RFA Scotol

RFA Scotol

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:              Hemsley 1                                                              
Official Number:                   139161 

 
Class:                                     SECOND 1000 t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler

Pennant No:                           X 49  / X61 / A161

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co, Willington on Quay, Howden, Northumberland
Launched:                              23 June 1916 
Into Service:                            November 1916
Out of service:                        August 1947 sold out of Service 
Fate:                                         Ran aground and wrecked

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a further programme of tanker construction for the newly-formed RFA Service. Eventually there were 18 ships in this Class, 12 of which were named after trees with the OL suffix, while the remainder had names connected with the oil industry also with the OL suffix. 4 of the Class were diesel engined and were sold after the Armistice but the rest, being triple expansion steamers, had long and successful lives

 

 

10 February 1916 Engineer Lieutenant James Paton RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 June 1916 launched by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Willington Quay as Yard Nr 205 named SCOTOL

1 July 1916 Lieutenant Francis M Church RNR appointed in command

28 October 1916 registered in Admiralty ownership

10 November 1916 Completed  at a cost of £63,967. Served as Port Oiler at Dover then at Portland for many years

2 March 1917 Lieutenant John Weir RNR appointed in command

6 July 1917 Lieutenant George B Williams RNR appointed in command

1 October 1917 anchored at Bo'ness Roads

6 October 1917 sailed Rosyth to Aberdeen arrived the next day

8 October 1917 sailed Aberdeen, joined a south bound convoy arriving at Rosyth on 10 October 1917

10 October 1917 at Rosyth RFA Ferol alongside

11October 1917 sailed to Port Edgar to discharge 1047 tons of FFO

12 October 1917 Fireman W Harris sentenced to 14 days cell with 10 days pay stopped for desertion

15 October 1917 at Bo'ness Roads alongside HMS Inconstant refuelling her with 106 tons of FFO

16 October 1917 at Bo'ness Roads alongside HMS Urchin refuelling her with 84 tons of FFO

17 October 1917 at Bo'ness Roads alongside RFA Moiler and received 20 tons of water

18 October 1917 anchored off Burntisland then sailed to and berthed at Imperial Dock, Leith

24 October 1917 Lieutenant  George B Williams RNR  appeared before a court martial charge with (a) being found drunk on board and (b) being found drunk on board. First charge was adjudged to be proved. The second charge was adjudged to be not proved and he was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and to be dismissed his ship

20 March 1918 Ordinary Seaman J Brien logged as deserting the ship

1 June 1918 Lieutenant W Distant RNR appointed in command

29 November 1918 at Rosyth alongside HMS Castor refuelling her. RFA Moiler was alongside at the same time supply water

21 March 1919 at Rosyth with HMS Vindictive alongside being refuelled with 990 tons of FFO

2 July 1919 at Rosyth with HMS Vindictive alongside being refuelled with 85 tons of FFO

21 October 1919 Stoker D P McCarthy MMR 1012550 logged as deserting the ship. He had signed on on 12 September 1919

9 November 1919 Stoker H Sergeant MMR 1007107 logged as deserting the ship. He had signed on on the 30 July 1919

18 February 1921 Captain Harry Young-Third RFA appointed as Master

17 October 1922 Chief Officer Cecil R Rosen RFA appointed as Acting Master 

22 November 1923 Captain Frederick Stanley Browne RFA appointed as Master

10 October 1924 Mr C Falconer RFA appointed as Acting Chief Engineer Officer

16 January 1925 Mr J A Mackintosh RFA appointed as acting Chief Engineer Officer

28 December 1925 Chief Officer David  A Gibbins RFA appointed as acting Master

20 January 1927 Mr F E Langer RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 February 1927 involved in the salvage of ss Beechwood by which the crew later received salvage money varying between £10 8sh 4d and £2 1sh 9d  - see London Gazette 2 August 1927 page 4996

25 April 1927 Captain R F Gallon RFA appointed as Master

2 February 1929 sailed Portland to Portsmouth arriving the same day

6 February 1929 sailed Portsmouth to Portland arriving the same day

11 March 1929 Captain W Whiteley RFA appointed as Master

29 April 1929 Mr William W Ridgway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 June 1929 Chief Officer H M Sinclair RFA took over as Acting Master

1 July 1929 sailed Portland to Portsmouth arriving the same day

4 July 1929 sailed Portsmouth to Portland arriving the same day

14 August 1929 sailed Portland to Portsmouth arriving the same day

16 August 1929 sailed Portsmouth to Sheerness arriving the next day

9 October 1929 sailed Sheerness to Portland arriving the next day

7 December 1929 Captain A L Jones RFA appointed as Master

17 December 1929 Mr A C Fraser RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 December 1929 sailed Portland to Portsmouth arriving the same day

20 December 1929 sailed Portsmouth to Portland arriving the same day

10 November 1930 Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA appointed as Master and Mr Charles M Morgan RFA appointed as acting Chief Engineer Officer

 

Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA

18 March 1931 Mr C J Falconer RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 November 1931 Captain James D Ashworth RFA appointed as Master

9 March 1932 Mr George S G Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

 

Chief Engineer Officer George S G Russell RFA

 

1 October 1932 Mr J A Macintosh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 February 1933 Mr William S Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 December 1933 Mr A Nicholls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 May 1934 Captain Frank J Delamotte RFA appointed as Master

7 September 1934 Mr Alexander B McIntyre RFA (Engineer Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 March 1935 Captain John Ross Gorrie RFA appointed as Master and Mr J B Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

 

Captain John Ross Gorrie RFA

14 August 1935 Mr H Ringshaw RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 August 1938 Mr Percy E C Ogden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 September 1938 Captain A Edwards RFA appointed as Master

19 June 1939 Captain S Thomas RFA appointed as Master

12 July 1939 Mr J W Thomas RFA (Engineer Lieutenant Commander RNR (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 July 1939 at Portland alongside HMS Royal Oak refuelling her

28 July 1939 at Portland alongside HMS Royal Oak refuelling her

28 August 1939 Captain W E Rousell RFA appointed as Master

September 1939 Mr J E Hawthorn RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 September 1939 at Portland on the outbreak of WW2

28 September 1940 Mr H Marshall RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 October 1940 Captain N Colbridge RFA appointed as Master

4 October 1941 sailed Dartmouth independently to Falmouth and then Milford Haven arriving 6 October 1941

12 October 1941 sailed Milford Haven independently to Oban via Belfast Lough arriving 16 October 1941

17 October 1941 sailed Oban in convoy WN194 arriving Methil on 19 October 1941

8 May 1942 Captain S P Sice RFA appointed as Master

17 November 1942 under repair on the Clyde - repairs completed 19 November 1942

18 January 1943 Mr R B Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 January 1944 Captain J H Phillips RFA appointed as Master

5 January 1944 Mr R W Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1944 sailed Weymouth Bay

20 November 1944 Mr F A Essam RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 December 1944 involved in a collision with a trawler in which she was holed in the area of the port anchor

16 March 1945 sailed Cardiff

22 March 1945 sailed the UK in convoy OMS118/KMS92 arriving Gibraltar on 1 April 1945 reportedly on passage to Colombo

13 March 1946 Captain Alfred Matthews Uglow RFA appointed as Master

15 July 1947 transferred to the MoT for disposal

21 April 1948 purchased by Hemsley Bell Ltd (H.L.R. Bell, Managers) Southampton

21 June 1948 renamed HEMSLEY 1 by her owners and was employed running between the Mersey and Heysham and as a bunkering vessel at London and Southampton

12 May 1969 ran aground and wrecked off Porthcothan, 6 nautical miles S. Padstow. The tug TITAN arrived and attempted to tow her off but  without success

15 May 1969 Lloyds List reported that hopes of salvage were fading. Salvage was abandoned and she was broken up in situ