RFA Wonganella

RFA Wonganella

 

Previous name:                       Wonga Fell
Subsequent name:                 Magda

Official Number:                      120464

Class:

Pennant No:

Laid down: 
Builder:                                   Laing, Deptford Yard
Launched:                              18 August 1904
Into Service:
Out of service:                       
Fate:                                         Ran aground

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   One of a group of additional ships hired by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

 

18 April 1904 launched by Sir James Laing & Sons, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr 605 named WONGAFELL for their own account

October 1904 completed and chartered to W.S. Fell & Co Ltd, Sydney, NSW, Australia

10 November 1904 sailed from Bristol to London

28 November 1904 sailed London to Freemantle, Australia - due to arrive 16 January 1905

7 April 1907 in collision with the steamship Vermont at Port Pirie on arrival fron Newcastle NSW

4 May 1907 arrived at Port Augusta having sailed from Sydney, NSW

21 August 1908 arrived at Sydney, NSW from Wellington, New Zealand

28 July 1909 sailed Capetown for Sydney, NSW arriving on 23 August 1909

26 October 1909 sailed Melbourne to Sydney Captain D N Campbell in command

1910 purchased by W. Crosby & Co, Melbourne and renamed WONGANELLA

20 February 1914 berthed at Adelaide from Ocean Island

25 February 1915 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand from the Ocean, Nauva and Makatea Islands

WW1 requisitioned by the Admiralty under the command of Lieut.-Commander B. J. D. Guy, Royal Navy. Used the following false names - Thornhill, Werribee, and Wellholme

3 February 1916 sailed Port Said to Malta as a 'Q' ship

9 February 1916 60 miles from Crete was attacked by a submarine. The guns on the Wonganella opened fire and after about eight rounds the submarine submerged.

1 March 1916 sailed London to Gibraltar

9 March 1916 anchored off Gibraltar

21 March 1916 sailed Gibraltar to Malta as a 'Q' ship

26 March 1916 engine stopped due to defects - repaired

27 March 1916 entered Grand Harbour, Malta

13 April 1916 sailed Malta to Gibraltar arriving 19 April 1916 as a 'Q' ship

20 April 1916 sailed Gibraltar to Malta arriving 2 May 1916 - moored in Bighi Bay as a 'Q' ship

30  May 1916 sailed Malta to Gibraltar arrriving 2 June 1916 - anchored in Gibraltar Bay as a 'Q' ship

13 June 1916 sailed Gibraltar to Malta arriving 27 June 1916 as a 'Q' ship

14 July 1916 entered No 2 dry dock in Grand Harbour, Malta

18 July 1916 exited No 2 dry dock in Grand Harbour, Malta anchored in Sliema Creek

3 August 1916 sailed Malta to Gibraltar but returned to Malta on 11 August 1916 as a 'Q' ship

12 August 1916 sailed Malta to Marseille but altered course back to Malta on 16 August 1916 and arriving on 21 August 1916 as a 'Q' ship

26 August 1916 sailed Malta to Marseille and Gibraltar as a 'Q' ship arriving on 5 September 1916

12 September 1916 sailed Gibraltar to Malta - stopped twice on 12 September 1916 due to engine defects - repaired.

16 September 1916 steering gear carried away at shaft - steering by hand gear - arrived at Malta 17 September 1916

27 September 1916 sailed Malta to Mudros arriving 30 September 1916

4 October 1916 sailed Mudros to Port Iero and then Alexandria returning to Mudros

18 October 1916 logged a suspicious steam ship, painted dark grey, cruiser stern, two masts, one funnel suspiciously steering west for ¾ of an hour then altered course NNW continuously crossing her bow 

17 January 1917 at Brindisi, Italy - sailed to Malta

5 March 1917 sailed Malta to Gibraltar

11 March 1917 while on passage from Malta to Gibraltar at 36 38N 0.13E attacked by a submarine - seven of the crew seriously wounded - crew opened fire on the submarine

14 March 1917 berthed at Gibraltar - detached mole from Malta

26 March 1917 sailed Gibraltar for Portsmouth

2 April 1917 berthed at Portsmouth from Gibraltar

28 April 1917 sailed Portsmouth for Halifax NS

11 May 1917 berthed at Halifax NS from Portsmouth

7 June 1917 at No 8 pier at Halifax NS loaded 45 tons of water and sailed to Queenstown

11 June 1917 stopped mid Atlantic with engine defects - defects repaired in 3.5  hours

13 June 1917 stopped mid Atlantic with engine defects - defects repaired in 12 hours

18 June 1917 while on passage from Halifax NS to Queenstown - a torpedo passed under the ship - submarine submerged - found and picked up 30 survivors from the ss Elele

21 June 1917 arrived at Queenstown from Halifax, N.S.

22 June 1917 sailed Queenstown

23 June 1917 berthed at Plymouth from Queenstown

1922 registered at Cape Town

30 October 1925 dispute over rates to be paid to labourers to discharge the ship at Lyttleton, New Zealand 

17 May 1926 radioed Brisbane, Australia that her tail shaft was broken and that her position was 120 miles east of Cape Morton - reported in The Times of this day

18 May 1926 rescue tug St. Giles standing by - information from Sydney, NSW to The Evening Post, New Zealand.

24 May 1926 arrived in tow at Brisbane today

18 February 1928 visited Auckland New Zealand

1930 purchased by Afrikanska Angf. Aktiebolaget ( G.E. Sandstrom, Manager) Gothenburg and renamed MAGDA

31 March 1933 while on passage from Callao to Buenos Aires was stranded on Veil Island in the Smyth Channel, a principal Patagonia Channel in South America. Reports stated she was breaking up and should be considered a total loss. Her crew were rescued and taken off by the steamer Don Ricardo.