RFA Roseleaf

RFA Roseleaf

 

 

 

Previous name:                         Rona,  Califol
Subsequent name:                   British Rose, Portofino

Official Number:                        137518                                                           

Class:                                         Emergency Wartime Construction LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                              Y7.171

Laid down:
Builder:                                      Sir Raylton Dixon, Middlesborough

Launched:                                 2 May 1916
Into Service:                              August 1916
Out of service:                          1920 Sold out of service and name changed
Fate:                                           Sunk - see below

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  During WW1, 18 vessels of varying types were acquired second hand and converted or purchased and converted while on the stocks or in a few cases building as tankers. Some were converted after serving with the Dummy Battleship Squadron by the insertion of cylindrical tanks in their holds. All were originally intended to operate as RFA’s, however owing to reasons of international law and the operation of the US Neutrality Act, these oilers became Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, being renamed with the LEAF nomenclature and placed under civilian management, although operationally they remained under Admiralty control

 

Ordered by Colonial Sugar Refining Co Ltd, Sydney  and was laid down as the cargo ship RONA

2 May 1916 launched by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd, Middlesborough  as Yard Nr 594 named  RFA CALIFOL for the Shipping Controller

August 1916 completed and placed under management of Lane & MacAndrew Ltd, London as an  oiler transport and renamed ROSELEAF. Base port Portsmouth

27 April 1917 was attacked by gun fire from an unknown submarine off the NW coast of Ireland. She fought the attacker off using her own gun.

23 February 1919 after sailing in ballast from Glasgow to Sabine, Texas returned to Tail of the Bank with engine defects (information from Lloyds Casualty Lists)

14 April 1919 arrived Greenock from Texas

16 July 1919 twelve people killed in a gas explosion on Roseleaf while in refit at Cardiff. The number killed reported in other sources as twenty six. The 6th Engineer Officer was badly burned.

5 January 1920 sold to British Tanker Co Ltd.

26 May 1920 sailed Suez to Abadan

2 October 1920 arrived Colombo from Suez

11 February 1921 berthed at Avonmouth after a voyce from Abadan carrying 4 passengers

4 March 1921 renamed British Rose

11 July 1921  the Pumpman was gassed and Kenneth Erskine of North Shields, attempted to rescue him. Kenneth Erskine was awarded the Royal Humane Societies Bronze Medal and certificate which was presented to him at the Mercantile Marine Office at Tilbury on the 9 December 1921. RHS Reference Number 46013.

30 July 1921 arrived at Port Said while on passage from Swansea to Abadan

13 September 1922 at Suez - while on passage from Abadan to Swansea was found to be leaking from No 1 oil tank - the Canal authorities refused her permission to enter the Canal until oil in this tank had been discharged.

2 January 1923 towed into Bilbao, Spain the British steamer Rosefield which had damage to it's engines and hull reproted to have been caused by the British Rose

13 January 1926 went to the aid of an oil tanker on fire named 'Volga' off the coast of Oman, Persian Gulf.

30 May 1927 rescued Flight Lieutenant Carr RAF and Flight Lieutenant Gillman RAF in the Persian Gulf together with their crashed aircraft - a Hawker Horsley - minus its port wings and 'airscrew'. The officers were attempting to fly in a nonstop RAF flight from Cranwell to India.

24 July 1930 sold to La Riviera Societa Anonina di Nav (A. Lauro, Manager), Genoa and renamed Portofino

1 July 1937 was involved in a collision with a Brixham fishing ketch 'Sunstar' in the English Channel.

26 April 1939  at Gibraltar was arrested for a debt of £6,000 from a collision on the 1 July 1937 - see above.

6 November 1942 while under the control of the Italian Navy attacked by aircraft of the Royal Air Force while in Benghazi, bombed and sunk.