RAMPAGE, from which 3.5t of cocaine was seized

15 March 2006 arrived Portsmouth for the last time after destoring in Scotland and was decommissioned

14 October 2009 left Portsmouth under tow of the tug Braveheart to the breakers yard.

18 October 2009 arrived at Canada Graving Dock, Liverpool Bay for demolition by  Leavesley International