RFA Robert Dundas

RFA Robert Dundas

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:   

Official Number:                     166588                                                                        

Class:                                       BOBBY CLASS Coastal Stores Carrier

Pennant No:                            X04 / A204

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Grangemouth Dockyard, Grangemouth
Launched:                               28 July 1938

Into Service:                            November 1938
Out of service:                        8 December 1971
Fate:                                         Broken up

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  There were 2 ships in this Class which mainly served around the U.K. coast but occasionally ventured as far afield as Malta. Both ships had a large No. 2 hold which could stow anything used in the Services, including Landing Craft. Both ships had long lives with the RFA  RFA Robert Dundas was named after the Hon. Robert Dundas, afterwards the fourth Lord Melville, who was Storekeeper General of the Royal Navy in 1832. As such he was a predecessor of the Director of Stores, Admiralty.

 

Courtesy of Falkirk Council Archives

28 July 1938 Launched by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth as Yard Nr 425 named  ROBERT DUNDAS

10 November 1938 Completed and was initially manned on Yard Craft Agreement and replaced RFA ARGO

21 September 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS EDINBURGH delivering Naval Stores

8 June 1940 was placed under  full RFA manning

 8 July 1940 Mr C H Whitehead RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

September 1940 Captain Henry F Colbourne RFA appointed as Master

12 June 1941 sailed Scapa Flow in convoy WN139 to Methil arriving 14 June 1941

16 August 1941 sailed Kirkwall in convoy WN167 to Methil arriving 17 August 1941

8 October 1941 sailed Methil in convoy EC82 to Invergordon arriving the next day

10 October 1941 Captain Geoffrey B A Livesey RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Geoffrey B A Livesey RFA

as a Cadet with P&O in about 1920

 

4 November 1941 sailed Lyness in convoy WN200 to Methil arriving the next day

15 November 1941 sailed Methil in convoy EN6 to Invergordon arriving 18 November 1941

4 December 1942 sailed Stromness in convoy WN368 to Methil arriving the next day

14 January 1943 sailed  Methil in convoy EN185 arrived at Invergordon the same day

2 March 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON delivering naval stores

4 March 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON  delivering naval stores

9 March 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE  delivering naval stores

13 April 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON  delivering naval stores

11 August 1943 Captain Rowland K Hill RFA appointed as Master

June 1944 RFA Officers and Naval Stores Dept Staff were involved in the planning of the fuel requirements for Operation Neptune - the Normandy Landings. Only two RFA’s were directly involved:   RFA ROBERT DUNDAS and RFA RAPIDOL

12 June 1944 sailed Plymouth in convoy ECM5 arriving Seine Bay the next day

4 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FBC18 to the Bristol Channel arriving 7 July 1944

12 July 1944 sailed Plymouth in convoy EBC38 to Seine Bay arriving the next day

25 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FBC36 to Plymouth arriving the next day

7 August 1944 sailed the Solent in convoy EBC63 which also contained  SPABECK to Seine Bay arriving the same day

27 August 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTC80

6 September 1944 sailed Southampton in convoy FTC89 to Southend arriving the next day

3 May 1945 alongside HMS Bermuda supplying stores at Clydebank

4 March 1946 Captain D Cook RFA appointed as Master and Mr T Dowling RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 July 1947 Captain H W Davies RFA appointed as Master

11 August 1947 Mr L D Sinclair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 November 1947 Captain James H Chant RFA appointed as Master

24 March 1948 Mr C J Abel RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 November 1948 Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA

1 March 1951 Captain Allistoun M Macquire-Samson RFA appointed as Master

7 December 1951 Captain D A C Butler RFA appointed as Master

20 August 1952 Captain Ronald V Warren DSC RFA appointed as Master

27 October 1952 Mr L D Sinclair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 March 1954 Captain W J H Roberts RFA appointed as Master

11 June 1954 Mr J E Allen RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1955 Captain R J Lockwood RFA appointed as Master

4 March 1957 Captain Norman R McLeod RFA appointed as Master

22 December 1958 Captain Basil V Dobbie RFA appointed as Master

10 May 1959 Captain Archibald M M Telfer RFA appointed as Master

23 October 1960 Mr S Dobney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 December 1962 stood by and joined in the search for the crew of a trawler the 'Boston Heron' which struck rocks on the island of Scalpay in the Outer Hebrides and the crew abandoned her.

20 December 1962 Captain O J Coulthard RFA appointed as Master

20 June 1963 Captain A Smith RFA appointed as Master

27 July 1964 Captain J G M Coull RFA appointed as Master

15 September 1965 Captain W F Henderson RFA appointed as Master

12 August 1966 Captain D O Davies RFA appointed as Master

10 November 1966 Mr F J Derry RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 June 1967 Captain J B Leaf RFA appointed as Master

14 February 1968 sailed Portsmouth to Appledore with Naval Hovercraft XT493 as cargo - arrived two days later

24 March 1968 at Lossiemouth harbour loaded Royal Naval Buccaneer aircraft XV155 for transportation to Hawker Siddeley, Brough via Hull Docks

7 June 1968 Captain D O Davies RFA appointed as Master

9 August 1968 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

31 August 1969 Humanitarian aid - on passage from Haakonsvern to Portsmouth she sighted distress  flares and upon investigation came upon the motor fishing vessel SILVER VIKING out of Aberdeen which had engine trouble and a sick crew member who required hospital treatment. She took the mfv in tow to Aberdeen and handed the tow over to the local tug SEA TROJAN who towed her into harbour where an ambulance awaited her arrival

8 December 1971 laid up at Chatham

18 March 1972 offered for sale 'as lying' at Chatham Dockyard this day in The Times newspaper. The advertisment was repeated on the 25 March 1972

3 June 1972 arrived Grays, Essex for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd after sale for £7,800

March 1973 demolition begun