RFA Mixol

RFA Mixol

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                    Whitebrook.  Irene M

Official Number:                         139159

Class:                                        FIRST 2000t CLASS Harbour Tanker

Pennant No:                              X 02  /  X43  /  A143

Laid down:
Builder:                                     Caledon Ship Building & Eng Co., Dundee

Launched:                                 17 June 1916
Into Service:                              October 1916 
Out of service:                           1948
Fate:                                        Sold commercially

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  The 5 ships in this Class, although not sisterships, were similar and were all Admiralty-designed. RFA MIXOL and RFA THERMOL were both unsatisfactory as far as their stability went, and 200 tons of permanent ballast was always carried in nos 1 and 3 tanks, which were never pumped out. RFA TREFOIL and RFA TURMOIL (1) were experimental ships which were mechanically unsatisfactory and they were little used

 

 

6 March 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ripley RD RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 June 1916 launched by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Dundee as Yard Nr 250 named MIXOL

1 September 1916 Lieutenant William H Harvey RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 17 August 1917 to take command of RFA Vitol and subsequently RFA Dredgol. He was demobilised on 28 January 1920

19 September 1916 4th Engineer Albert T Warne RFA was appointed to RFA Mixol. He was appointed as 3rd Engineer on 31 January 1917 and 2nd Engineer on the 27 July 1917. He was also appointed Engineer Sub-Lieutenant RNR

 

 

Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR

 

 

 

October 1916 completed

11 February 1917 & 12 February 1917 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS AVENGER to refuel her

17 May 1917 Fireman P Shinnock logged as deserted while the ship was at Glasgow

12 June 1917 Engineer Lieutenant John W Younger RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 August 1917 Lieutenant William J D Read RNR appointed in command He signed off on 16 May 1918 to take command of RFA Thermol where he signed off on 31 December 1919

23 August 1917 at Lough Swilly HMS ATTACK alongside to be refuelled - 63 tons of FFO supplied

27 August 1917 at Lough Swilly HMS ATTACK alongside to be refuelled

20 September 1917 Ship's Cook  H Humphreys logged as deserted.

18 March 1918 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR discharged at Scapa Flow to RFA Burma

16 May 1918 Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 23 January 1919 when he took command of RFA Black Dragon in Gibraltar.

 

Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR

 

1 November 1919 Captain Harry Y Third RFA appointed Master until 31 March 1920. He then took command of RFA Philol

Captain Harry Y Third RFA

1 November 1919 crew transfered to B of T articles

8 November 1919 at Liban, in the Baltic alongside HMS EREBUS refuelling her with 300 tons FFO

16 November 1919 at Liban, in the Baltic alongside HMS EREBUS refuelling her with 100 tons FFO

15 and 16 December 1919 alongside HMS DAUNTLESS at Liban, in the Baltic refuelling her with 390 tons of FFO

1 April 1920 Chief Officer W Seymour Biggs RFA appointed as Acting Master until 16 April 1920

18 April 1920 Captain W Watson RFA appointed as Master - resigned from Admiralty Service 28 April 1920

28 April 1920 Captain Richard D Williams RFA appointed as Master previously on RFA Appleleaf.

7 August 1920 Master, Officers and crew signed a Home Trade Agreement

30 October 1920 on Yard Craft Agreement

1922 to 1935 As her stability was unsatisfactory, she was laid up with RFA THERMOL in the large drydock at Gibraltar

1935 Reactivated during the Italo-Abyssinian Conflict, but was found to be unsuitable so she returned to the UK and was placed in reserve

1939 300 tons of steel was removed to improve her stability

3 September 1939 in reserve at Devonport

13 September 1939 sailed Rosyth for Scapa Flow under the escort of HMS MATABELE - arrived on 14 September 1939

17 September 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS EMERALD refuelling her with 1,054 tons of FFO

19 September 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ROYAL OAK and HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN to refuel them

27 September 1939 at 0715hrs at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOOD on her port side to refuel her - slipped at 1300hrs

7 October 1939 at 1315hrs at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOOD to refuel her - slipped at 1550hrs

10 October 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS GLASGOW refuelling her

17 October 1939 at Scapa Flow with HMS SHARPSHOOTER alongside to be refuelled

27 November 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS GLASGOW refuelling her

1 January 1940 to 21 February 1940 at Scapa Flow

8 April 1940 sailed Leith to Rosyth

7 May 1940 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master

26 May 1940 Mr Francis Easey, RFA, Chief Engineer Officer discharged dead. He is buried in the New MacHar Cemetery, Aberdeenshire

 

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

 

9 June 1940 to 4 December 1940 at Scapa Flow

18 July 1940 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS YORK refuelling her with 170 tons of fuel oil

22 July 1940 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS YORK refuelling her with 171 tons of fuel oil

10 August 1940 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS BARHAM to refuel her

1 September 1940 refuelling HMS HOOD alongside at Scapa Flow

11 November 1940 Mr L Cowell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 December 1940 sailed Methil in convoy EN35 to Oban - arrived on 6 December 1940

7 December 1940 arrived  the Clyde

10 March 1941 under repair at the Clyde

26 April 1941 at Holy Loch HM Submarine CLYDE came alongside to be refuelled

November 1941 Captain Edward E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master

13 November 1941 Captain E W J Rousell RFA appointed as Master

26 November 1941 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS DUKE OF YORK refuelling her with 493 tons of FFO

11 December 1941 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS DUKE OF YORK refuelling her with 835 tons of FFO

25 February 1942 Mr R B Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 April 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside USS TUSCALOOSA (CA37) to refuel her - Source War Diary of US ship

11 July 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

21 July 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside USS TUSCALOOSA (CA37) to refuel her - Source War Diary of US ship

31 July 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS JAMAICA refulling her with 514 tons of FFO

2 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside USS TUSCALOOSA (CA37) to refuel her - Source War Diary of US ship

8 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

22 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

25 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS JAMAICA refuelling her with 216 tons of FFO

27 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS JAMAICA refuelling her with 169 tons of FFO

28 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS JAMAICA refuelling her with 127 tons of FFO

30 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

9 September 1942 Captain E M Rae RFA appointed as Master

24 September 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

23 October 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

31 October 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

19 November 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her. RFA PETRONEL was also alongside her at the same time supplying fresh water

3 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her. Cast off 4 December 1942

5 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her. RFA SPA was alongside her at the same time supplying fresh water

11 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

17 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

2 January 1943 Mr J Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 January 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

27 January 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

4 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 84 tons of FFO transferred

13 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS NEWFOUNDLAND refuelling her - 325 tons of FFO transferred

20 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 446 tons of FFO transferred

27 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS NEWFOUNDLAND refuelling her - 450 tons of FFO transferred

6 March 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN401 to Methil  - arrived on 7 March 1943

6 May 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN225 to Scapa Flow  - arrived on 7 May 1943

20 May 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her. RFA Petronel was alongside at the same time supply fresh water

29 July 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 1,266 tons of FFO transferred

10 August 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 512 tons of FFO transferred

22 October 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH refuelling her - 481 tons of FFO transferred

12 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her

17 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her - 260 tons of FFO transferred

24 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 443 tons of FFO transferred. RFA Spa was also alongside at the same time supplying fresh water

1 November 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH refuelling her - 443 tons of FFO and 37 tons of diesel transfered

16 December 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH refuelling her - 805 tons of FFO transferred

19 February 1944 Mr Clifford N Ansell OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1944 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN572 to Methil  - arrived 20 April 1944

15 March 1945 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS IMPLACABLE to refuel her

28 December 1945 HM King George VI inspected the Master, Officers and men of the Mixol and the Black Ranger on the quarter deck of HMS Rodney while reviewing the Home Fleet in the Firth of Forth off Rosyth.

14 February 1946 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master

16 April 1946 Mr J Hall RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 August 1947 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 September 1947 Captain Douglas S Norrington RD RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1948 sold to Whitebrook Shipping Co Ltd (Counties Ship Management Co Ltd,  Managers) London

20 February 1948 renamed WHITEBROOK by her owners

1951 Purchased by Nolido Compania de Navegacion S.A. (Marcou & Sons (Shipbrokers) Ltd, Managers) Panama and renamed IRENE M

1953 appeared in the casualty lists when her boilers failed completely in the English Channel near the Royal Sovereign Lightship, she sent out an SOS and was towed into the Thames by Dover tugs

27 December 1953 arrived at Antwerp for breaking up