RFA Hollyleaf after her RFA service and as British Holly

Previous name:                      Oleaster
Subsequent name:                British Holly

Official Number:                     140257

Class:                                       Emergency Wartime Construction LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                           Y7.160

Laid down:
Builder:                                    William Hamilton & Co, Glen Yard
Launched:                              23 December 1916

Into Service:                            March 1917

Out of service:                        1920
Fate:                                         Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  During WW1, 18 vessels of varying types were acquired second hand and converted or purchased and converted while on the stocks or in a few cases building as tankers. Some were converted after serving with the Dummy Battleship Squadron by the insertion of cylindrical tanks in their holds. All were originally intended to operate as RFA’s, however owing to reasons of international law and the operation of the US Neutrality Act, these oilers became Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, being renamed with the LEAF nomenclature and placed under civilian management, although operationally they remained under Admiralty control

1916 laid down as a dry cargo ship

23 December 1916 launched by Wm Hamilton & Co Ltd, Glen Yard, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr 302 named  RFA OLEASTER

March 1917 Completed for the Shipping Controller and placed under management of Lane & MacAndrew Ltd, London as an oiler transport and renamed HOLLYLEAF

24 April 1918 Storekeeper J Savage discharged dead. He was originally buried in the Brindisi Communal Cemetery but he was moved by the CWGC to Bari War Cemetery, Italy in 1981

Image courtesy of The War Graves Photographic Project

30 April 1918 attacked by a submarine in the Mediterranean - the torpedo missed

22 November 1918 at Ismid - HMS Canterbury berthed alongside and was refuelled with 69 tons FFO

8 December 1918 at Sevastopol - HMS Canterbury berthed alongside and was refuelled with 209 tons FFO

8 September 1919 purchased by British Tanker Co, London name unchanged

14 November 1919 sailed Singapore

26 November 1920  renamed British Holly by her owners

7 August 1921 at Bombay 4th Engineer Officer Hubert Stringwell discharged dead - died in St. Georges Hospital, Bombay from pneumonia

February 1923 Seaman Thomas Amor discharged dead

26 October 1926 Captain Sidney John Daniel appeared before Guildhall Justices Room, City of London charged with fraudulent conversion of £127 10sh and, as an alternative, embezzlement of the same sum from his employer - the British Tanker Co Ltd. while Master of the British Holly.  He pleaded Guilty. The full amount missing was £1,194 19sh. Sentenced to 3 months imprisonment

28 October 1931 Purchased for £7,000 for demolition by  Torazo Haslimoto, Osaka