RFA Oleander (1)
For details of RFA Oleander 1 please seen the record of RFA Fernleaf
RFA Oleander (2)
Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Class: 10000t OL CLASS Tanker
Pennant No: X46
Laid down: 1 December 1920
Builder: Pembroke Dockyard
Launched: 26 April 1922
Into Service: 20 October 1922
Out of service: 26 May 1940
Fate: Bombed (near miss) and beached
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: Of the 6 ships in this Class, 2 of them were built by HM Dockyards to keep the Dockyards busy after the end of WW1 in accordance with the Colwyn Committee‘s recommendations.. 2 other similar ships were built for commercial owners at the same time - MUREX at Portsmouth and NASSA at Devonport - and after producing these 2 well-built ships, the finances and materials appeared to be short and the 2 built for the RFA were supposedly built with odds and ends and auxiliaries taken from outmoded warships. With their cheap and second-hand fittings they had some heavy maintenance bills, which they paid for by spending most of their lives on charter.
RFA Oleander (2) ships bell
Career Data:
1 December 1920 laid down
26 April 1922 launched by HM Dockyard, Pembroke as Yard Nr 263 named OLEANDER (2). The Lady Sponsor was Mrs Dutton, the wife of the then Captain Superintendent of the Dockyard
21 May 1922 Mr Joseph S Harrison appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 July 1922 Captain W Frost appointed as Master
20 October 1922 completed and placed under initial management of Davies & Newman Ltd, London.
3 February 1923 - berthed at Singapore
21 December 1925 Captain W Frost RFA appointed as Master
13 February 1927 in the English Channel near Dungeness in thick fog was in collision with Royal Mail Steamer Nebraska. RFA Oleander extensively damaged and leaking oil.
5 August 1927 Mr F C Pavitt RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 June 1928 Mr Charles A Smith RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
19 February 1929 Captain W Frost RFA appointed as Master
18 December 1929 Mr C E Wrate RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
29 July 1930 Mr C N Ansell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
5 May 1931 Mr T Perrett RFA appointed as Chief ENgineer Officer
10 July 1931 Captain W Frost RFA appointed as Master
6 October 1932 Mr Chales A Smith RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
October 1933 while in refit in Devonport Dockyard nuts were found in the machinery causing a stoppage in the main circulating engine - quoted in Parliament and in the press as deliberate sabotage (one of a number of incidents).
14 June 1934 Captain John Ross Gorrie RFA appointed as Master
15 June 1934 Mr F C Reynolds RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
8 February 1935 Captain R C E Neyroud RFA appointed as Master
24 July 1935 Captain J H Jones RFA appointed as Master and Mr Clifford N Ansell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 May 1936 at arrived Garden Island, Sydney, Australia to discharge
6 August 1936 Captain Percival Skone-Rees RFA appointed as Master
Captain Percival Skone-Rees RFA
30 June 1937 arrived at the new Admiralty tank farm at Chowder Bay, Mosman, NSW, Australia from Abadan to discharge. The first tanker to discharge at this facility since it was built
6 July 1937 sailed Mosman, NSW, Australia for Abadan
13 November 1937 scraping noise heard on ship’s bottom in the Shatt-al-Arab River but no recorded damage
January / February 1938 fitted for defensive armament during docking. A 4” L.A. gun and mounting was stowed in her hold ready for fitting while a . 3” H.A. gun and mounting would be supplied in time of emergency. Also fitted for paravanes
25 May 1938 arrived at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia from the Persian Gulf to discharge (part cargo)
28 May 1938 arrived Garden Island, Sydney, NSW, Australia from Williamstown to discharge (part cargo)
16 March 1939 carried out trials with the A frame paravane gear at Portsmouth.
31 March 1939 Captain A MacDonald RFA appointed as Master
19 August 1939 towed the lighter X 180 from Singapore to Penang
12 September 1939 grounded whilst entering Masirah Channel. Temporary repairs effected by use of cement boxes
29 September 1939 in drydock at Bombay to effect permanent repairs
31 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG 13 with fuel oil for Naval storage on the Clyde. Arrived at Liverpool on 10 January 1940
18 February 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB 94 (in ballast) to Trinidad - convoy dispersed
29 March 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy in HX 31 with fuel oil for Devonport
30 April 1940 in collision with a hulk at Llanion - no recorded damage
12 May 1940 Convoy NS 3 sailed from the Clyde - ship joined from Scapa Flow
13 May 1940 on passage to Narvick as part of Convoy NS 3
17 May 1940 off Narvik until fighter cover was available
19 May 1940 convoy NS 3 arrived Harstad Bay
26 May 1940 seriously damaged by a near miss during an air attack in Harstad Bay, Norway whilst in company with the carrier HMS GLORIOUS. She was beached and attempts were made to salvage her cargo. Three of her crew were injured and were taken to a Norwegian hospital.
8 June 1940 was officially classed as a total constructive loss although her remains were visible for many years
Notes:
She was the last ship built at Pembroke Dockyard for the Admiralty
Oleander (3)
ss Helicina which, for a very short time, was renamed Oleander
when taken over by the Admiralty
Previous name: Helicina
Subsequent name: Helicina
Official Number: 180983
Class:
Pennant No:
Laid down: 1945
Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
Launched: 4 April 1946
Into Service: never saw service afloat as an RFA
Out of service:
Fate: 20 April 1962 broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: In 1944, following the success of the American T-2 tankers, the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd ordered 3 turbo-electric tankers of approximately 18000 tonnes from Tyneside builders. The first two of these were taken over by the Admiralty as the creation of the British Pacific Fleet Train had heralded the need for faster tankers to replace the older and slower vessels then in service. The problem was to find the capacity to build these ships. The position was unacceptable and to overcome it, compromises were reached and the two Shell tankers became stopgaps. The first of these, named HYALINA, was modified for Fleet Support Duties with the building of an OAS platform above her Upper Deck on the starboard side and the provision of state of the art OAS equipment. She commissioned as HMS OLNA, with a Naval Crew of 183 and was extensively armed with 1 x 4” gun aft, 4 x 40mm Bofors, 8 x 20mm Oerlikons on sponsors, Upper Deck stowage for depth charges on the port side, 60 lb of protective plating on the deck and side in the area of the petrol storage tanks, degaussing equipment and paravane gear. Initially it was not intended to retain her after the end of the War, but as she was so advanced, successful and much-needed, the Treasury approved her purchase in 1946. In the meantime her sister named HELICINA, which was to have been renamed HMS OLEANDER had not the War finished before her completion, was returned to her owners. HMS OLNA was converted to Merchant Ship status in 1946 and was transferred to the RFA. She was constantly used for fuelling-at-sea experiments and the ship itself and her RAS rigs underwent many modifications during her long career. The third ship in the series was not launched until 1948, also named HYALINA.
1945 laid down as HELICINA and acquired by the Admiralty along with her sister (Olna (2)) and was renamed OLEANDER
4 April 1946 launched by Lady Godber at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend as Yard Nr 1711 named HELICINA for the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London as no longer required for Admiralty service
October 1946 completed
1958 laid up in the River Blackwater
11 April 1962 sailed under tow from the River Blackwater by the tugs TRADESMAN and SEAMAN to Blyth
20 April 1962 demolition commenced by Hughes Bolckow Ltd at Blyth
Notes:
1. While this ship never served as an RFA it is included for completeness of the history of the Service
RFA Oleander (4)
RFA Olmeda at Hobart, Tasmania on 14 July 1979 © Rex Cox
RFA Olmeda (ex RFA Oleander) laid up at Portsmouth in 1994 before sailing to the breakers
Previous name:
Subsequent name: Olmeda, Niaxco
Official Number: 305440
Class: OLYNTHUS CLASS Large Fleet Tanker
Pennant No: A124
Laid down: 27 August 1963
Builder: Swan, Hunter & WIgham Richardson, Wallsend
Launched: 10 July 1964
Into Service: 19 October 1965
Out of service: January 1994
Fate: Scrapped
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: The 1962 Defence Estimates included plans for “front line support ships” which would be capable of maintaining “fleet speed” a term which was later defined as sustained steaming at 20 knots. It was noted during the Kuwait Crisis in the summer of 1961 that the 4 oilers of the TIDE CLASS, together with OLNA (2) were the only RFA’s with this capability. Invitations to Tender were issued during 1962 and on the 4th February 1963, it was officially announced that an order had been placed for 3 ships in what became known as the OLYNTHUS CLASS. Early official references to the Class suggest that up to 6 ships were planned. They were designed by the builders to meet specific requirements and this design built on the success of the IMPROVED TIDE CLASS and when they entered service they were the largest and fastest ships in the RFA Fleet. Capable of operating 3 x Seaking helicopters, they had full hangar facilities too. 2 of the Class were renamed in 1967 to obviate confusion with the names of HM ships. When built, the Class cost approx £10½m
4 February 1963 Ordered as AO 17
27 August 1963 laid down
1964 Her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her
10 July 1964 Launched by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend as Yard Nr 2004 named OLEANDER. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Cary, wife of the 2nd Permanent Under Secretary of State (Royal Navy)
10 August 1964 Mr Thomas L Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
19 October 1965 Completed ten months after the original planned completion date
12 July 1965 Commodore Eric Payne CBE RFA appointed as Master
12 March 1966 Humanitarian aid - assisted in the rescue of 37 of the crew of the blazing Liberian tanker WORLD LIBERTY which had been in collision with the Norwegian tanker MOSLI in the Red Sea. 5 crew were posted as missing
10 October 1966 Captain George Robson CBE RFA appointed as Master
19 October 1966 Mr G S Burnett RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 January 1967 Mr Thomas L Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
28 August 1967 The Olynthus Class was redesignated as the Olwen Class
16 October 1967 Was renamed OLMEDA to obviate confusion with the frigate HMS LEANDER
29 November 1967 Captain J D Fisher RFA appointed Master
4 December 1967 renaming Luncheon ceremony at Portland after refit attended by the Lady Sponsor
14 July 1968 Mr T J W Humphrey RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 May 1969 Participated in the NATO Naval Review at Spithead when NATO warships were reviewed by the Queen
28 July 1969 took part in the Western Fleet Review at Torbay along with RFA‘s ENGADINE, LYNESS and RESOURCE along with the aircraft carrier HMS EAGLE and 34 other warships of the Western Fleet
28 August 1970 acted as Flagship for Flag Officer Far East Fleet
4 August 1971 In Operation Limelight - a live BBC Television programme from the English Channel along with RFA REGENT
27 July 1973 Humanitarian aid - rescued a survivor from the sunken yacht SEALEGS off the Lizard and landed 2 survivors at Penzance
22 September 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 10 October 1973
14 October 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 27 October 1973
12 December 1974 to 19 December 1974 conducted trials for FOST Portland with Wessex helicopters
6 February 1975 to 14 December 1975 stood by to the east of Malta along with HM ships TIGER, AJAX and CHARYBDIS owing to the political situation in Cyprus
March 1979 became the first RFA to be fitted with a satellite communications terminal
14 July 1979 berthed at Hobart, Tasmania with HMS Norfolk
1980 Humanitarian aid - whilst serving as Hospital Guard Ship she provided emergency medical support to the Danish tanker KRISTINE MAERSK in the Gulf of Oman whilst deployed in the area during the Iran-Iraq Conflict, along with RFA‘s OLNA (3) and FORT AUSTIN
5 April 1982 sailed Plymouth for service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - with 824 NAS “A” Flight embarked
19 April 1982 RASed HMS Hermes enroute to Operation Corporate
18 June 1982 embarked teams from 42 Commando Royal Marines at South Georgia for Operation Keyhole - the recapture of South Thule in the South Sandwich Islands.Rendezvoused with RFA REGENT and embarked a large volume of food and other stores by jackstay as a precaution in case the task group became entrapped in the rapid advance of the Antarctic ice pack
19 June 1982 took part in Operation Keyhole - the retaking of the island of South Thule - along with the frigate HMS YARMOUTH, the ice patrol vessel HMS ENDURANCE and the rescue tug SALVAGEMAN
20 June 1982 sailed South Thule with captured Argentine PoW’s held aboard
28 June 1982 departed the Falkland Islands for home
10 July 1982 disembarked her attached Flight to RNAS Culdrose
12 July 1982 arrived Devonport after 96 continuous days at sea, having covered 30,000 miles, had supplied 185 ships with 64000 tons of FFO, diesel oil and avcat. In turn she had received 58000 tons of fuel from 10 requisitioned merchant tankers
25 January 1984 Humanitarian aid - despatched her Doctor across to the container ship KOWLOON BAY
13 May 1985 was awarded her 1982 Falkland Islands Battle Honours at Devonport by Captain C. G. Butterworth CMS
23 April 1987 Captain Peter J Lannin RFA appointed as Master
27 January 1988 Captain Rex A Cooper RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
August 1989 Captain David Wilson RFA in command
10 January 1991 sailed UK for service during Operation Granby - the Gulf War
9 March 1991 Humanitarian aid - stood by the motor vessel LEGEND in the Adriatic Sea which was heavily laden with refugees from Albania
26 May 1993 Participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic Royal Fleet Review by HRH Duke of Edinburgh off Moelfre, Angelsey and afterwards at the Royal Seaforth Dock in Liverpool
January 1994 laid up at Portsmouth.
5 July 1994 purchased for £1.2m by Singaporean owners Makundran and renamed NIAXCO
19 July 1994 sailed under her own power from Portsmouth to the breakers yard in India
22 August 1994 arrived for breaking up at Virenda & Co at Alang, India
23 December 1994 breaking up began
Notes:
1. Was one of the seventeen tankers employed in the Mozchan on Beira Patrol duties.
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