RFA Olna (1)
Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 146149
Class: 10000t OL CLASS Tanker
Pennant No: X47
Laid down: 14 June 1920
Builder: Devonport Dockyard
Launched: 21 June 1921
Into Service: 10 October 1921
Out of service: 18 May 1941
Fate: Bombed and later scrapped
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: Of the six ships in this Class, two 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.. two other similar ships were built for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London at the same time - MUREX at Portsmouth and NASSA at Devonport - and after producing these two well-built ships, the finances and materials appeared to be short and the two 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. MUREX and NASSA were both broken up at Osaka in 1936
14 June 1920 laid down
21 June 1921 launched by HM Dockyard, Devonport as Yard Nr 1 named OLNA (1). Named after the Olna Firth in the Shetland Islands. The launch and naming ceremony was performed by Mrs Underhill wife of Rear Admiral Edward Underhill, Superintendent of the Dockyard.
26 July 1921 Mr Henry Baker DSO RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
10 October 1921 completed and placed under initial management of Davies & Newman Ltd, London
27 October 1921 sailed for London
16 June 1923 Captain Percival Skone-Rees RFA appointed as Master
Captain P Skone-Rees RFA
23 August 1925 Captain James D Ashworth RFA appointed as Master
7 October 1927 Captain R D Williams RFA appointed as Master
7 January 1929 Captain James D Ashworth RFA appointed as Master
1929 was used for experiments with the Oertz rudder
22 July 1929 ss Vimeria hit an iceberg off the Grand Banks. 27 July 1929 taken in tow by RFA Olna and towed towards Halifax - arriving 28 July 1929
13 November 1929 Captain Percival Skone Rees RFA appointed as Master
17 May 1930 arrived at Gibraltar from Abadan with a cargo of oil for the Naval Base
15 October 1930 Mr J S Harrison RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 January 1931 Mr Henry Baker DSO RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 October 1931 struck by m.v. Cairnross while at anchor in St. Lawrence River in thick fog having arrived loaded from Port Arthur. RFA Olna damaged - proceeding to Montreal and arrived 25 October 1931 for survey.
3 March 1933 Captain P Skone Rees RFA appointed as Master and Mr H Baker RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
31 August 1934 Mr Joseph S Harrison RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
26 October 1937 Captain I Evans RFA appointed as Master
7 November 1937 transferred to Admiralty management and manning as an RFA
3 May 1938 arrived Auckland, New Zealand
10 May 1938 sailed Auckland, New Zealand for Yokohama
27 July 1938 arrived Garden Island, Sydney, NSW, Australia from Abadan to discharge
29 July 1938 sailed Garden Island, Sydney for Abadan to load
November 1938 undertook trials with bow protection gear - minesweeping paravane
1939 Ran aground on Alphee Shoal near Batticaloa, Ceylon while on passage to Trincomalee towing a battle target and with a cargo of fuel oil. She managed to back off after some hours but had badly damaged her keel and had fouled her screw with the towing wire. She was towed, leaking, to the outer approaches of Trincomalee by the cruiser HMS MANCHESTER and a boom defence vessel of the BAR Class. Her cargo was taken to the oil depot in several trips by RFA SLAVOL after which she proceeded to Bombay for extensive repairs which took several months.
16 May 1939 Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
11 June 1939 Captain Douglas N J Williams RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master
3 September 1939 at Portsmouth on the outbreak of WW2
25 September 1939 Whilst under the orders of the cruiser HMS AJAX she grounded but no damage was recorded
30 January 1940 sailed Mauritus to Port Victoria, Seychelles arriving 4 February 1940
6 February 1940 sailed Seychelles to Mauritius arriving 11 February 1940
19 April 1940 sailed Mauritius to Aden arriving 1 May 1940
2 May 1940 sailed Aden to Suez arriving 9 May 1940
18 May 1940 arrived Alexandria from Suez
29 October 1940 sailed Alexandria under escort
RFA Officers and some crew members - believed taken in Crete in 1940
31 October 1940 Arrived Soudha Bay, Crete along with RFA BRAMBLELEAF (1) and escorted by the cruiser HMS COVENTRY to establish a fuelling base there
2 November 1940 sailed for Piraeus, Greece
18 February 1941 at Soudha Bay
23 April 1941 at Piraeus, Greece
18 May 1941 Again at Soudha Bay, she was bombed by German aircraft and was set on fire. She was beached nearby but unfortunately burnt out. 1 of her Ratings was injured and he died from these injuries the following month
1945 found as a wreck at Scarramanga after the War, fit only for scrap
RFA Olna (2)
HMS Olna in 1946 with war time armament
Previous name: Hyalina, HMS Olna
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 180853
Class: Fleet Oiler
Pennant No: X116 / A216
Laid down:
Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend.
Launched: 28 December 1944
Into Service: 27 April 1945
Out of service: November 1966
Fate: Scrapped
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
28 December 1944 Launched by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd at their Neptune Yard, Wallsend as Yard Nr 1689 named HYALINA for the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London. She was taken over by the Admiralty before completion and was modified for OAS duties.
27 April 1945 Commissioned as HMS OLNA for service with the British Pacific Fleet Train with a Naval Crew numbering 183, commanded by a Lieutenant Commander RNR
May 1945 arrived Scapa Flow for RAS trials prior to deployment in the Pacific
29 June 1945 sailed Curacao for Hong Kong
13 August 1945 as HMS Olna and with RFA Wave Emperor provided last RAS during War time to the British Pacific Fleet to HMS Ruler, Phesant, Findhorn, Usk, Barle and Crane plus units of the Australian and US Navies
23 August 1945 Report published on the manning, decommissioning and converting to RFA manning and transferring her to the Director of Stores
3 October 1945 Records show that a decision of Admiralty tanker requirements reviewed the future of OLNA (2) and her sister OLEANDER ( which never entered service)
6 October 1945 at Subic Bay
25 October 1945 sailed Subic Bay for Manus arriving 1 November 1945
8 November 1945 sailed Manus for Morotai arriving 11 November 1945
13 November 1945 sailed Morotai to Singapore and area and then onto Colombo arriving 29 November 1945
15 December 1945 sailed Colombo to Abadan arriving 22 December 1945
25 December 1945 sailed Abadan to Port Said arriving 5 January 1946
5 January 1946 sailed Port Said, passed Gibraltar 22 January 1946 to the River Tyne arriving 28 January 1946
10 January 1946 Treasury approval obtained for her formal transfer to Admiralty ownership
28 January 1946 at Swan Hunter, Tyne for docking ,repairs and alteration to Merchant Ship status.
1 February 1946 Mr M J Lawrence DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 March 1946 transferred to the RFA with a crew of just 77, name now RFA OLNA
1 April 1946 Captain S G Kent OBE RFA appointed as Master
7 May 1946 ran trials off the River Tyne returning the next day
13 May 1946 caused damaged to The Commission Quay, River Tyne, North Shields while berthing.
14 May 1946 sailed the River Tyne, passed Gibraltar 18 May 1946, anchored at Suez 25 May 1946 to Abadan arriving 3 June 1946
7 June 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo arriving 14 June 1946
15 June 1946 sailed Colombo to Singapore arriving 20 June 1946
7 July 1946 arrived at Bombay from Singapore
24 August 1946 sailed Bombay to Abadan
29 August 1946 ran aground in the Abadan River. Refloated 2 September 1946
4 September 1946 at Muscat having arrived from Abadan
7 September 1947 at Aden
10 September 1946 sailed Aden for Abadan arriving 16 September 1946
16 September 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo arriving 25 September 1946
6 October 1946 at Port Darwin, NT, Australia
9 October 1946 sailed Port Darwin to Port Moresby
14 October 1946 sailed Port Moresby to Colombo arriving 25 October 1946
26 October 1946 sailed Colombo to Abadan arriving 2 November 1946
14 November 1946 sailed Abadan passing Aden on 21 November 1946 for Suez
23 November 1946 developed leak in port main condener
25 November 1946 at Port Said sailing on 30 November 1946 to Abadan arriving 9 December 1946
10 December 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo arriving 17 December 1946
18 December 1946 sailed Colombo to Singapore arriving 23 December 1946
27 May 1947 in refit by Barclay, Currie & Co at Stobcross Quay on the River Clyde
9 June 1947 Captain H M Sinclair RFA appointed as Master
22 June 1947 Mr Harold M Pearson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
6 September 1948 Mr A B McIntyre RD RFA (Commander (E) RNR (ret)) RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 April 1949 Arrived Chowder Bay, Mosman, NSW, Australia from Abadan to discharge. Sailed the next day to Abadan
26 July 1949 Captain Thomas H Card OBE RFA appointed as Master
16 March 1950 Mr David C Leathley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 November 1950 arrived at Freemantle, Australia from Abadan
18 November 1950 sailed Freemantle, Australlia for Ceylon
30 January 1952 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Singapore
RFA Olna (2) alongside at Sydney, NSW on 31 January 1952
5 February 1952 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Bahrein
2 May 1952 Captain C F Cunningham RFA appointed as Master
September 1952 took part in Operation Mainbrace involving US and RN units in a major NATO naval exercise in the Northern North Sea and the Artic.
15 June 1953 took part in the Queen Elizabeth 11 Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with 6 other RFA‘s.
21 July 1953 Mr H C A Brain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
September 1953 took part in Exercise Mariner
15 May 1954 involved in a collision with HMS Bulwalk while RASing in the English Channel
23 June 1954 Captain W W Peddle RFA appointed as Master
October 1954 took part in supporting the Home Fleet in Exercises 'Morning Mist' and 'Polar Mist' (convoy exercises from Invergordon to Norway)
4 January 1955 Mr G J Mathews RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 June 1955 with with British Royal Naval Squadron under Sir Michael Denny, Commander in Chief, Home Fleet made a week's official visit to Stockhol, Sweden
29 July 1955 Captain F A Shaw RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR (Ret) appointed as Master
1956 Along with RFA FORT DUQUESNE, she starred in the film “Battle of the River Plate” with Peter Finch as Captain Langsdorff and Anthony Quale as Commodore Harewood and played the part of the German supply tanker ALTMARK
31 October 1956 deployed on Operation Musketeer - the Suez Crisis - along with RFA’s FORT SANDUSKY, RETAINER, TIDERACE and TIDERANGE where she was in Task Force 325.8, the Logistics Group supporting the carriers
27 May 1957 Whilst enroute from Malta to South America she passed the replica MAYFLOWER which was making its historic voyage from Plymouth, UK to Plymouth, Mass, USA and exchanged flashing light signals with her
1957 to 1960 supported Operation Grapple - the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean - along with 16 other RFA’s
23 July 1957 Mr D C Leathley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 September 1957 at the Clyde for NATO Exercise 'Strikeback'
28 October 1957 Captain Griffith O W Evans DSC RFA appointed as Master
January 1958 supporting the Home Fleet during a visit to the West Indies
15 February 1958 RASed with HMS Bermuda while on passage from Barbados to Grenada
April 1958 on the Tyne for a refit
October 1958 Fleet Train support to HMS Albion and her deployment to the Far East
January 1959 supporting HMS Albion during visit to Australia and New Zealand
23 January 1959 arrived Auckland, New Zealand
7 February 1959 to 11 February 1959 together with RFA Reliant (2) and RN units visited Hobart, Tasmania
24 June 1959 Mr K Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 July 1959 Captain Robert H Venning RFA appointed as Master
1960 supporting units of the Far East Fleet
7 September 1960 Captain F G Edwards RFA appointed as Master
April 1961 on the Tyne for a refit
8 May 1961 supporting Fishery Protection RN units off Iceland
June 1961 supporting RN Units on exercises in the North Sea
30 June 1961 sailed Gibraltar supporting HMS Centaur during the Kuwait crisis
5 July 1961 at Port Said
6 July 1961 transited through the Suez Canal with HMS Camperdown, HMS Saintes, HMS Messina, HMS Finisterre and the aircraft carrier HMS Centaur
August 1961 supported HM carriers CENTAUR and VICTORIOUS during Operation Vantage - the Kuwait Crisis - along with 12 other RFA’s
28 August 1961 sailed Mombassa for Aden RASed with HMS Victorious off Zanzibar to Bahrain to load.
29 August 1961 Captain C Alexander DSC RFA appointed as Master
2 September 1961 sailed Singapore with RFA Reliant (2)
2 September 1961 and 7 September 1961 RASed HMS Victorious
15 September 1961 arrived Singapore
5 October 1961 sailed Singapore for Exercise 'Fotex'
13 October 1961 sailed to Hong Kong arriving 17 October 1961
25 October 1961 sailed Hong Kong for Exercise Crosstie at Subic Bay
31 October 1961 RASed USS Ticonderoga
4 to 14 November 1961 at Singapore
16 November 1961 to Mombassa still supporting HMS Victorious
22 November 1961 to Aden
29 November 1961 RASed HMS Victorious
2 December 1961 Suez northbound
5 December 1961 RASed HMS Victorious
5 December 1961 arrived at Malta
12 December 1961 involved in exercise 'Royal Flush'
14 December 1961 RASed HMS Victorious
20 December 1961 at Southampton
1 January 1962 Mr A C Hawk RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
8 April 1962 supported HMS Centaur and other RN units during a courtesy visit to Istanbul
23 May 1962 Captain A Jackson OBE RFA appointed as Master
21 February 1963 RASed HMNZS Taranaki off Hong Kong
1 March 1963 rescued eight Indonesian fishermen in the Straits of Malacca whose boats engine had broken down and who had been without food and water for five days
8 March 1963 Rendevous with RFA Gold Ranger during Indonesia confrontation support
12 April 1963 at Singapore
23 April 1963 at Gan, Indian Ocean
27 April 1963 at Aden
1 May 1963 Mr I M MacFarlane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
May 1963 Suez North bound
May 1963 at Malta docking then Mediterranean Fleet tanker
19 August 1963 RASed HMS Victorious off Malta
21 October 1963 Captain John Ditchburn RFA appointed as Master
2 January 1964 sailed Singapore with HMS Victorious
February 1964 at Mombassa
March 1964 involved in Exercise 'Jet' and then Suez Canal Northbound
April 1964 at Malta in the floating dock
1966 withdrawn from service and was laid up at Devonport.
3 November 1966 advertised for sale 'as lying' at Devonport by the Ministry of Transport in the Times of this day
6 January 1967 sailed Devonport in tow after sale to Spanish breakers for £125,000
19 January 1967 arrived Castellon, Spain for breaking up by L.E.Varela Davalillo.
RFA Olna (3)
Previous name:
Subsequent name: Kos
Official Number: 308970
Class: OLYNTHUS (later OLWEN)CLASS Large Fleet Tanker
Pennant No: A123
Laid down: 2 July 1964
Builder: Hawthorn, Leslie at Hebburn
Launched: 28 July 1965
Into Service: 1 April 1966
Out of service: 24 September 2000 (Laid up at Portsmouth)
Fate: Broken up
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 Sea King 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 16
2 July 1964 laid down
28 July 1965 launched by Hawthorn Leslie Shipbuilders Ltd, Hebburn as Yard Nr 756 named OLNA (3). The Lady Sponsor was Mrs Sydney Redmand, wife of the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Naval)
9 March 1965 Mr J R Warne RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 November 1965 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her
1 April 1966 completed a year after the original planned completion date
7 February 1966 Captain A R Wheeler RD RFA appointed as Master
19 June 1966 humanitarian aid - rescued 26 survivors from the Greek liberty ship ZANETA which had sunk after developing leaks in the Arabian Sea off the Kuria Muria Islands and landed them in Aden
May 1967 refuelled the British freighter CLAN MACTAGGART at sea after the latter had suffered a go-slow by the bunkering firms in Aden
1 June 1967 Mr George S Burnett RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 August 1967 sailed Singapore for Albany, Western Australia
28 August 1967 The Olynthus Class was redesignated as the Olwen Class
16 September 1967 off Durban, South Africa - RAS with HMS Eagle
22 September 1967 at Gan, Maldives alongside RFA Wave Victor - hulk - pumpover
28 September 1967 off Gan RASed with HMS Eagle and RFA Stromness
11 October 1967 to 25 January 1968 Was part of TF 318 - the Aden Task Force covering the final British military withdrawal from the area codenamed Operation Magister along with nine other RFA’s - and took part in the final Fleet Review along with five of the other RFA‘s involved
20 January 1968 sailed Singapore for exercises off Gan
3 February 1968 off Gan RASed RFA Tidereach
18 February 1968 Captain P T Taylor RFA appointed as Master
2 April 1968 at Gibraltar to load
6 April 1968 berthed at Portsmouth to discharge and clean tanks
12 April 1968 berthed at Newcastle on Tyne for refit
14 October 1968 together with HMAS Supply (previous RFA Tide Austral) took part in Operation Corals Sands off North Queensland, Australia together with units of the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy and a unit from the United States Navy
7 October 1969 stood by with HMS Leander and Barra Life Boat after HMS Fox was driven ashore on the Island of Mingay off the Isle of Skye
20 August 1971 arrived Auckland, New Zealand
31 October 1971 Took part in the final steam past of 17 ships from the RN, RAN, RNZN and RFA in the Far East Fleet in the Singapore Straits after the closure of the naval base there which also included RFA‘s FORT SANDUSKY, GOLD RANGER, RELIANT (2), RESOURCE, STROMNESS, TIDEFLOW and TIDEPOOL. Immediately afterwards for 3 hectic days she participated in Operation Curtaincall - a combined RN, RAN, RNZN and RFA Fleet Exercise off the coast of NW Malaysia
19 August 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 25 August 1973
1 September 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 6 September 1973
10 September 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 22 September 1973
17 September 1974 Along with RFA’s GREEN ROVER and STROMNESS sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.2 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS BLAKE
10 July 1974 to 30 September 1974 Stood by off Cyprus following a coup d’etat attempt and the subsequent Turkish invasion with a Task Force including the carrier HMS HERMES with 41 Commando Royal Marines and RFA’s GOLD ROVER, OLWEN (2) and REGENT
10 & 11 March 1975 Humanitarian aid - Operation Faldage - stood by off Kom Pong Som, Cambodia along with the cruiser HMS BLAKE to evacuate British nationals
25 September 1976 Along with RFA STROMNESS sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.4 led by the guided missile destroyer HMS ANTRIM
9 March 1979 berthed at Grand Harbour Malta to assist British Forces withdraw from the Island
12 March 1979 a crew member Eric John Smith was seriously injured in a fall from near the City Gate into Lascaris Ditch, Valetta. The ship sailed Grand Harbour Malta
21 May 1979 Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA appointed as Master
Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA
1980 was deployed to the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq Conflict along with RFA’s FORT AUSTIN and OLMEDA
10 May 1982 Sailed Devonport as part of the HMS BRISTOL Task Force for service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - with 848 NAS “B” Flight embarked - 2 x Wessex HU5 helicopters. The ships were the Type 82 destroyer HMS BRISTOL, the Leander class frigates HMS’s ANDROMEDA, MINERVA and PENELOPE, the Type 21 frigates HMS’s ACTIVE and AVENGER while the Type 42 destroyer HMS CARDIFF joined from Gibraltar during the passage southwards
23 May 1982 entered the TEZ ( Total Exclusion Zone) around the Falkland Islands
28 May 1982 operated with the carriers in the TEZ
8 June 1982 entered San Carlos Water
21 August 1982 sailed Falkland Islands for Portsmouth with the carrier HMS INVINCIBLE
17 September 1982 arrived at Portsmouth. on completion of Operation Corporate duties during which she carried out 143 RAS’s
11 January 1985 was presented with her Falkland Islands 1982 Battle Honour at Portsmouth by Rear Admiral J.C. Worsop CB, Flag Officer Portsmouth
March, 1985 involved with HMS Endurance in the major rescue of a services expedition to Brabant Island (an island off the Antartic Peninsula) at about 64.00S 63.30W and bringing those involved back to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
1989 was awarded an inscribed plaque from the General Council of British Shipping to commemorate her service on Armilla Patrol between November 1986 and 20 August 1988 when the “Accompanying Policy” was in force. Other recipients were RFA’s APPLELEAF (3), BRAMBLELEAF (3), DILIGENCE, ORANGELEAF (3) and TIDESPRING
16 March 1989 Captain Anthony Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
1 June 1989 humanitarian aid - assisted the blazing Greek tanker DRASTIRIOS 300 miles southeast of Fujairah
26 January 1990 Captain Anthony Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
8 August 1990 Decision taken to deploy her to the Gulf along with RFA’s FORT GRANGE and DILIGENCE following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
17 August 1990 sailed Devonport for Operation Granby - the Gulf War - with 2 Sea King helicopters from 826 NAS “C” Flight embarked
24 August 1990 Along with RFA FORT GRANGE she r/v off Gibraltar with HNLMS’s WITTE DE WITH and PIETER FLORIS
9 September 1990 Arrived Jebel Ali and within days proceeded to operate on the so-called “tanker towline” supporting ships of the multi-national force, not just RN warships
22 October 1990 completed her 50th Gulf War RAS
December 1990 detached to Singapore for long overdue maintenance and returned to the Southern Gulf in mid-January 1990
February 1991 with the Task Group operating in the northern end of the Gulf she, along with RFA’s ARGUS and DILIGENCE, was brought forward to the vicinity of the Dhorra Oilfield, outside the range of Silkworm missiles but within the radar clutter of the rigs
18 February 1991 following the mining of USS’s PRINCETON and TRIPOLI, the Americans were understandably unwilling to risk deploying their supply ships in the northern Gulf so OLNA (3) was offered to the USN and was gratefully accepted
11 April 1991 official Cease Fire comes into force
1991 was awarded the Kuwait 1991 Battle Honour along with 10 other RFA’s
24 May 1992 whilst operating off Scotland, she was left without power when a communications switchboard and generators caught fire. She was taken in tow by the tug ARCTIC NANOOK while the carrier HMS ARK ROYAL stood by. The fire was eventually contained by her crew
12 August 1994 Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
14 & 15 March 1995 rescued three survivors and recovered five bodies, four crew from the Greek cargo ship m.v. PEELHUNTER which had sunk about 140 miles southeast of Catania the previous day with fifteen people on board. On the 15th she found more lifejackets and a further two bodies and directed the Portuguese frigate NRP VASCO DA GAMA to the scene to pick them up
9 June 1995 Captain David Gerrard RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain David Gerrard RFA
January 1997 sailed U.K. as part of Task Force 327.01 - the Ocean Wave 97 Deployment to the Far East led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s DILIGENCE, FORT AUSTIN, FORT GEORGE, SIR GALAHAD (2), SIR GERAINT and SIR PERCIVALE
4 May 1998 to 28 August 1998 in refit
1999 Withdrawn from service as a defence economy measure and laid up at Gibraltar
27 January 2000 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
May 2000 was reactivated to support the Fleet in place of RFA FORT GEORGE which was engaged off Sierra Leone
June 2000 Captain James Murchie RFA was in command
July 2000 Conducted extensive trials with the new Merlin helicopter when operating to the west of the Outer Hebrides
31 July 2000 last operational RAS was with HMS COVENTRY
4 September 2000 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 September 2000 laid up at Portsmouth for disposal
12 October 2000 handed over for disposal
February 2001 purchased by Eckhardt Organisation, Germany for scrap
9 March 2001 Sailed Portsmouth in tow of the St Vincent & The Grenadines-registered tug ANGLIAN EARL for the breakers.
May 2001 reported that her and her sister ship RFA OLWEN (2) had been banned from Turkish yards owing to high asbestos content Was diverted to Greece and renamed KOS. Finally sailed via the Suez Canal for Indian breakers
20 June 2001 arrived Alang, India for breaking up
Notes:
1. Was one of the 17 tankers employed in the Mozchan on Beira Patrol duties
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