RFA Wave Master

RFA Wave Master

 

RFA Wave Master RASing with HMAS Melbourne in the Indian Ocean in June, 1961

with grateful thanks to Kimberley Dunstan

 

Previous name:                            Empire Salisbury
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                           180146

Class:                                            WAVE CLASS  Replenishment  Oiler (modified)

Pennant No:                                 X 133 /  A193

Laid down:                                    1943
Builder:                                          Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland
Launched:                                     20 May 1944
Into Service:                                  December 1946
Out of service:                              23 September 1962
Fate: Broken up                           May 1963

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   A need for fast tankers to bring oil into the country had been envisaged early in the Second World War, but by the time the material had been collected and the Yards had space to build them, the need had largely passed and the original design of diesel-engined ships was abandoned. Instead, the standard 12000t Class being built were given sharper bows and sterns and turbine engines with water tube boilers. In all, 21 of this type were built and were offered to the Admiralty, who wanted faster tankers for the Pacific Fleet Train. The Admiralty took 20 of them ( the final vessel being completed commercially for Oil and Molasses Tankers Ltd, London as BEECHWOOD) and renamed them with the WAVE nomenclature. Performance varied considerably from ship to ship and they underwent various modifications in their rigs for RAS work. The 8 best ones were finally given an extensive refit, with extra accommodation added to the Bridge Deck and extra turbo cargo pumps and derricks to make them more satisfactory for Fleet work. Initially expensive to run, they recouped some of their expensive repair bills by earning revenues from charter work after the Korean War. From this Class was evolved the TIDE CLASS oilers.

 

20 May 1944 launched by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr 754 named  EMPIRE SALISBURY for the MoWT.

19 June 1944 sailed the Tyne to Sunderland

December 1944 completed and placed under initial management of Eagle Oil and Shipping Co Ltd, London

9 December 1944 sailed the Tyne - returned the next day under tow.

15 December 1944 sailed the Tyne and joined convoy TBC8 arriving at Falmouth on 17 December 1944

25 December 1944 sailed Falmouth in convoy UC050A to New York arriving on 4 January 1945 the convoy also contained  EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)

18 January 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU055 to Thames Haven arriving on 29 January 1945 the convoy also contained  EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)

6 February 1945 sailed Southend in convoy UC055B to Baltimore arriving on 19 February 1945

5 March 1945 sailed Philadelphia in convoy CU061to Avonmouth arriving 18 March 1945 also containing  EMPIRE LAW ( later RFA WAVE CONQUEROR ) and EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later RFA WAVE PROTECTOR)

21 March 1945 sailed Avonmouth in convoy UC061A to New York arriving 1 April 1945 also containing EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later  RFA WAVE PROTECTOR)

8 April 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU065 to Swansea arriving 19 April 1945 along with EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later RFA WAVE PROTECTOR )

23 April 1945 sailed Swansea in convoy UC65A to Baltimore arriving 5 May 1945 also containing  EMPIRE MARS ( later RFA WAVE DUKE) and EMPIRE PALADIN ( later RFA WAVE COMMANDER )

15 May 1945 sailed Baltimore independently to Philadelphia arriving the next day and then onto New York arriving on 18 May 1945

20 May 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU71 to Southend arriving 30 May 1945

18 July 1945 sailed Thames Haven, passing Southend independently to the Tyne arriving on 20 July 1945

4 September 1945 sailed the Tyne independently to Curacao arriving 25 September 1945

26 September 1945 sailed Curacao independently to Cristobal arriving 6 October 1945

8 October 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Brisbane arriving 30 October 1945

4 November 1945 sailed Brisbane independently to Abadan arriving 25 November 1945

28 November 1945 sailed Abadan independently to Trincomalee with a schedule arrived of  6 December 1945 but on 5 December 1945 grounded at Trincomalee, Ceylon.

8 December 1945 sailed Trincomalee to Bombay for repairs arriving on 11 December 1945

25 January 1946 sailed Bombay to Abadan arriving 6 February 1946 where she underwent further repairs.

4 February 1946 sailed Abadan to Trincomalee arriving 13 February 1946

17 February 1946 sailed Trincomalee to Abadan arriving 23 February 1946

25 February 1946 sailed Abadan to Suez arriving 6 March 1946

9 March 1946 sailed Suez to Abadan arriving 19 March 1946

20 March 1946 sailed Abadan to Singapore and then to Trincomalee

30 March 1946 sailed Trincomalee to Abadan arriving 7 April 1946

9 April 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo

16 April 1946 sailed from Colombo to Trincomalee ariving 22 April 1946

December 1946  was bought by the Admiralty but remained under civil management

3 May 1947 In collision with the British tanker VIVIEN LOUISE ) in Lake Timsah, Suez Canal.

15 September 1947 Captain D A Rees RFA appointed as Master

1 October 1947 Mr G C Dunning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer G C Dunning RFA

 

18 November 1947 came under Admiralty management and renamed WAVE MASTER

 27 November 1947 Mr F B Hobson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 September 1948 Captain F Mills RFA appointed as Master

9 February 1950 Mr J Wilson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 June 1950 arrived Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to discharge

6 July 1950 Captain F Mills RFA discharged dead

7 July 1950 Captain Donovan J S Newton RFA appointed as Master

3 May 1951 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master

10 November 1951 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Balboa to discharge

16 November 1951 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Curacao

28 December 1951 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10September 1952 in refit in Harland & Wolff on the Clyde

9 December 1952 Mr K U Rapley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 September 1953 HMS Swifture and HMS Diamond were involved in a collision about 80 miles south of Iceland during Exercise Mariner. Both ships diverted to Iceland to take on oil from RFA Wave Master before returning to the UK.

9 October 1953 Captain Douglas N J Williams RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

10 May 1954 Mr G D J Garside RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 April 1955 Captain G O W Evans DSC RFA appointed as Master

21 April 1955 Mr J E Kennedy RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 December 1955 while in the Persian Gulf HMS Loch Fada's medical officer transfered to Wave Master to provide assistance to a member of the crew

25 March 1956 sailed Hong Kong with RFA Fort Charlotte in Naval exercises

4 July 1956 Captain G B A Livesay RFA appointed as Master

31 October 1956 deployed for Operation Musketeer - the Suez Crisis - along with 34 other RFA’s.

17 July 1956 Mr D Hodge RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 February 1957 Mr K Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 September 1957 Captain Henry O L'Estrange DSC RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1957 - 1960 Supported Operation Grapple - the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean - along with 16 other RFA’s

 

 

21 September 1957 assisted in the search for the missing German Sail Training ship PAMIR 

21 January 1958 Roy Palmer, aged 31, a crew member of the Wave Master was fined $50 in Singapore Court for receiving $93 and £5 (Fijian) at the Naval Base on 17 January 1958 knowing that it had been stolen from another crew member of the ship.

24 February 1958 to 1March 1958 involved in fleet exercises with RFA's Gold Ranger, Fort Charlotte, Fort Sandusky, HMS Newcastle and 9 other RN ships

1 April 1958 berthed at Singapore

16 August 1958 Mr J A Macpherson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 August 1958 Captain J Dines RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

3 November 1958 sailed Curacao

5 November 1958 transited Panama Canal

15 September 1959 Captain A Jackson OBE RFA appointed as Master

21 September 1959 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 November 1960 on passage with RFA Charlotte from SIngapore to Hong Kong and HMS Crane. RASed with HMS Cardigan Bay

22 December 1960 Captain Alf Waters RFA appointed as Master

2 March 1961 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 10 March 1961

22 March 1961 Mr G D J Garside RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

July 1961 Acted as Support Ship during the Kuwait Crisis along  with 12 other RFA’s.

18 to 23 August 1961 took part in Exercise 'Tucker Box' in the Coral Sea with HMS Belfast, four RN frigates together with RAN and RNZ Naval Forces.

23 September 1962 laid up at Singapore after destoring

December 1962 placed on the Disposal List and subsequently withdrawn

13 December 1962 offered for sale by the Ministry of Transport 'as lying' at Singapore in the Times newspaper (London) this day

February 1963 again placed on the Disposal List

19 February 1963 offered for sale by the Ministry of Transport 'as lying' at Singapore in the Times newspaper (London) this day

May 1963 broken up at Jurong