Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                   104821

Class:                                     Salvage Ship

Pennant No:                          W82

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Messrs Robert Duncan & Co, Port Glasgow
Launched:                             29 October 1894
Into Service:                           14 June 1917
Out of service:                       26 April 1919
Fate:                                        Sunk

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -  

Background Data:  Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control

29 October 1894 launched by  Messrs Robert Duncan & Co, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr 268 named  HUGHLI for James Nourse & Co, London and Calcutta

7 December 1894 completed. Was built for towing Nourse Line sailing vessels on the River Hughli to  and from Calcutta

9 May 1897 purchased by  C.A. Hampton & E. Bromehead, London name unchanged

19 September 1898 attended the German steam ship Drachenfels which had lost its rudder on 13 September 1898 off Calcutta and took the Drachenfels in tow. Problems with the tow resulted in Court action in the Calcuta High Court on 25 January 1900 before Mr Justice Ali Ameer. 

1903 owners became James Nourse Ltd, London

1907 owner became Richard A. Grech, London name unchanged

1911 owner became Elizabeth C.V. Grech, St Leonard’s

22 February 1915 owner became Elizabeth C.V. Grech, St Leonard’s

18 September 1916 Lieutenant Richard Going RNR appointed as Commanding Officer of HM Tug Hughli

15 November 1916 Lieutenant Going RNR injured while the ship was at Falmouth. Entered RN Hospital Haslar with fractured ribs. Lieutenant W D Brymer RNR took temporary command

20 November 1916 sailed Dover

28 November 1916 Lieutenant Going RNR discharged from RN Hospital - remained sick for a further 3 weeks

14 June 1917 became RFA manned at Chatham - Lieutenant George J Wheeler RNR appointed as Commanding Officer and Engineer Lieutenant Richmond H Newsham RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 September 1918 Engineer Lieutenant Richmond H Newsham RNR discharged dead having died from pneumonia. He is buried in Hartlepool (Stranton) Cemetery and is remembered with pride on a Screen Wall.

26 April 1919 Ship lost when she struck a mine off the Belgian Coast at Nieuport. Nineteen of the crew were lost and those whose bodies were recovered are buried in various military and civil cemetries in and around Dunkirk. Eight have no known grave but the sea and are variously remembered on the Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth Naval Memorials. See details in 'RFA Losses' section. Ten of the crew were rescued.

‘ Paymaster Lieutenant Andrew McQueen, RFA Hughli is buried in Oostende New Communal Cemetery, Belgium’

29 April 1919 The New York Times, in a report in their edition stated that the Hughli was carrying explosives for use in clearing obstructions in the Ostend Channel.

20 October 1919 raised but was lost again