RFA Sokoto

RFA Sokoto

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:              Tablada    

Official Number:                    111177                                                        

Class:                                     Submarine Depot Ship

Pennant No:

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Vickers Maxim, Barrow
Launched:                             25 February 1899

Into Service:                          October 1914
Out of service:                       August 1919
Fate:                                       Sold to mercantile interests

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control

 

25 February 1899 launched by  Vickers Son & Maxim, Barrow as Yard Nr 270 named  SOKOTO for British and African Steamship Co (Elder, Dempster & Co Ltd, Managers) Liverpool. Named after a province and its chief township in SW Nigeria

April 1899 Completed .71 x 1st Class and  36 x 2nd Class passengers

22 April 1899 sailed Liverpool to West Africa on her maiden voyage

5 May 1899 grounded while leaving port - refloated after roughly 60 tons of cargo had been jettisoned.

11 May 1899 off Cape Coast Castle F. Taylor a trimmer, when mad with drink, jumped overboard into shark infested waters. Captain C J Mellis and Sailors Andrew Price, Charles Horn, and A J Langley all jumped in and, with their united efforts, managed to rescue the man. All four were awarded the Royal Humane Societies Bronze Medal

2 September 1906 sailed Liverpool for Montreal

20 September 1906 sailed Montreal, Canada on the owners Canada, Cuba and Mexico service

11 December 1906 berthed at Havana, Cuba with seventeen members of the crew of the Norwegian schooner Wellington which she had picked up at 34.29N 65.40W. The Master, his wife and other crew members had been holding onto the slowly sinking schooner's poop for five days without food or water

9 March 1907 ran aground off Louisberg CB  in heavy weather after dragging her anchor. Pulled clear by two tugs

8 May 1908 sailed Montreal, Canada with cargo for Mexico ports

29 August 1908 sailed Montreal, Canada for Nassau, Bahamas; Havana, Cuba; Tampico, Vera Cruz and Progreso, Mexico

15 February 1909 berthed at Newport News with a fire in the hold. 

15 June 1911 berthed at Montreal, Canada having sailed from Mexico

5 November 1911 berthed at Montreal, Canada

11 May 1912 the ships Master - Captain J Pierce appeared before a Court in Norfolk, Virginia this day and pleaded Not Guilty to a charge brought by a Grand Jury alleging that the Sokoto had sailed without 'proper wireless equipment'. The case was adjourned for legal review of matters raised by the defence

12 July 1912 berthed at Quebec, Canada

30 May 1913 berthed at Liverpool after passage from Sydney, Cape Breton

11 August 1913 arrived at Newcastle, NSW

12 December 1913 sailed Duala for Liverpool

22 December 1913 sailed Sierra Leone for Liverpool

6 January 1914 berthed at Liverpool from Libreville

30 April 1914 sailed Natal for Liverpool

6 January 1915 sailed Southampton for Scapa Flow arriving on 14 January 1915

26 October 1915 Purchased by the Admiralty along with SOBO for conversion into a Submarine Depot  Ship for service at Scapa Flow

5 August 1916 Engineer Commander Thomas W Cleave RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 August 1916 Lieutenant Commander John Howson RD RNR appointed in command

18 December 1916 Engineer Captain George K Edwards Royal Navy (Retired) discharged dead. He is buried in Torquay Cemetery in Grave D 4 14410

 

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

 

14 June 1917 Commander Samuel W Ryder RD RNR appointed in command

28 June 1917 Able Seaman John Lawrence MMR 641968 discharged dead - accidentally drowned and buried in the Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Scapa Flow

 

 

28 April 1918 Acting Commander Norman Lillia RNR appointed in Command

9 November 1918 T/Sub-Lieutenant James Andrew RNR aged 41 years discharged dead - buried in Great Yarmouth (Caister) Cemetery

 

 

9 August 1919 purchased for £95,000 by Cia Naviera Sevillana S.A, Seville and renamed TABLEDA

January 1925 sold to Spanish ship breakers

 

Notes:

1.  The Admiralty paid a total of £55,000 for ARO, SOBO and SOKOTO