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Ships starting with F

RFA Ships starting with F

RFA Fernleaf

Previous name: Oleander
Subsequent name: British Fern

Official Number: 139189

Class: Emergency Wartime Construction LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No: Y7.162

Laid down:
Builder: Napier & Miller, Old Kilpatrick
Launched: 1916
Into Service: January 1917
Out of service: Sold commercially

Fate: Broken up

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.

Details of this ship were described in the Western Australian newspaper of 10 October 1921 which said that 'Special construction features of the ship include the fitting of cylindrical tanks in the holds, an innovation which few oil tankers possess. The carrying capacity of the tanks was nearly 10,000 tons and a further 1,000 tons of oil was carried as bunkers. The oil could be pumped into the tanks in about 18 hours, and, providing the shore facilities were adequate, discharging operations could be completed in 16 hours. To ensure the stability of the vessel, expansion tanks are provided, and these also serve the purpose of giving added room when the hot weather increases the volume of the cargo. Provisions against the outbreak of fire are most complete and vary according to the nature of the oil carried. The ship consumed about 28 tons of oil per day on average while a steamer of her size would require 46 tons of coal per day. One man was required to watch the fuel on an oil burner and on a steamer at least four men were employed on that work. The quick comparative quick rate at which bunkers could be replenished was another point in favour of an oil burning ship.'

1916 Launched by Napier & Miller Ltd, Old Kilpatrick as Yard Nr 200 named RFA OLEANDER

January 1917 completed for the Shipping Controller and placed under management of Lane & MacAndrew Ltd, London as an oiler transport and renamed FERNLEAF. Base port Devonport

January 1917 Captain Buck appointed as Master

10 June 1917 off the south west coast of Ireland attempted to ram an attacking German submarine and later maintained sustained fire from the ships gun that the submarine attempted renewed attack was abandoned. (As reported in The Straits Times of 23 September 1931). Arrived later the same day at Queenstown

25 June 1917 attacked in the Atlantic by gunfire from an unknown submarine but fought it off

10 January 1918 involved in a collision with ss San Gregorio inside the gate of the first boom defence of the Cromarty Firth.

25 March 1918 re-entered service after repairs were completed

18 July 1919 at Reval, Baltic Sea alongside HMS Vindictive refuelling her with 365 tons FFO

28 July 1919 berthed at Portsmouth from sea - returning to sea later on the same day

8 October 1919 sailed Port Arthur, Texas to Falmouth

9 February 1920 sold to British Tanker Co Ltd and renamed British Fern

19 June 1920 sailed Southamton to Port Arthur, Texas

8 July 1920 arrived Port Arthur, Texas

29 August 1920 sailed Port Arthur, Texas to the UK

11 October, 1920 arrived Port Arthur, Texas

3 November 1920 arrived at Gravesend from Port Arthur

21 December 1920 arrived at Gravesend for Purfleet from Brunswick

End of 1920 rescued the crew of the Luneburg schooner Bernard B Conrad

15 July 1921 passed Key West, Florida

31 July 1921 arrived at Walton Bay from Port Arthur, Texas

15 October 1921 as British Fern arrived Freemantle, Australia from Abadan to discharge 8,000 tons into new tanks for Anglo Persian Oil Company

16 July 1922 as British Fern arrived Sydney, Australia with a load of oil from Mohammerah, Persian Gulf for sale as bunkers

October 1923 Captain Oxley in command as Master

15 October 1923 sailed Abadan to Sydney, Australia to discharge 7,500 tons of oil

24 November 1923 sailed Sydney, Australia for Bombay

10 August 1929 in the Bay of Bengal at 15.00N 85.20E Fireman Ebrahim Shaboodeen discharged dead from heart failure

13 September 1931 purchased for £8,000 for demolition by Iaminosuka Myaji, Osaka

RFA Ferol

RFA_Ferol

Previous name:
Subsequent name: OSAGE

Official Number: 136733

Class: FIRST 1000t ATTENDANT CLASS Oiler

Pennant No: N88 / X07 / X24

Laid down: 14 November 1913
Builder: H.M. Dockyard, Devonport
Launched: 3 October 1914

Into Service: January 1915
Out of service: 29 January 1920

Fate: Sold to British commercial interests and renamed

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a programme of tanker construction for the fledgling RFA Service and there were 4 ships in this Class, all of which were little more than powered barges. The early Swedish diesel engines in 2 of them gave endless trouble and ultimately, 3 of the Class were sold off at the end of the War as part of the Government Disposal Scheme. In April 1940, approval was given to build six 1500 tons Fleet Attendant Tankers, of which two were intended to replace two of this Class and the rest to replace larger Fleet Attendant Tankers for freighting duties, but eventually to replace the other 1000 tonners. As designed they were to have been 3200 tons full load displacement, 263 ft (o.a.) x 38.5 ft x 16 ft, with steam engines developing 1200 ihp giving a speed of 10 knots with 2000 miles endurance. Cargo was to have been 1500 tons of fuel oil, 100 tons of diesel oil and 50 tons of petrol. There were no slips available in the U.K. for building and building capacity was sought in Canada but the shipyards there could not cope either. In May 1940 the idea was abandoned.

3 October 1914 Launched by H.M. Dockyard, Devonport as Yard Nr named FEROL. Was built on a covered slip and was the first ship built at Devonport with internal combustion engines

16 December 1914 Lieutenant Percival Skone-Rees RNR appointed in command

PSR

Lieutenant Percival Skone-Rees RNR

14 January 1915 at Devonport loaded 370 tons FFO as cargo

18 January 1915 on trials at Devonport - returning to No 4 jetty

19 January 1915 at Devonport tug Salvo damaged the ship on her port side while casting off

20 January 1915 at Devonport tug Salvo caused further damage to her port side while coming alongside

24 January 1915 sailed Devonport initally for Scapa Flow - after leaving Plymouth Sound suffered a defect in her steering and anchored off Falmouth while repairs were effected

25 January 1915 sailed Falmouth but suffered further defects and put in Kingstown for repairs these took several days

3 February 1915 at Kingstown refuelled HMS Loyal with 67 tons FFO, HMS Lawford with 57 tons of FFO and HMS Sydiard with 70 tons of FFO

9 February 1915 sailed Kingstown but suffered further engine defects - put into Liverpool for repairs

16 February 1915 sailed from Liverpool to Birkenhead - collied with the pier head damaging her plating in the region of the bows.

21 February 1915 sailed Birkenhead towards Scapa Flow

27 February 1915 at Loch Laxford suffered further engine defects - repairs under taken

1 March 1915 sailed Loch laxford for Long Hope, Orkney Islands arriving on 4 March 1915

10 March 1915 at Long Hope went alongside and replenished the following RN ships - HMS Natal with 700 gallons of lub oil. HMS Cochrane with 435 gallons of lub oil and HMS Achilles with 445 gallons of lub oil.

11 March 1915 at Long Hope alongside HMS Conqueror and refuelled her with 99 tons of FFO

13 March 1915 at Long Hope alongside RFA Kharki to load lub oil. While the two ships were alongside both were damaged

19 March 1915 at Long Hope came alongside HMS Shannon to refuel her. While coming alongside her starboard aft davit was carried away. Refuelled HMS SHnnon with 400 galls of lub oil.

20 March 1915 at Long Hope alongside RFA Kharki to load lub oil

24 March 1915 at Long Hope came alongside HMS Faulkner and refuelled her with 12 tons of FFO

26 March 1915 at Long Hope while coming alongside HMS Royalist to refuel her Ferol's starboard anchor made a hole in the side of the warship on her port side. Royalist then loaded 256 tons of FFO.

4 August 1915 Engineer Lieutenant Wilfred Jefferies RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 April 1916 at Bo'ness alongside HMS FEARLESS refuelling her - 16 tons of FFO supplied

10 May 1916 at South Queensferry alongside HMS FEARLESS refuelling her - 42 tons of FFO supplied

22 May 1916 at South Queensferry alongside HMS FEARLESS refuelling her - 34 tons of FFO supplied

29 May 1916 at South Queensferry alongside HMS FEARLESS refuelling her - 32 tons of FFO supplied

12 June 1916 at Queensferry alongside HMS FEARLESS refuelling her - 34 tons of FFO supplied

8 July 1916 Lieutenant Charles H Noel RNR appointed in command

Charles_Noel_3_-_1943

Lieutenant Charles H Noel RNR

1 January 1918 Lieutenant Allan H Furlong RNR appointed in command. He signed off on the 17 September 1918 when transfered to RFA Carol

11 July 1918 Fireman S Birch logged as deserting. He had signed on on 3 June 1918

16 November 1918 berthed alongside HMS Caradoc which was anchored off Inch Keith, in the Forth and refuelled her with 113 tons FFO

17 November 1918 at Rosyth Dockyard berthed alongside HMS Caradoc to refuel her with 80 tons FFO

26 November 1918 at Rosyth Dockyard berthed alongside HMS Caradoc to refuel her with 31 tons FFO

1 January 1919 at anbchor in the Firth of Forth - HMS Typhoon and HMS Speedy came alongside to refuel

2 January 1919 at Firth of Forth anchorage came alongside RFA Burma to load

3 January 1919 at Firth of Forth anchorage came alongside RFA Montenol to load. The moved alongside HMS Lion to refuel her

4 January 1919 at Firth of Forth anchorage came alongside RFA Slavol to load

6 January 1919 sailed Firth of Forth anchorage to Leith Docks

17 January 1919 while berthed at Leith Docks RFA Rapidol berthed alongside her.

24 September 1918 Lieutenant Charles A Shepherd RNR appointed in command

22 April 1919 Lieutenant Charles H Noel RNR appointed in command (again)

26 April 1919 Donkeyman A Morris MMR 999360 logged as deserting. He had signed on on 20 April 1919

16 July 1919 Able Seaman John Cooke MMR 981246 logged as discharged to HMS Eaglet and deserted on route. He had signed on on 31 March 1919

29 January 1920 purchased by Anglo American Oil Co Ltd, London was renamed OSAGE and was re-engined with 2 x 4 cyl Bolinder 16 “ x 18 “ diesel engines by J & C.G. Bolinder, Stockholm. 410 bhp. Speed 8 knots. Twin screws.

14 February 1921 arrived at Dublin from New York

3 August 1921 sailed Belfast for New York

12 December 1921 while en-route from Stockholm to the UK in ballast put into Brunsbuttelkoog with damage to her engine - repaired

16 April 1922 stranded at Grays Harbour, Washington while partly laden. Discharging into lighters to lighten the ship

23 January 1924 in collision with the British steamer PETWORTH at Liverpool and both vessels were badly damaged Osage listing heavily damaged amidhips port side. When the collision occured some of her crew and workmen on board jumpted onto the PETWORTH. Reported in the Times 24 January 1924

1928 managers became J. Hamilton

1931 managers became P.J. Wolfe

11 May 1934 in collision at Butterman's Bay, Harwich with sailing barge Jock. No damage to the Osage but considerable damage to the bow of Jock - reported in the Casualty List, Times 12 May 1934

18 December 1940 bombed and sunk 4nm NE Arklow Light Vessel off County Wicklow, Eire at 54 deg 52.2 north 1 deg 39.3 west while on passage from Belfast to Foynes with a cargo of petrol

RFA Fidget

RFA_Fidgit

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Class:

Pennant No: X20 / X25

Laid down:
Builder:
Launched:
Into Service: 1915
Out of service: August 1921
Fate: Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

20 October 1915 Lieutenant Thomas Gillmour RNR appointed in command

26 November 1915 Engineer Lieutenant George Youngson RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 December 1916 Engineer Lieutenant George Youngson RNR appeared before a court martial charged with being absent without leave. The charge was adjudged to be proved and he was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and to be dismissed his ship.

16 August 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Adam McNaughton RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 October 1918 John Young, Diver's Linesman MMR 891690 discharged dead. He is buried in Charlton Cemetery, Dover and is also remembered with pride on the Dover Town War Memorial

Young J

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

August 1921 sold out of service to J R Thompson.

Ships of the same name

Fidget. A wood screw gunboat of the “Cheerful” class, built by Joyce at Greenhithe and launched on the 7 April 1856. Broken up at Haslar in 1863.

Fidget. An iron screw gunboat of the “Ant” class, launched by Chatham Dockyard on the 13 March 1872, she was hulked in 1905.

RFA Fort Austin

Fort_Austin_1974

Fprt_Austin_Profile

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 379796

Class: FORT CLASS Ammunition, Food, Explosive Stores Ship

Pennant No: A386

Laid down: 9 December 1975
Builder: Scotts Shipbuilding, Greenock

Launched: 9 March 1978
Into Service: 22 June 1979
Out of service:
Fate:

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: An order for 2 new Fleet Replenishment Ships was announced in November 1971 and the ships in this Class provided up to date replenishment facilities for both ammunition and general naval and victual ling stores. Both were fitted with extensive aviation facilities with a single spot flight deck and full hangar facilities. The roof of the hangar was also strengthened for use as an emergency landing spot which enabled them to operate up to 4 Sea King helicopters

9 December 1975 laid down as AEFS 04

9 March 1978 launched by Scotts Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Cartsdyke Yard, Greenock as Yard Nr 738 named FORT AUSTIN. The Lady Sponsor was Mrs D.R.J. Stephens, wife of the Deputy Under Secretary of State for the Army. Named after one of Palmer’s Follies, a fort in the Plymouth area

11 May 1979 completed

22 June 1979 entered operational service after acceptance from her builders

12 July 1979 arrived Plymouth for the first time

7 October 1979 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

1980 Along with RFA’s OLNA (3) and OLMEDA she was deployed to the Gulf during the Iran-Iraq Conflict

26 June 1981 while berthed at Portland vessel visited by H.M. Queen Elizabeth and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh who honoured the Commodore with their presence at luncheon

menu cover

26 March 1982 received orders to divert to Gibraltar to load stores for HMS ENDURANCE

29 March 1982 returning to the UK from Armilla Patrol duties, she arrived at Gibraltar and then sailed to the South Atlantic with stores for HMS ENDURANCE and service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict. Was the first surface ship ordered south

6 April 1982 was the first Task Force ship to arrive at Ascension Island and loaded stores which had been delivered to the Island by C130 transport aircraft

9 April 1982 sailed Ascension Island with 3 x Lynx and 2 x Wessex helicopters, 120 men of combined SAS/SBS force and an RN Surgical Team embarked. to meet the Ice Patrol Ship HMS ENDURANCE

12 April 1982 replenished HMS ENDURANCE then headed back north to meet the South Georgia Task Group

13 April 1982 rendezvoused with RFA TIDESPRING for a fuel transfer and to transfer food, ammunition and the SAS/SBS teams to the destroyer HMS ANTRIM and the frigate HMS PLYMOUTH and to transfer a full RN Surgical Support Team to RFA TIDESPRING in preparation for the retaking of South Georgia

16 April 1982 rendezvoused with TG 317.8/11 consisting of the destroyers HMS’s COVENTRY GLAMORGAN, GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD and the frigates HMS’s ARROW and BRILLIANT which was also joined by RFA APPLELEAF (3). RASed with HMS BRILLIANT

21 April 1982 arrived back at Ascension Island to restore

23 April 1982 sailed Ascension Island to rejoin the Carrier Battle Group

26 April 1982 entered the TEZ (Total Exclusion Zone) around the Falkland Islands

3 May 1982 rejoined the Carrier Battle Group

4 May 1982 embarked 170 survivors and the Lynx helicopter from the stricken destroyer HMS SHEFFIELD after the Exocet attack on her

9 May 1982 RASed with HMS HERMES

16 May 1982 recovered a number of Special Forces and their equipment which had been parachuted into the South Atlantic from a Hercules transport aircraft

17 May 1982 RASed with RFA RESOURCE

21 May 1982 entered Falkland Sound along with the HMS FEARLESS Group and claimed a kill on an Argentinean aircraft in San Carlos Water

24 May 1982 Near-missed by Argentinean bombs in San Carlos Water along with RFA’s RESOURCE and STROMNESS

25 May 1982 embarked survivors from the destroyer HMS COVENTRY and sailed San Carlos Water

2 June 1982 RASed with HMS INVINCIBLE

3 June 1982 was relieved by and RASed with RFA FORT GRANGE and RASed with HMS BRILLIANT, HMS GLASGOW, RFA RESOURCE and HMS INVINCIBLE

5 June 1982 began transferring stores to RFA FORT GRANGE

6 June 1982 sailed for South Georgia then back to the U.K

8 June 1982 arrived South Georgia

11 June 1982 sailed South Georgia for home

16 June 1982 RASed with RFA Plumleaf at 22 05S 18.56W receiving 704 tons of fuel and arrived Ascension Island 2 days after the Argentinian surrender and was one of the first ships to return home after Operation Corporate

28 June 1982 arrived back in Devonport on completion of Operation Corporate duties

24 May 1985 was presented with her Falkland Islands 1982 Battle Honour at Plymouth by Mr K Pritchard CB, DGST (N)

31 March 1988 Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Master

8 August 1989 humanitarian aid - provided assistance in Bermuda in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean

19 August 1989 Captain Rex A Cooper RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

24 June 1990 Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

12 February 1991 Captain Peter J Lannin RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

4 January 1993 Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

18 August 1993 Captain Peter J Lannin RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

9 April 1996 Captain Brian J Waters OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

2 December 1996 Captain Anthony F Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

A_Pitt

Captain A F Pitt DSC RFA

January 1997 sailed U.K. as part of Task Group 327.01 - the Ocean Wave 97 Deployment to the Far East led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s DILIGENCE, FORT GEORGE, OLNA (3), SIR GALAHAD (2), SIR GERAINT and SIR PERCIVALE

27 August 1997 Humanitarian aid - along with the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS she stood by the French tanker ONCE which had an engine room fire in the Bay of Biscay

30 December 1997 Captain Peter Farmer RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

9 April 1998 Captain Peter J Lannin RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

9 January 1999 sailed UK with the carrier HMS INVINCIBLE and the destroyer HMS NEWCASTLE for the Gulf Region

30 January 1999 to 1 April 1999 Along with RFA BRAMBLELEAF (3) she was in Operation Magellan in the Persian Gulf - an RN/RFA Group deployed as a precautionary measure to counter continuing Iraqi intransigence over compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions

18 June 1999 Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

12 November 2000 part of the Amphibious Ready Group led by the assault ship HMS OCEAN which arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone for Operation Silkman - a high visibility demonstration of the U.K. commitment to Sierra Leone - along with RFA’s ARGUS, SIR BEDIVERE and SIR TRISTRAM

2 September 2001 humanitarian aid - utilising a Sea King helicopter from the embarked 845 NAS she rescued 20 Moroccans in a powerless Zodiac inflatable boat which had been adrift for the previous two days in the Mediterranean about 100 miles east of Gibraltar .They were winched onto the helicopter and were flown back to the ship

3 September 2001 arrived at Cartagena, Spain and those rescued were handed over to the Spanish authorities. Berthed at Cartagena with RFA's Sir Galahad (2) and Sir Tristram

21 November 2001 to 27 November 2001 berthen at Gibraltar

8 January 2002 Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

4 March 2002 berthed at Gibraltar

20 May 2002 to 23 May 2002 berthed at Barcelona, Spain

15 January 2003 sailed from the UK for Operation Telic - the 2nd Gulf War

24 January 2003 to 29 May 2003 deployed on Operation Telic - the 2nd Gulf War - along with 13 other RFA’s and had 4 x Sea King helicopters from 820 NAS embarked

29 May 2003 anchored off Greenock on completion of Operation Telic duties

27 January 2004 in dry dock at Hebburn on Tyne

31 July 2004 berthed at Gibraltar with RFA Sir Tristram to be present with HMS Grafton to celebrate the seizure of Gibraltar 300 years previously.

18 August 2004 at Devonport

24 February 2005 while berthed at Glen Mallen, Scotland an Argentine sub-machine gun captured during the Falklands War and held as a souvenir on board was found to be missing from the ship. A MOD Police investigation was conducted

4 June 2005 at Douglas, Isle of Man for R & R

28 June 2005 took part in the International Fleet Review for Trafalgar 200 at Spithead along with 8 other RFA’s

10 January 2006 alongside at Lisbon, Portugal

2006 Part of Operation Vela - amphibious operations off the coast of West Africa led by the assault ship HMS OCEAN - along with RFA’s DILIGENCE, MOUNTS BAY, OAKLEAF (2), SIR BEDIVERE and WAVE KNIGHT (2)

29 September 2006 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 16 November 2006

7 November 2006 with HMS Argyll and embarked 849 NAS together and in company of Spanish customs officers seized 1.33 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated £53 million on the 950-ton offshore supply vessel MV Orca II 360 miles off the Cape Verde Islands

2007 in company with the frigate HMS CORNWALL, she met up with the legendary sailing yacht GYPSY MOTH 1V off the coast of East Africa

21 June 2007 at Gibraltar

23 November 2007 completed trials after having been in refit at A&P, Tyne

21 January 2008 sailed Portsmouth as part of the Orion 08 Deployment to the Middle East led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s BAYLEAF (3) and WAVE KNIGHT (2)

28 January 2008 Captain (E) Robert Settle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 April 2008 to 2 May 2008 with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS WESTMINSTER, RFA WAVE KNIGHT (2) and the submarine HMS TRAFALGAR, along with FS SURCOUF, USS COLE, INS MYSORE INS RAJPUT, INS GOMATI, INS ADITYA and INS SHISHUMAR involved in Indo-UK exercises, ‘KONKAN 2008’ off the west coast of India

September 2008 with HMS Argyll in Home Waters seized 100 kg of cocaine worth £4 million.

13 September 2008 anchored off Douglas Bay

25 - 27 October 2008 made an official visit to Douglas, Isle of Man

17 November 2008 with HMS Somerset undertook a 'sea day' off Plymouth for the benefit of the press

4 December 2008 berthed at Glen Mallen

14 July 2009 moved to No 3 Basin, Portsmouth for lay-up

19 October 2010 announcement made by the Defence Secretary that she was to be be brought back into service in place of RFA FORT GEORGE as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review

27 May 2011 sailed Portsmouth under tow of the tugs Union Wrestler and Svitzer Pembroke for Birkenhead and a refit at Cammel Lairds

31 May 2011 arrived under tow at Birkenhead

5 September 2012 sailed Birkenhead to sea

8 September 2012 anchored off DM Crombie, Fife

21 December 2012 arrived at Plymouth

17 January 2013 sailed from Plymouth

30 January 2013 moored on C Buoy, Plymouth Sound

17 March 2013 sailed Plymouth Sound

25 March 2013 at sea off Port Ellen, Island of Islay

26 March 2013 at sea between Scotland and Northern Ireland

28 March 2013 in the Firth of Clyde and then into Loch Long. Sailed Loch Long to Loch Striven

RFA Fort Beauharnois

Fort_Beauharnois_-_Unofficial

RFA Fort Beaunarnois

Fort_Beau_IWM

Lower image © Imperial War Museum (FL 13178)

Previous name: Fort Grand Rapids, Cornish Park
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 175606

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: B586 / A285

Laid down:
Builder: West Coast Ship Builders, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Launched: 31 August 1944

Into Service: 22 September 1948
Out of service: 23 April 1962 laid up at Malta

Fate: Broken up at Italy

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: After the outbreak of WW2, the first cargo vessels built in Canada for the War Effort were the “North Sands” type, the hulls of which conformed to original British working drawings supplied by the North Sands Shipyard of J.L. Thompson & Sons at Sunderland. Following experience gained from these ships, improved versions with a more economic operation were introduced. These were the ”Victory” and “Canadian” types. The “Victory” type was an oil burner and two water tube boilers were substituted for the original 3 Scotch boilers. Because of the then concerns about oil fuel supplies, the “Canadian” type had coal bunkers and alternate oil fuel capacity installed, but with a reversion to the original 3 Scotch boilers of the “North Sands” type. In 1943, when the shipping situation in the Pacific was becoming acute, the British Government ordered that a number of the ships of the Canadian building programme be completed as Stores Issuing Ships whose intended task would be to follow and victual naval units as part of the British Pacific Fleet Train. In all, 16 ships were completed as Stores Issuing Ships as follows: 3 as Ammunition Carriers, 2 as Air Stores Issuing Ships, 2 as Naval Stores Issuing Ships and 9 as refrigerated Victualling Stores Issuing Ships. All were managed by commercial companies with vast experience of Far Eastern Waters as Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries with Merchant Navy Crews and a detachment of Stores Staff from the Victualling Division of the Admiralty under a Commander. On the refrigerated ships, the refrigerated space was in the tween decks and amounted to 111,480 cubic feet in 25 chambers. The lower holds were used for non-perishable items of stores, clothing, etc. After WW2, 8 of these ships became RFA’s. They were only armed during WW2.

31 August 1944 Launched as a “Victory” type by West Coast Shipbuilders Ltd, Vancouver as Yard Nr 146 named FORT GRAND RAPIDS for the Canadian Government (Park Steamship Co, Montreal, Managers)

29 October 1944 Completed as a refrigerated VSIS named CORNISH PARK

8 November 1944 as Cornish Park sailed from Vancouver to Victoria, British Columbia

12 November 1944 sailed Victoria, British Columbia arriving Los Angeles on 17 November 1944

17 November 1944 sailed Los Angeles independently to Balboa arriving on 29 November 1944

29 November 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to New York

9 December 1944 sailed in convoy HX325 from New York to Liverpool loaded with lead and lumber

31 January 1945 as Cornish Park sailed in convoy ON282 Liverpool to New York and then independently to Cristobal arriving 23 February 1945

24 February 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Antofagasta, Chile arriving 5 March 1945

9 March 1945 sailed Antofagasta, Chile independently to San Antonio arriving on 12 March 1945

23 March 1945 sailed Valpariso independently to Chanaral arriving 27 March 1945

2 April 1945 sailed Chanral to Antofagasta, Chile arriving on 3 April 1945

4 April 1945 sailed Antofagasta, Chile to Los Angeles arriving 24 April 1945

25 April 1945 sailed Los Angeles independently arriving Port Townsend, Washington State, USA on 1 May 1945

1945 renamed Fort Beauharnois

1945 sold to the Ministry of War Transport and managed by A Holt & Co, Liverpool and renamed FORT BEAUHARNOIS

3 December 1945 arrived at Sydney, Australia.

18 December 1945 sailed from Sydney, Australia to Manus arrived 26 December 1945

2 May 1946 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Hong Kong

3 June 1946 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Hong Kong

12 July 1946 arrived at Yokohama

1947 placed under the management of Lyle Shipping Company, London

13 May 1947 at Kure, Japan 2nd Engineer Robert M Thompson discharged dead having suffered a heart attack

31 August 1947 on passage from Hong Kong to exercise area as detailed below

2 September 1947 and 3 September 1947 together with Fort Sandusky, RN and RAN ships together with US Navy Aircraft from Okinawa took part in Exercises Adgate Two and Three within an area 31 43N 127.34E and 29.26N 128.40E

5 September 1947 after exercise Adgate Three berthed at Kagoshima to replenish various ships which had taken part in the exercise

5 February 1948 sailed Sydney, Australia to Melbourne

4 March 1948 berthed at Freemantle from Melbourne to load 2,131 gallon jars of rum

5 March 1948 sailed Freemantle for Singapore

1948 taken over by the Admiralty as an RFA and converted into a Store ship

12 April 1948 arrived at Port Said

1 June 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

1 September 1948 Captain Thomas H Card RFA appointed as Master

21 September 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

22 September 1948 became an RFA

20 December 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

14 January 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

23 April 1949 berthed at Portmouth Harbour

16 May 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

30 March 1949 Mr Arthur L Barr RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Arthur_L_Barr

Chief Engineer Officer Arthur L Barr RFA

22 June 1949 Captain William B Browne OBE RFA appointed as Master

30 November 1949 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 December 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

9 January 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

10 January 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

20 March 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

14 November 1950 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar with Prince Phillip's polo pony 'Ballarin', his car and 40 cases of personal effects as cargo. The Prince had been appointed to a shore position in the Royal Navy at Malta with his wife the then Princess Elizabeth

2 February 1951 Mr Wilfred C Shortland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 May 1951 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer until 13 May 1951 when the ship was at Newport, Monmouthshire

27 July 1951 sailed Malta to Rosyth

26 February 1952 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 May 1952 sailed Chatham

14 May 1952 berthed at Malta

3 October 1952 In support of Operation Hurricane 1 - the first British test atomic bomb explosion at Monte Bello Islands off NW Australia - along with RFA’s FORT CONSTANTINE, FORT ROSALIE (1), GOLD RANGER, WAVE PRINCE, WAVE RULER (1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN.

22 December 1952 berthed at Malta having arrived from Gibraltar

15 January 1953 Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 March 1953 sailed Malta for Gibraltar

27 July 1953 Mr Oscar Goodwin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 January 1954 A De Haviland Comet aircraft named YOKE PETER crashed into the Tyrhennian Sea to the south of Elba with the loss of 35 lives. Between February and May that year, RFA SEA SALVOR recovered parts of the wreckage.

6 March 1954 sailed Malta with parts of the Comet (see above) for examination at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough

6 May 1954 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 June 1954 Commodore William B Browne OBE RFA appointed Master

12 August 1954 arrived Malta with Rear Admiral Brittain as a passenger

8 March 1955 Mr Charles M Morgan RFA (Commander (E) R.N.R. (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 October 1955 Captain Howard D Gausden DSO RFA appointed as Master

14 April 1956 Mr J Wilson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 May 1956 at 35.20N 37.50W 2nd Engineer Douglas Herman Buckley RFA discharged dead from 2nd and 3rd degree scalds

23 June 1956 arrived at Port London, Christmas Island to support Operation Grapple - the British H-bomb test in the Pacific Ocean - after a voyage via Panama and Honolulu. Served with 16 other RFA’s during the test period.

Port_London_Christmas_Island

18 November 1957 Commodore Thomas Elder CBE DSC RFA appointed as Master

29 November 1957 Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 July 1958 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master

22 August 1958 present at Christmas Island during atomic bomb tests

22 January 1959 Arrived Leith for refit and while there suffered a fire aboard,

16 February 1959 Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA appointed as Master

15 July 1959 together with USS Current (ARS 22) involved in the salvaging of MV Beaverbank stranded at the English Harbour entrance to Fanning Island at 3.51N 159.22W. Salvaged by 24 July 1959.

20 December 1959 Mr Hugh C F Sweenie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1960 was employed carrying stores and official passengers to the Mediterranean and Far East

8 July 1960 berthed at Malta from Chatham

6 August 1960 Captain Douglas G Cox OBE RFA appointed as Master

2 November 1960 sailed Malta to Gibraltar

3 November 1960 challenged by HMS Bermuda 'What ship where bound'

23 December 1960 berthed at Malta from Chatham

20 March 1961 Captain Alfred M Uglow RFA appointed as Master until 30 March 1961

12 December 1961 Captain Douglas S Norrington OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

13 December 1961 at sea at 37.35N 09.17E Seaman 1 Sk Fakir Abdulrehman discharged dead - natural causes - heart failure - buried at sea

19 December 1961 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 February 1962 berthed Devonport from Gibraltar and Malta with an eight month old donkey as cargo. The animal had been presented by HMS Phoenicia, Malta to HMS Excellent, Whale Island as a mascot

23 April 1962 laid up at Malta transferred to the MoT for disposal

July 1962 Placed on the Disposal List

23 July 1962 advertised for sale 'as lying' at Malta in The Times of this day

8 November 1962 Arrived La Spezia for demolition by Cantieri Navali Santa Maria

Notes:

Prior to RFA service was a member of the British Pacific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort Charlotte

Fort_Charlotte_2

Fort Charlotte in the Indian Ocean

Previous name: Buffalo Park
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 175375

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: B587 / A236

Laid down: 6 November 1943
Builder: North Van, North Vancouver, Canada
Launched: 12 February 1944
Into Service: 11 June 1948

Out of service: 1967 Laid up
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

12 February 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by North Vancouver Shiprepairers Ltd, North Vancouver as Yard Nr 139 named BUFFALO PARK for the Canadian Government (Park Steamship Co, Montreal, Managers)

27 March 1944 registered at Montreal, Canada as ss Buffalo Park. Call sign VDYZ

6 April 1944 delivered by builders

23 April 1944 sailed Victoria, British Columbia independently to Los Angeles arriving 27 April 1944

28 April 1944 sailed Los Angeles independently to Cristobal

10 May 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to Curacao arriving on 13 May 1944

14 May 1944 sailed Curacao independently to Trinidad arriving the next day

20 May 1944 sailed Trinidad in convoy TJ 33 arriving Cape Town 17 June 1944

22 June 1944 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Elizabeth arriving two days later

1 July 1944 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Durban arriving 3 July 1944

20 July 1944 sailed Durban independently to Cape Town arriving 23 July 1944

26 July 1944 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Harcourt arriving 4 August 1944

8 August 1944 sailed Port Harcourt independently to Takoradi arrived 11 August 1944

16 August 1944 sailed Takoradi independently to Trinidad arrived 30 August 1944

31 August 1944 sailed Trinidad independently to Cristobal arriving 4 September 1944

7 September 1944 sailed Balboa independently to Los Angeles arriving 16 September 1944

25 September 1944 sailed Los Angeles independently to Vancouver arriving 30 September 1944

21 October 1944 sailed Vancouver independently to Balboa arriving 5 November 1944

6 November 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to New York arriving 14 November 1944

21 November 1944 sailed in convoy HX321 from Halifax to Southend loaded with metal and wood

6 January 1945 sailed in convoy TBC30 to Milford Haven arriving on 9 January 1945

24 January 1945 sailed Milford Haven independently to Cardiff arriving the next day

10 February 1945 sailed Cardiff via Barry Roads to join convoy ON284 from Liverpool to Philadelphia arriving 1 March 1945

14 March 1945 sailed Philadelphia independently to Cristobal arriving on 21 March 1945

25 March 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Vancouver arriving 6 April 1945

1945 - acquired by the MoWT and renamed Fort Charlotte under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London then under Eastern and Australian Steamship Co, London

8 December 1945 at Yokohama with HMAS Arunta alongside receiving naval stores

29 September 1947 arrived at Hobart, Tasmania

10 October 1947 transferred to the Admiralty

9 May 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

7 June 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

9 June 1948 Captain Frank P Hennin OBE RFA appointed as Master

11 June 1948 transferred to RFA management at Gibraltar; converted into a NS/VSIS at Portsmouth Dockyard.

26 August 1948 Mr E D Fielder RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 December 1948 Fireman Nan Lung discharged dead. He died in the Royal Naval Hospital, Bighi, Malta from heart failure and is buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta

Lung_N

Image courtesy British War Graves

12 August 1949 sailed Singapore to Hong Kong with part of a 3 mile boom of 1,000 buoys that was constructed to provide Hong Kong with a defence from illegal shipping entering their waters. 350+ of the buoys weight 13 tons each while a further 600 weighed 1½ tons each. They were joined by steel cable.

25 June 1950 saw service during the Korean War along with 18 other RFA’s and arrived from the 27/07/53 U.K. loaded with the bulk of War Reserves and replacements for what had already been expended 3 months after the outbreak of the War.

11 January 1950 Mr Henry S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 July 1950 Captain Donald B C Ralph OBE DSC RFA appointed as Master

6 June 1950 at sea Seacunny Mohomad Baba discharged dead - heart failure

7 March 1952 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 May 1952 Captain F G Edwards RFA appointed as Master

25 June 1952 Mr G G Stenhouse RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 December 1952 alongside HMAS Anzac supplying naval stores

7 October 1954 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 October 1954 sailed Hong Kong with 16 other RN and RAN ships in Operation Satex based on Seeadler Harbour, Manus Island

1 April 1955 Captain H W Flint RFA appointed as Master

25 March 1956 in the company of RFA Wave Master and nine RN vessel sailed from Hong Kong for exercises

6 June 1956 Captain Flint taken serious ill and collapsed at sea with a burst appendix some 400 miles from Singapore in the Karimata Strait. An RAF surgeon (Squadron Leader Agnes Bartels M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., RAF) sent by RAF Flying Boat to operate on him at sea. The Captain's life was saved

25 July 1956 Captain A R Wheeler RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

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

4 July 1957 Mr Charles Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 September 1957 Captain S Thomas RFA appointed as Master

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

2 October 1958 2nd Steward Ho Fatt discharged dead at Singapore having suffered heart failure

5 October 1958 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 December 1958 at Kwang Wah Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong Sailor Chung Chan discharged dead - natural causes

9 April 1960 Captain Albert E Curtain OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR (Retd)) appointed as Master

19 May 1960 anchored in the Outer Roads, Singapore

4 April 1961 Mr E Burke RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 April 1962 Captain Leslie J Mack DSO RFA appointed as Master

6 May 1962 Mr G Thompson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

July 1961 saw service during Operation Vantage - the Kuwait Crisis - along with 12 other RFA’s

30 May 1962 at sea off Yokohama, Japan RAS'ed stores with HMAS PARRAMATTA

15 November 1962 with RFA's Wave Soverign and Wave Ruler and several RN units headed by HMS TIGER attended the Commonwealth Games, Perth, Western Australia together with RAN and RNZN ships

27 April 1963 Mr C E Prentis RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 May 1963 at Sea at 13.51N 112.15E Seaman Knut Malvin Kjerstad discharged dead from extensive burns

18 October 1963 a strike at Singapore Naval Base resulted in Fort Charlotte being diverted to Hong Kong for repairs.

1964 Captain C N Rennels RFA appointed as Master

10 February 1964 following the loss of HMAS Voyager (D04) with 82 of her crew being killed the Chinese crew of Fort Charlotte collected £16.00 for the 'Voyager Fund'

9 March 1964 during exercise Jet Train II towed by HMAS YARRA

January 1965 to 11 August 1965 in support of naval units performing patrols off East Malaysia, Singapore and in the Malacca Straits during the Indonesian Confrontation, along with RFA’s EDDYROCK, GOLD RANGER, TIDEREACH and WAVE SOVEREIGN.

29 April 1965 Captain Archibald Murchie RFA appointed as Master

3 May 1965 while on passage to Singapore RAS'ed with HMAS YARRA with naval stores

13 February 1966 Captain Archibald M M Telfer RFA appointed as Master

26 August 1966 Mr E S Brazier RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 November 1967 and 25 November 1967 offered for sale 'As lying' at H M Dockyard Singapore by the Ministry of Transport in the UK Times newspapers of these days.

January 1968 sold to Singapore ship breakers for $670,000 (reported in the Straits Times)

June 1968 broken up at Singapore

Notes:

Before RFA service was part of the British Pacific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort Constantine

Fort_Constantine_-_Unofficial

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 169996

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: B578 / A300

Laid down:
Builder: Burrard, Vancouver, Canada
Launched: 11 March 1944
Into Service: 25 April 1944
Out of service: 1969
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

11 March 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by Vancouver Dry Dock Co Ltd, Vancouver as Yard Nr 207 named FORT CONSTANTINE for the MoWT.

25 April 1944 completed as a refrigerated VSIS by Burrard Dry Dock Co Ltd, Vancouver and placed under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London

20 July 1944 at Colombo

14 November 1944 sailed Colombo to Freemantle arriving 1 December 1944

4 December 1944 sailed Freemantle to Melbourne arriving 10 December 1944

16 December 1944 sailed Melbourne to Vancouver arriving 22 January 1945

7 September 1945 arrived at Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands

10 September 1945 sailed Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands

12 March 1946 sailed Hong Kong

8 August 1946 at Colombo, Ceylon Deck Topass Peter Chaudicunjan discharged dead from an aortic aneurysm

1 October 1946 at Kaimon Dake HMAS Bataan alongside receiving provisions

30 October 1946 sailed Hong Kong for Singapore

7 April 1947 arrived Sydney, NSW from Hong Kong

2 June 1947 arrived Hong Kong from Sydney, NSW

1948 Managers now W.H. Seager & Co, Cardiff name unchanged

1949 Acquired by the Admiralty

10 August 1949 Captain A Spencer RFA appointed as Master

5 December 1949 transferred to RFA manning and management

13 January 1950 at the General Hospital Colombo, Ceylon Engine Room Serang Soomar Oosman discharged dead from renal failure

22 January 1950 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 August 1950 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 December 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

6 March 1951 Sailed Bermuda with the final remaining stores from the former Naval Dockyard there which had ceased to exist as such as from 1 March 51

16 October 1951 Captain George F Rutter RD RFA (Commander RNR (ret)) appointed as Master

12 December 1951 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 May 1952 sailed Malta with His Grace Mgr. Sir Michael Gonzi, Metropolitan Archbishop and his Chaplain as passengers

4 June 1952 at Rosyth

3 October 1952 In support of Operation Hurricane 1 - the first British test atomic bomb explosion at Monte Bello Islands off NW Australia - along with RFA’s FORT BEAUHARNOIS, FORT ROSALIE (1), GOLD RANGER, WAVE PRINCE, WAVE RULER (1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN

29 September 1953 Mr V J Cooney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 February 1954 sailed Malta with Vice Admiral and Lady Elizabeth Davis as passengers. Vice Admiral Davis had just ended his appointment as Flag Officer Second in Command Mediterranean Station and Flag Officer (Air) Mediterranean

9 August 1954 at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Deck Tindal Sk Mohamed Nakwa discharged dead having suffered from a stroke

1 November 1954 Mr D L Walls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 December 1954 sailed Malta eastbound

12 July 1955 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master

17 January 1956 berthed at Plymouth after a voyage from Hong Kong and Singapore

September 1956 converted into a NS/VSIS

3 October 1956 Mr Charles Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 July 1957 Mr V J Cooney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 October 1957 Captain F G Edwards appointed as Master

1957 - 1959 Supported Operation Grapple - the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean - along with 16 other RFA’s

Port_London_Christmas_Island

April 1957 a victualling dispute with the Lascar crew resulted in fresh food stores being delivered from Sydney, NSW and the dispute ending within seven days

15 July 1957 in refit in Singapore in the King George Dry Dock

14 January 1958 at Christmas Island Secunny Hoosein Janioo Baba discharged dead - drowned. Firemen P Ramulu and Shauker Narayan and Secunny Adbul Sattar all discharged dead missing from the ships boat presumed drowned

13 June 1958 berthed at Plymouth after a voyage from Hong Kong and Singapore

17 August 1959 Captain Geoffrey B A Livesey RFA appointed as Master

G_B_A_Livesey

Captain Geoffrey B A Livesey RFA

as a Cadet with P&O in about 1920

26 October 1959 arrived at Malta from the UK

11 January 1960 Mr David C Leathley OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 April 1960 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar

30 May 1960 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar

16 June 1960 involved in a collision with INS Beas south of Plymouth Sound. Slight damage to the Indian Naval Frigate

18 August 1960 Commodore Thomas Elder CBE DSC RFA appointed as Master

4 November 1960 sailed from Malta for Singapore

11 March 1961 sailed from Malta for Singapore

8 September 1961 Captain R A Shaw RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR (Rtd)) appointed as Master

8 January 1962 Mr A King RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 December 1962 laid up at Devonport

August 1969 placed on disposal list at Devonport

27 August 1969 and 6 September 1969 Offered for sale ‘as is – where is’ at Devonport by the Crown Agents Disposal Corporation, Canada in the Times newspaper of this day - the ship was loaded with 1293 tons of Boom Defence Equipment included in the sale

26 October 1969 arrived at Hamburg, Germany in tow for breaking up by Elkhart & Co GmbH

Notes:

Prior to RFA service was part of the British Pacific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort Dunvegan

Fort_Dunvegan_-_Unofficial

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 180002

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: B579 / A160

Laid down:
Builder: Burrard, North Vancouver, Canada
Launched: 28 June 1944
Into Service: 19 March 1951
Out of service: 1968
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

28 February 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by Burrard Dry Dock Co Ltd, Vancouver as Yard Nr 206 named FORT DUNVEGAN for the MoWT

14 April 1944 Completed as a refrigerated VSIS and placed under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London

27 April 1944 sailed Vancouver independently arriving Los Angeles on 1 May 1944

2 May 1944 sailed Los Angeles independently arriving Sydney, NSW on 26 May 1944

4 June 1944 sailed Sydney NSW independently to Melbourne arriving two days later

13 June 1944 sailed Melbourne independently to Colombo arriving on 5 July 1944

10 August 1944 sailed Colombo independently arriving Trincomalee two days later

13 September 1944 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 15 September 1944

19 October 1944 sailed Colombo independently arriving Freemantle 4 November 1944

7 November 1944 sailed Freemantle independently arriving Sydney NSW 16 November 1944

30 November 1944 sailed Sydney NSW independently arriving Vancouver 30 December 1944

22 March 1945 sailed Vancouver independently via Willaims Head arriving Los Angeles 29 March 1945

30 March 1945 sailed Los Angeles independently arriving Sydney NSW 24 April 1945

16 May 1945 sailed Sydney NSW independently arriving Manus 24 May 1945

2 July 1945 at Seeadler Harbour, Admiralty Islands with HMAS BURNIE alongside for victualling stores

11 July 1945 at Seeadler Harbour, Admiralty Islands with HMAS BURNIE alongside for victualling stores

27 July 1945 arrived at Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands

1 August 1945 sailed Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands independently arriving Sydney NSW 9 August 1945

14 August 1945 undergoing repairs at Sydney which were completed on 21 September 1945

11 October 1945 sailed Sydney NSW independently arriving Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands 19 October 1945

25 October 1945 sailed Manus Naval Base independently arriving Hong Kong 4 November 1945

4 January 1946 sailed Hong Kong to Singapore arriving 11 January 1946

27 January 1946 sailed Singapore to Sydney, NSW arriving 15 February 1946

20 February 1946 sailed Sydney to Newcastle returning to Sydney on the 22 February 1946

5 March 1946 sailed Syndey, NSW to Hong Kong

21 August 1946 arrived at Sydney, NSW, Australia with two Chinese youths, aged 15 and 16, who had stowed away on board at Hong Kong some three weeks previously. The youths appeared before the Children's Court and were remanded in custody at the Long Bay Detention Centre to await return to Hong Kong

27 September 1946 a Chinese cook onboard applied to the Water Police Court, Sydney, NSW to be allowed have his contract recinded. The case was adjourned until 30 December 1946 on the condition that the cook could not be discharged - except lawfully - until the case was heard

19 October 1946 sailed Sydney, NSW for Townsville

21 October 1946 berthed at Townsville

22 October 1946 sailed Townsville for SIngapore

12 November 1946 to 22 November 1946 at Singapore discharging stores

14 December 1946 sailed Colombo for Trincomalee

16 December 1946 arrived at Trincomalee

1946 to 1948 placed in reserve

26 May 1948 arrived at Malta from Colombo

31 December 1948 acquired by the Admiralty

19 March 1951 transferred to RFA management. Captain Cecil R Rosen OBE RFA appointed as Master and Mr G A Calvert appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 August 1951 Captain Stanley G Kent OBE RFA appointed as Master

7 October 1951 first Commodore's Broad Pennant of Commodore Stanley G Kent OBE RFA hoisted on RFA Fort Dunvegan this day at Rosyth in the presence of Admiral Sir Philip Vian, Commander in Chief Home Fleet

21 November 1951 acted as the 'convoy' during Naval exercises off Gibraltar

3 December 1951 at Lisbon secured to the Naval Jetty with HMS St Austell Bay alongside of her. Supplied Naval Stores to the warship.

23 January 1952 Mr M J Lawrence OBE DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 May 1952 berthed at Malta from Trincomalee, Ceylon

15 June 1953 took part in the Queen Elizabeth 11 Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with 6 other RFA’s

1 February 1954 Admiral Lord Mountbatten visited the ship to bid Farewell to Commodore Kent RFA who was due to retire after 46 years in the service.

18 February 1954 arrived Portsmouth Dockyard with six Gibraltar apes as part of its cargo for onward transportation to Belfast Zoo.

20 August 1954 Captain C F Cunningham RFA appointed Master

11 August 1955 Captain Frank P Hennin OBE RFA appointed as Master

28 December 1955 Mr Charles Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 October 1956 Mr Oscar Goodwin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

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

29 August 1957 Mr J B D Payne RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 December 1958 Captain E E Laurence RFA appointed as Master

20 December 1958 Mr T J W Humphreys RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 September 1959 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar

17 November 1959 sailed Malta for Gibraltar

14 December 1959 Captain F A Shaw OBE RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1 January 1960 Mr F Barclay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1960 Converted at Hong Kong into a temporary Air Stores Issuing Ship

23 January 1961 Mr L Cochrane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 June 1961 Captain F C Holt RFA appointed as Master

23 June 1961 customs officers and naval police searched the ship at Singapore and found 50 pounds weight of raw opium. No arrests were made

July 1961 converted at Hong Kong into a NS/VSIS and saw service during Operation Vantage -the Kuwait Crisis -along with 12 other RFA’s

6 August 1961 at 8.41N 109.16E Donkeyman Greaser Chong Sau discharged dead from natural causes

24 August 1961 at Singapore customs officers and police stopped a taxi on way to the ship containing three Hong Kong Chinese crew together with 22 pounds weight of raw opium

29 March 1962 Mr B W Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 March 1963 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 October 1963 Captain C G D Barker RFA appointed as Master

28 June 1964 Captain W H G Hine RFA appointed as Master

7 October 1964 Mr I M McFarlane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 November 1965 Captain Walter Gibb MBE RFA appointed as Master

5 August 1966 Mr J P Mair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 September 1967 Captain Archibald Murchie RFA appointed as Master

15 September 1967 Mr L Cochrane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

February 1968 with other RFA's deployed to support RN ships during the Aden peace keeping operation at the hand over to an independent administration

1968 Broken up at Kaohsiung

Notes:

Prior to RFA Service was part of the British Pacific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort Duquesne

Fort_Duquesne_1965

Previous name: Queensborough Park

Subsequent name:

Official Number: 175614

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: X141 / B588 / A229

Laid down:
Builder: West Coast Shipbuilding, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Launched: 28 September 1944

Into Service: 16 September 1947
Out of service: April 1967 - Laid up at Chatham

Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

28 September 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver as Yard Nr 147 named QUEENSBOROUGH PARK for the Canadian Government ( Park Steamship Co, Montreal, Managers)

25 November 1944 completed as a refrigerated VSIS; acquired by the MoWT, renamed FORT DUQUESNE and placed under initial management of George Nisbet & Co, Glasgow

3 January 1945 as Queensborough Park sailed in convoy HX330 from New York to Tyne with a general cargo and lumber.

25 February 1945 as Queensborough Park sailed in convoy ON287 from the Clyde to sail independently to Panama

1947 managers became Alfred Holt & Co, Liverpool.

27 August 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

8 September 1947 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

15 September 1947 acquired by the Admiralty under RFA management

16 September 1947 took part in the Home Fleet Review on the Clyde along with RFA’s BLACK RANGER, PETROBUS and PRESTOL

6 October 1947 Captain Henry F Colbourne RFA appointed as Master

29 December 1947 Captain Leonard Elford RFA appointed as Master

Captain Leonard Elford

Captain Leonard Elford RFA

9 to 15 September 1949 at Genoa as part of the Mediterranean Fleet's Second Summer cruise with RFA Blue Ranger

20 to 28 September 1949 at Aranei Bay as part of the Mediterranean Fleet's Second Summer cruise in part with RFA Blue Ranger and RFA Rowanol

29 September to 4 October 1949 at Naples as part of the Mediterranean Fleet's Second Summer cruise

5 to 10 October 1949 at Bizerta as part of the Mediterranean Fleet's Second Summer cruise

12 October 1949 returned to Malta

23 December 1949 at Sliema Creek, Malta moored alongside HMS Gravelines

28 December 1949 at Lazzarreto Creek, Malta moored alongside HMS Gravelines

31 December 1949 at Lazzarreto Creek, Malta moored alongside HMS Gravelines

13 September 1950 sailed Malta for Golfe Juan, France with His Grace Mgr. Michael Gonzi, Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta accompanied by Father Michael Licari Chaplain to His Grace as passengers

November to December 1950 fitted with a small helicopter landing platform by Malta Dockyard in preparation for forthcoming helicopter trials

3 December 1950 sailed Malta on completion of above for Hebburn-on-Tyne

10 January 1951 sailed Hebburn for Portland

January 1951 trials on Fort Duquesne with operating helicopters from RFA's undertaken off Portland and Plymouth using Dragon Fly helicopters from RNAS Gosport and RNAS Culdrose. The trials were conducted with 705 Fleet Air Arm Squadron in the Channel using 2 Dragonfly HR1 helicopters. The worst possible weather was found and 180 successful landings and take-offs were achieved

17 February 1951 conducted further helicopter trials with the destroyer HMS SAVAGE in the Portland / Plymouth areas while on passage from Portland to Gibraltar

July 1951 Captain S Thomas RFA appointed as Master

28 July 1951 sailed Malta to the Red Sea and adjoining areas supporting RN ships in the area with refrigerated food

21 April 1952 with RFA Blue Ranger and RN units, the pipe band of the Highland Light Infantry and a RAF Guard of seventy sailed Malta to visit Athens for a memorial ceremony to members of the Commonwealth Forces who had been killed in Greece during the Second World War.

23 to 26 September 1952 visited at Naples with HMS Glasgow and other RN units during the Mediterranean Fleet's Summer cruise

1953 winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup for the most conspicuous efficiency in Fleet replenishment -at-sea in the Mediterranean area.

17 March 1953 Captain James Jolly RFA appointed as Master

30 June 1953 Mr D Cameron RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 April 1954 arrived at Grand Harbour Malta with HMS's Eagle, Forth, Barfleur and Rosebuck at the end of the Mediterrean Fleets Sping Cruise - all arrived one day later than planned

1954 winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup

15 October 1954 at Malta Donkeyman Salvatore Zahra discharged dead - heart failure - natural causes

31 March 1955 Captain E C Rogers RFA appointed as Master

1956 along with RFA OLNA (2) who played the German supply tanker ALTMARK, she starred in the film “Battle of the River Plate” where she played the German supply ship TACOMA that harboured Captain Langsdorff (played by Peter Finch) and his Crew following the scuttling of the pocket battleship GRAF SPEE off Montevideo in December 1939

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

1957 winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup

January 1957 involved with other RFAs in clearance work of the Suez Canal

11 November 1957 Captain William F Curlett RFA appointed as Master

24 March 1958 arrived at Malta from the UK

1 April 1958 a fire was discovered onboard in a refrigerated cargo space. It was quickly brought under control by the Malta Dockyard Fire Brigade and the ships company. Fire described in the Times of Malta on 2 April 1958 as 'minor'

27 October 1958 to 30 October 1958 off Malta involved in Exercise MEDASWEX26 together with RN units and RFA's BLUE RANGER and TIDESURGE

25 January 1959 at St Lukes Hospital, Malta Donkeyman Greaser Emmanuel Buttigieg discharged dead - natural causes

1959 winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup along with RFA FORT LANGLEY

5 May 1959 sailed Valencia for Malta

8 May 1959 berthed at Malta

May 1959 together with RFA Wave Prince and HMS Defender and other RN units together with Italian Navy Units involved in exercise off Augusta

9 June 1959 east of Gibraltar RASed with HMS CENTAUR

17 June 1959 berthed at Malta after taking part in exercise Sardex with units of the Royal Navy and RFA's Fort Langley, Wave Victor and Wave Sovereign

10 October 1959 with HMS Birmingham, HMS Dainty, HMS Daring and HMS/m Tally Ho and RFA's Fort Langley and RFA Tide Austral sailed Malta to take part in Anglo-Spanish exercises in the Western Mediterranean

1960 winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup along with RFA TIDE AUSTRAL

25 March 1960 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1960 arrived at Malta from Palmas Bay, Sardinia

7 July 1960 sailed Malta for Athens

4 November 1960 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar

10 January 1961 off Malta RASed HMS Bermuda with Naval Stores

17 April 1961 sailed Malta for Exercises with RN and other Allied ships together with RFA Wave Baron, RFA Tide Austral, RFA Sea Salvor and RFA Brown Ranger

11 February 1963 Captain Douglas S Norrington OBE RD RFA appointed as Master

11 September 1964 Captain Sydney E Clench RFA appointed as Master

4 January 1965 Her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her - see above

July 1966 Captain Charles Eric C Phipps RFA appointed as Master

4 October 1966 commenced to take part in Exercise Millsail - an advanced weapon exercise - in the Subic training areas, together with RFA's TIDESPRING, RESURGENT and FORT ROSALIE together with various RN and RAN units

April 1967 placed in reserve at Chatham

29 June 1967 arrived in the Scheldte for breaking up by Jos Boel et Fils at Tamise

Notes:

Prior to RFA service was part of the British Pacific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort George

Fort_George_1988

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 722239

Class: FORT CLASS Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Ship

Pennant No: A388

Laid down: 9 March 1989
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Launched: 1 March 1991

Into Service: 16 July 1993
Out of service: June 2011
Fate: To ship breakers

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: The “one-stop” concept of the 2 ships in this Class dates back to 1978 with a Staff Target being generated in 1981. Feasibility studies were conducted by both the MoD and Industry, and a Staff Requirement was endorsed at the end of 1983. Ministerial approval was given in 1984 to invite Industry to tender for a provisional Class of 6 vessels. A wide range of shipbuilders and defence firms were invited to tender, but only 2 consortia submitted designs - Harland and Wolff (in association with Yarrow Shipbuilders) and Swan Hunter (in association with British Aerospace/Marconi). The tender submitted by Harland and Wolff was technically preferred by both the MoD and external consultants as it offered earlier delivery and a keener price. The Government announced on 24 April 1986 that a “design and build” contract had been awarded to Harland and Wolff to build the first ship of the Class. A second (and final) order was awarded to Swan Hunter the following year

1 September 1988 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

Fort_George_construction_1

1 March 1991 launched by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Wallsend as Yard Nr 129 named FORT GEORGE. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Annie Slater, wife of Admiral Sir Jock Slater, the Commander in Chief Fleet

February 1992 the ship became affiliated with TS Ganges, the Cambridge Sea Cadet Unit.

16 July 1992 The National Audit Office reported that both of the FORT CLASS AOR’s were subject to delays and cost overruns, FORT GEORGE being 4 months behind schedule. Delays in the development of the command system for their air defence capability and difficulties in obtaining parts mean that neither AOR will go to sea with full air defence capabilities for some considerable time

9 January 1993 commenced sea trials

24 March 1993 ship formally affiliated with the South Tyneside Council. The Affiliation Cemermony took place at the Council Chamber from 1930hrs to 2200hrs this day.

30 March 1993 delivered by the builders to the RFA

11 April 1993 sailed Newcastle to Portland arriving 13 April 1993

26 April 1993 to 30 April 1993 involved in prelimitary safety training at and around Portland

4 May 1993 sailed Portland to Devonport arrived the same day

24 June 1993 sailed Portland on exercise berthed at Le Havre on 26 June 1993

28 June 1993 sailed Le Havre on exercises until 3 July 1993 when she berthed on Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty, Devonport

14 July 1993 sailed Devonport to Tyne Coal Terminal, arriving on 15 July 1993

16 July 1993 officially dedicated for RFA Service at Tyne Dock, South Shields

20 July 1993 sailed River Tyne via Portland to North Wall, Rosyth arriving on 26 July 1993

20 August 1993 sailed Rosyth via Rona DW Noise Range to A3 Buoy, Portland arriving on 27 August 1993

2 September 1993 sailed Portland to anchor off Bournemouth - the same day

3 September 1993 to D Buoy, Plymouth arriving on 4 September 1993

6 September 1993 moved to No 1 Jetty, Devonport

14 September 1993 sailed Devonport to Santa Cruz de Tenerife arriving alongside on 17 September 1993

21 September 1993 sailed Tenerife for exercises off the Island to Spithead on 3 October 1993

5 October 1993 Captain Anthony F Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

A_Pitt

Captain A F Pitt DSC RFA

7 October 1993 arrived Portsmouth

11 October 1993 sailed Portsmouth to undertake flying trials in the SW Approaches returning to Portsmouth on 25 October 1993

28 October 1993 sailed Portsmouth to Newcastle - Hebburn dry dock arriving 29 October 1993

1 December 1993 Captain Anthony F Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

5 January 1994 sailed Newcastle to Spithead arriving 6 January 1994

7 January 1994 sailed Spithead for trials returning to Gosport Oil Fuel Depot the same day

10 January 1994 sailed Gosport to undertake First of Class flying trials returning to D Buoy, Plymouth on 19 January 1994

31 January 1994 sailed Devonport for trials in Torbay. To Portland on 5 February 1994 sailing the next day for further trials berthing on D Buoy, Plymouth Sound on 8 February 1994

15 February 1994 moved to Yonderberry Pier, Devonport and then on 19 February 1994 to No 5 basin

18 July 1994 Captain Anthony F Pitt DSC RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

1 August 1994 sailed Yonderberry Pier to run measured mile off Looe and other trials returning to Plymouth Sound on 8 August 1994

10 August 1994 sailed Plymouth Sound for further trials off Portland returning to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound on 12 August 1994

16 August 1994 sailed Plymouth Sound to Portland for trials and then to Cherbourg arriving on 18 August 1994

22 August 1994 sailed Cherbourg to Portland for trials and then to Devonport No 1 Jetty on 26 August 1994

12 September 1994 Captain Peter J Lannin RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

22 September 1994 sailed Plymouth Sound for further trials returning to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound the next day

8 November 1994 sailed Plymouth Sound for shaft trials returning to No 1 Berth at Devonport on 11 November 1994

18 November 1994 sailed Deconport for full power trials and RAS trials with stores rigs with RFA Black Rover returning to Plymouth Sound on 1 December 1994

8 December 1994 moved from Plymouth Sound to Devonport Dockyard

5 January 1995 sailed Devonport to Portland and BOST returning to Devonport on 7 February 1995

14 February, 1995 sailed Devonport JMC and exercise Strong Resolve achoring at Trondheim Bay on 1 March 1995

2 March 1995 sailed Trondheim Bay to Rosyth Dockyard arriving 4 March 1995

31 March 1995 sailed Rosyth Dockyard to anchor in Kirkcaldy Bay

5 April 1995 sailed Kirkcaldy Bay to Rosyth Dockyard arriving 5 April 1995

7 April 1995 sailed Rosyth Dockyard variously to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty arriving on 25 April 1995

27 April 1995 moved Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Portsmouth Dockyard

29 April 1995 sailed Portsmouth Dockyard to exercise Lemon Peel returning to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty on 6 May 1995

11 May 1995 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty variously anchoring in Lyme Bay on 14 May 1995

15 May 1995 sailed Lyme Bay to exercise Hallser Link to alongside at Portland Harbour on 18 May 1995

22 May 1995 sailed Portland Harbour to take part in Exercise Lined Seas returning to Portland Harbour on 9 June 1995

12 June 1995 sailed Portland Harbour to Portsmouth Dockyard arriving 16 June 1995

22 June 1995 sailed Portsmouth Dockyard to No 22 Anchorage at Plymouth Sound arriving on 23 June 1995

7 July 1995 sailed Plymouth to Hebburn on Tyne arriving 9 July 1995

11 September 1995 Captain Peter A Taylor OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

25 September 1995 sailed Hebburn on Tyne on sea trials returning to Hebburn on Tyne the next day

7 October 1995 sailed Hebburn on Tyne to Devonport via Ushant arriving 9 October 1995

31 October 1995 sailed Devonport to Glen Mallen via Ushant arriving 2 November 1995

10 November 1995 involved in an unberthing incident when departing Glen Mallen Jetty resulting very minor grazed paint on the ship's port quarter and minor disturbance to the corner of the jetty arriving at Plymouth on 17 November 1995

29 November 1995 sailed Plymouth SCXA to Plymouth BOST returning there on 13 December 1995

29 January 1996 sailed Plymouth ASWEX96 returning to Plymouth on 8 February 1996

20 February 1996 sailed Plymouth 'C' Buoy to Harstad arriving on 24 February 1996

27 February 1996 sailed Harstad on Exercise Battle Griffin with Flying Ops RASing with HMS Sheffield and berthing at Loch Striven on 16 March 1996

20 March 1996 sailed Loch Striven to Portsmouth arriving 27 March 1996

2 April 1996 cold move to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty - moved back to Portsmouth on 10 April 1996

13 April 1996 sailed Portsmouth to Plymouth.

17 April 1996 sailed Plymouth RASed with RFA Black Rover and embarked 845 Sqn NAS and various RN units arriving at Sunny Point, North Carolina on 26 April 1996

26 April 1996 in collision with tug 'Charles D McAllister' while berthing at the Military Ocean Terminal, Sunny Point, North Carolina, United States of America. No apparent damaged suffered by tug. Fort George suffered indentation of approx 250mm localised between and in the region of frames 111 and 112 port side at 2 deck level

29 April 1996 sailed Sunny Point to Fort Storey, Virginia

3 May 1996 sailed Fort Storey, Virginia and RASed with RFA Oakleaf then to Camp Pendleton, Virginia arriving on 4 May 1996

5 May 1996 sailed Camp Pendleton and RASed with RFA Sir Tristram and RFA Sir Galahad (2) and various USS units before anchoring at Morehead City, North Carolina on 7 May 1996

8 May 1996 sailed Morehead City, North Carolina - 12 May 1996 RASed with RFA Oakleaf. 845 Sqd NAS disembarked. RASed with various USS units berthing at Cape Fear River on 15 May 1996

18 May 1996 sailed Cape Fear River to Norfolk Virginia arriving on 20 May 1996

13 June 1996 sailed Norfolk Virginia

17 June 1996 - 19 June 1996 while on passage from Norfolk, Viginia to Plymouth responded to a Mayday Call from the yacht Tiberius. Damage control party on yacht. Released from Mayday call by RCC, Norfolk, Virginia.

22 June 1996 RASed (S) with RFA Fort Victoria off Cape Finisterre

24 June 1996 berthed at 'C' Buoy Plymouth Sound

15 July 1996 deployed from Plymouth - SCXA - RASing with RFA Fort Grange on 18 July 1996 returning to Plymouth Sound on 20 July 1996

22 July 1996 sailed Plymouth - SCXA - Towing Exercise with RFA Olwen on 25 July 1996 returning to Plymouth on 26 July 1996

12 August 1996 sailed Plymouth to Loch Striven arriving 14 August 1996

23 August 1996 sailed Loch Striven - various exercises with HMS London to Plymouth 'C' Buoy on 10 October 1996

25 October 1996 sailed Plymouth to anchor in the Solent on the same day

29 October 1996 sailed the Solent to Loch Striven jetty arriving 31 October 1996

16 November 1996 sailed Loch Striven to South Coat Exercise Argas (FOST)

17 November 1996 suffered steering gear failure - repaired

22 November 1996 berthed on 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

27 November 1996 sailed Plymouth Sound on Exercise Lobster Pot returning to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound on 29 November 1996

5 December 1996 sailed Plymouth Sound on exercise returning the next day to 'C' Buoy

11 December 1996 sailed Plymouth Sound 'C' Buoy to Glen Mallan Jetty arriving the next day

6 January 1997 sailed Glen Mallen to Loch Striven arriving the next day

7 January 1997 sailed Loch Striven to Plymouth arriving 9 January 1997 - moored on 'C' Buoy

15 January 1997 sailed Plymouth to Valencia, Spain arriving 22 January 1997 sailed as part of Task Group 327.01 - the Ocean Wave 97 Deployment to the Far East led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s DILIGENCE, FORT AUSTIN, OLNA (3), SIR GALAHAD (2), SIR GERAINT and SIR PERCIVALE

27 January 1997 sailed Valencia to Soudha Bay, Crete arriving 13 February 1997 - during this voyage 153 hours were spent sailing on a single engine or being totally stopped with engine problems

18 February 1997 sailed Soudha Bay to Suez Canal - transit the Canal and then to Jebel Ali arriving 2 March 1997

19 March 1997 sailed Jebel Ali to Singapore arriving 10 April 1997

15 April 1997 sailed Singapore to Hong Kong arriving 30 April 1997

3 May 1997 Captain Brian J Waters OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

6 May 1997 sailed Hong Kong to Pusan, South Korea arriving 24 May 1997

28 May 1997 sailed Pusan, South Korea to Sasebo, Japan arriving 30 May 1997

9 June 1997 sailed Sasebo, Japan to Kota Kinabalu arriving 17 June 1997

21 June 1997 sailed Kota Kinabalu to Freemantle, Australia arriving 15 July 1997

21 July 1997 sailed Freemantle, Australia to Diego Garcia arriving 2 August 1997. During voyage on 22 July 1997 suffered filter problems and sailed 4.6 hours on a single engine. Further filter problems and steering motor problems occured on 27 July 1997

4 August 1997 sailed Diego Garcia to Suez arriving 13 August 1997

14 August 1997 sailed Suez to Soudha Bay, Crete arriving on 16 August 1997

19 August 1997 sailed Soudha Bay, Crete to Portsmouth arriving 27 August 2007

19 September 1997 sailed Portsmouth to the Mediterranean on exercises and then Gibraltar arriving 10 October 1997

14 October 1997 sailed Gibraltar to Glen Mallen arriving 20 October 1997

24 October 1997 sailed Glen Mallen on exercises to Loch Striven arriving 7 November 1997

21 November 1997 sailed Loch Striven to Plymouth arriving 24 November 1997

1 December 1997 sailed Plymouth for the Plymouth Exercise area and then to Crombie arriving 8 December 1997

17 January 1998 sailed Crombie to Loch Striven arriving the next day

19 January 1998 sailed Loch Striven arriving the same day at Glen Mallan

21 January 1998 sailed Glen Mallan to Gibraltar arriving 3 February 1998

5 February 1998 sailed Gibraltar to Toulon arriving 9 February 1998

10 February 1998 sailed Toulon to Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus arriving 17 February 1998

18 February 1998 sailed Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus to Port Said arriving 20 February 1998 for Suez Canal transit

21 February 1998 sailed Suez for Dubai arriving 4 March 1998

6 March 1998 sailed Dubai for Suez and Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus arriving 19 March 1998

19 March 1998 sailed Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus to Split arriving 21 March 1998

23 March 1998 sailed Split to Plymouth berthing on 'C' Buoy on 31 March 1998

3 May 1998 sailed Plymouth Sound to La Corunna arriving 9 May 1998

11 May 1998 sailed La Corunna to Crombie arriving 18 May 1998

25 May 1998 sailed Crombie to Yonderberry Pier, Devonport arriving 28 May 1998

6 June 1998 cold move from Yonderbury Pier, Devonport to No 1 Jetty Devonport

18 June 1998 sailed Devonport to Tyne Tees Dockyard arriving 21 June 1998

6 November 1998 sailed Tyne Tees Dockyard to No Jetty, Devonport arriving 10 November 1998

21 November 1998 sailed Devonport to Loch Striven and then Glen Mallan arriving 23 November 1998

5 December 1998 sailed Glen Mallan to Portland arriving 7 December 1998

7 December 1998 sailed on exercises returning to Portland and then to Plymouth 'D' Buoy on 18 December 1998

13 January 1999 sailed 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound on exercise and then to 'G3' anchorage Portland arriving 16 January 1999

17 January 1999 sailed Portland from 'G3' anchorage again on RAS exercises with three ships until 23 January 1999 berthed on 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

25 January 1999 sailed 'D' Buoy, Plymouth undertaking further RAS exercises until 29 January 1999 berthing at Glen Mallen

9 February 1999 sailed Glen Mallen undertaking further RAS's until 14 February 1999 berthing at Loch Striven

16 February 1999 sailed Loch Striven to Glen Mallen arriving 18 February 1999

23 February 1999 sailed Glen Mallen taking part in JMC991 until 1 March 1999 anchoring off Stornaway

1 March 1999 to 4 March 1999 anchored off Stornaway

4 March 1999 sailed Stornaway to Loch Striven arriving on the next day

14 March 1999 sailed Loch Striven for exercises berthing on 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound on 19 March 1999

22 March 1999 sailed Plymouth 'C' Buoy for RASing with RN and other Allied ships returning to Plymouth Sound 'D' Buoy on 2 April 1999

6 April 1999 sailed Plymouth Sound RASing with RN, RFA and Allied ships berthing at Glen Mallen on 10 April 1999

15 April 1999 moved to Loch Striven

18 April 1999 sailed Loch Striven to RAS with RN ships berthing at Glen Mallen on 26 April 1999

23 May 1999 sailed Glen Mallen to RAS RN, RFA, US and other Allied ships returning to Glen Mallen on 2 June 1999

8 June 1999 sailed Glen Mallen to take part in JMC992 - RASing with RN and other Allied ships returning to Glen Mallen on 18 June 1999. On 13 June 1999 during RAS with HMS Chiddingfold was involved in an emergency breakaway

22 June 1999 sailed Glen Mallen for exercises with NAS 810 and a two day pumpover with RFA Bayleaf

9 July 1999 disembarked flight in Mounts Bay - then moved to Tor Bay

10 July 1999 sailed Tor Bay to Glen Mallen arriving on 12 July 1999

8 August 1999 sailed Glen Mallen to Plymouth berthing on 'D' Buoy on 10 August 1999

17 August 1999 sailed 'D' Buoy at Plymouth Sound returning to No 23 anchorage in Plymouth Sound on 19 August 1999

20 august 1999 sailed Plymouth Sound to RAS with RN Units and arrived at Alicante, Spain on 25 August 1999

27 August 1999 sailed Alicante, Spain to Augusta, Sicily with RN and Allied Units arriving 30 August 1999

4 September 1999 sailed Augusta, Sicily to Izmir, Turkey after RASing with RN Units arrived 7 September 1999

8 September 1999 sailed Izmir to Saros Bay RASing with RN and Allied Units arriving on 16 September 1999

18 September 1999 sailed Saros Bay to Soudha Bay, Crete RASing with RN and other units arriving on 26 September 1999

7 October 1999 sailed Soudha Bay, Crete

10 October 1999 undertook a pump over with RFA Olna

12 October 1999 anchored at Alexandria, Egypt

13 October 1999 sailed Alexandria, Egypt to RAS (various) returning on 24 October 1999

24 October 1999 moved to Arab's Gulf and anchored

27 October 1999 sailed Arab's Gulf to RAS (various) returning to the same anchorage later in the day

29 October 1999 sailed Arab's Gulf to RAS (various) to Mersin, Turkey on 4 November 1999

16 November 1999 sailed Mersin to pump over with RFA Oakleaf and then anchoring at Akrotiri on 17 November 1999

19 November 1999 sailed Akrotiri to Karystos Bay (anchorage) on 21 Noevmebr 1999

21 November 1999 sailed Karystos Bay to commence Exercise Western Approaches and RAS HMS Ocean and then to anchor at Thessalonnika on 30 November 1999

1 December 1999 sailed Thessalonnika and RASed with HMS Edinburgh with fuel to Souda Bay on 2 December 1999

3 December 1999 sailed Souda Bay to Malaga, Spain arriving 7 December 1999

9 December 1999 sailed Malaga to Glen Mallen arriving on 12 Decenber 1999

13 January 2000 sailed Glen Mallen to r.v. with Task Group 1800 and RAS (various) until 24 January 2000 detached from Task Group 1800 - then on passage to Augusta, Italy arriving 28 January 2000

1 February 2000 sailed Augusta, Italy to Port Said arriving at anchorage on 4 February 2000

5 February 2000 transit of Suez Canal

6 February 2000 sailed Suez to Persian Gulf RASed enroute (various RN ships) to Dubai arriving on 14 February 2000

17 February 2000 sailed Dubai to Bahain arriving on 22 February 2000 (anchorage) during the passage RASed with HMS Illustrious

23 February 2000 sailed Bahrain - RASed with HMS Illustrious then to anchorage at Fujairah on 3 March 2000

4 March 2000 sailed Fujairah after loading stores, further loading stores at Muscat then to Beira arriving on 11 March 2000

11 March 2000 the ship was sent to Mozambique to help with disaster relief work following devestating floods with embarked assets of 820 NAS - Operation Barwood

14 March 2000 berthed alongside at Beira

15 March 2000 sailed Beira returning variously until 24 March 2000

24 March 2000 sailed Beira to Mombasa arriving on 27 March 2000

30 March 2000 sailed Mombasa to Suez arriving 6 April 2000

7 April 2000 transit Suez Canal northwards

8 April 2000 sailed Port Said to Augusta arriving 10 April 2000

16 April 2000 sailed Augusta to Cadiz - enroute RASed with HMS Gloucester - fuel and stores arriving at Cadiz on 20 April 2000

23 April 2000 sailed Cadiz to Brest - RASed with HMS Illustrious twice and conducted flying ops with the carrier on four days arriving Brest on 28 April 2000

30 April 2000 sailed Brest to join Exercise Linked Seas - detached on 7 May 2000 from Exercise Link Seas to join Operation Pallister including a pump over from RFA Bayleaf (3) on 15 May 2000

May 2000 she accompanied HMS Illustrious to Sierra Leone to support British Operations to restore stabability to that country - Operation Pallister

22 May 2000 berthed at Dakar

23 May 2000 sailed Dakar - Operation Palliser - returning on 31 May 2000

2 June 2000 sailed Dakar - Operation Palliser - returning on 9 June 2000

11 June 2000 sailed Dakar - Operation Palliser

16 June 2000 met RFA Brambleleaf for pump over

18 June 2000 RASed RFA Fort Austin and RFA Bedivere

19 June 2000 berthed at Las Palmas, Grand Canaria

22 June 2000 sailed Las Palmas to Plymouth arriving on 26 June 2000 moored to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

27 June 2000 sailed Plymouth Sound to Spithead arriving the next day

2 July 2000 sailed Spithead to the Irish Sea

3 July 2000 RAsed with RFA Brambleleaf

5 July 2000 berthed on 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

7 July 2000 was presented with a Commendation from the Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Sir Nigel Essenheigh by Commodore P J Lannin for her humanitarian relief work in both Mozambique and Sierra Leone

22 August 2000 sailed Plymouth Sound to Loch Striven arriving on 24 August 2000

25 August 2000 sailed Loch Striven to Glen Mallen arriving the same day

2 September 2000 sailed Glen Mallen

7 Septmber 2000 RASed with HMS Invincible

8 September 2000 berthed 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

10 September 2000 sailed Plymouth Sound

21 September 2000 RASed with RFA Brambleleaf

26 September 2000 Humanitarian aid - in company with the carrier HMS INVINCIBLE, the destroyer HMS LIVERPOOL and the frigate HMS CUMBERLAND she assisted survivors from the Greek ferry EXPRESS SAMINA which had struck prominent rocks off the island of Paros and had quickly sunk with the loss of 76 passengers and crew

28 September 2000 anchored at Akrotri Bay then sailed to Haifa, Israel arriving the next day

3 October 2000 sailed Haifa, Israel

8 October 2000 RASed with RFA Brambleleaf

9 October 2000 anchored at Akrotri Bay

11 October 2000 sailed Akrotri Bay to Augusta arriving 17 October 2000

21 October 2000 sailed Augusta

31 October 2000 RASed with RFA Brambleleaf

13 November 2000 berthed 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

19 November 2000 sailed Plymouth Sound to Poole Bay anchorage arriving the next day

21 November 2000 sailed Poole Bay to Portland Harbour anchorage

23 November 2000 sailed Portland Harbour to Torquay Bay anchorage arriving the next day

27 November 2000 sailed Torquay Bay to Vigo arriving 6 December 2000

7 December 2000 sailed Vigo to Loch Striven arriving 11 December 2000

17 December 2000 sailed Loch Striven to Crombie arriving 19 December 2000

8 January 2001 sailed Crombie for exercises with 655 Squadron Army Air Corp arriving Plymouth 'D' Buoy on 17 January 2001

22 January 2001 sailed Plymouth for exercises with 819 Squadron NAS and RASing with various RN units before returning to Plymouth Sound on 1 February 2001

7 February 2001 sailed Devonport to take part in 'Thursday War'

12 February 2001 RASed with HMS Illustrious

14 February 2001 alongside at Glen Mallen

22 February 2001 moved berths from Glen Mallen to Loch Striven

2 March 2001 sailed Loch Striven - took part in Exercise Joint Winter - arrived Narvik 8 March 2001

11 March 2001 involved in minor berthing incident at Narvick, Norway when the ships accomodation ladder platform contacted a tubular steel upright supporting iron ore hopper which was over hung the jetty edge

11 March 2001 sailed Narvik - took part in Exercise Tartan Relief - arrived at Glen Mallen to destore 22 March 2001

3 April 2001 sailed Glen Mallen to Devonport arriving alongside 8 April 2001 after being delayed by bad weather

3 May 2001 sailed Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty, Devonport to Tyne Commission Quay arriving 5 May 2001 to await entry into dry dock

3 August 2001 sailed the River Tyne after refit to Devonport to restore arriving on 6 August 2001

22 August 2001 sailed Devonport to Loch Striven arriving 24 August 2001

28 August 2001 moved berth from Loch Striven to Glen Mallan

14 September 2001 sailed Glen Mallan to Devonport arriving 21 September 2001

26 September 2001 to 28 September 2001 post refit training

1 October 2001 sailed Plymouth Sound to La Corunna arriving 5 October 2001

8 October 2001 sailed La Corunna to Plymouth arriving 12 October 2001

16 October 2001 to 25 October 2001 further training

27 October 2001 sailed Plymouth to Glen Mallen arriving 29 October 2001

8 November 2001 MOD reported that RFA Fort George had been awarded the Royal Navy Wilkinson Sword of Peace for 2000 for her above efforts in Mozambique

19 November 2001 sailed Glen Mallen - suffered engine defect and diverted to Plymouth for repairs arriving 23 November 2001

28 November 2001 sailed Plymouth with FOST staff onboard. In Gibraltar Bay 1 December 2001. FOST staff depart 6 December 2001 when anchored in Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus

6 December 2001 sailed Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus to Port Said arriving 7 December 2001

8 December 2001 transit of the Suez Canal from Port Said arriving Suez the next day

9 December 2001 sailed Suez to Salalah arriving 14 December 2001

16 December 2001 sailed Salalah to Mahe, Seychelles. While on passage King Neptune boarded for a Crossing the line ceremony on 22 December 2001.

23 December 2001 arrived at Mahe, Seychelles

2 January 2002 sailed Mahe, Seychelles to Dubai arriving 11 January 2002

14 January 2002 sailed Dubai to patrol

6 February 2002 took mv Zakat in tow to Dubai arriving on 11 February 2002

25 February 2002 sailed Dubai

11 March 2002 RASed HMS York

25 March 2002 moored alongside at Salalah

26 March 2002 sailed Salalah to Fujayrah - anchored off

2 April 2002 sailed Fujayrah after FLYEX anchored again

3 April 2002 RFA Diligence alongside

4 April 2002 sailed again RASed HMS's Cambeltown and York returning to Dubai No 10 berth on 21 April 2002

1 May 2002 sailed Dubai to Salalah arriving on 18 May 2002

23 May 2002 sailed Salalah

25 May 2002 RASed (stern) HMS York

29 May 2002 anchored at Suez

30 May 2002 sailed Suez for Malaga, Spain

1 June 2002 RASed HMS York

4 June 2002 berthed alongside at Malaga

10 June 2002 sailed Malaga to Plymouth Sound - arriving 13 June 2002

18 June 2002 sailed Plymouth Sound to Loch Striven arriving 20 June 2002

27 June 2002 sailed Loch Striven for JMC. Embarked 820 Squadron NAS

3 July 2002 RASed HMS Westminster

16 July 2002 berthed at Crombie Jetty

17 August 2002 sailed Crombie to Loch Striven arriving 20 August 2002

22 August 2002 sailed Loch Striven to Crombie Jetty arriving 24 August 2002

31 August 2002 sailed Crombie Jetty to anchor at Falmouth Bay arriving 7 September 2002

8 September 2002 sailed Falmouth Bay anchorage to Weymouth Bay anchorage arriving 14 September 2002

15 September 2002 sailed Weymouth Bay to Cherbourg arriving 20 September 2002 secured alongside at Quay de France

22 September 2002 sailed Cherbourg to Spithead arriving the same day

23 September 2002 to 27 September 2002 sailed Spithead for Staff Course Sea Days (SCSD) returning to Spithead anchorage each night

28 September 2002 sailed Spithead anchorage to Crombie Jetty arriving 30 September 2002

22 October 2002 sailed Crombie Jetty to embark NAS flight

23 October 2002 returned to Combie Jetty to effect repairs

24 October 2002 sailed Crombie Jetty to Tail of the Bank anchorage arriving on 27 October 2002

28 October 2002 sailed Tail of the Bank for JMC until 7 November 2002

7 November 2002 berthed at Glen Mallen

4 December 2002 sailed Glen Mallen to berth on 'C' Buoy Plymouth Sound on 6 December 2002

10 December 2002 sailed Plymouth Sound for SCEXAS returning to Plymouth Sound 'D' Buoy on 13 December 2002

16 December 2002 sailed Plymouth for SCEXAS berthing at Victory Jetty, HMNB Portsmouth on 20 December 2002

3 January 2003 sailed HMNB Portsmouth to Southampton 38 Berth - arrived the same day

6 January 2003 sailed Southampton 38 berth for SCEXAS

9 January 2003 RASed with HMS Ocean

12 January 2003 secured alongside at Portland Harbour

14 January 2003 to sea SCEXAS

17 January 2003 secured to 'D' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

21 January 2003 sailed Plymouth SCEXAS as FOST tanker duties returning to 'C' Buoy Plymouth Sound on 24 January 2003

31 January 2003 sailed Plymouth SCEXAS as FOST tanker duties returning to No 1 Jetty Devonport Dockyard the next day

8 March 2003 saild Devonport Dockyard to Greenock for refit arriving on 10 March 2003

14 July 2003 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 August 2003 sailed Greenock for Sea trials

6 August 2003 berthed Greenock in Inchgreen Drydock

2 September 2003 sailed Greenock for Sea trials and then berthing alongside Loch Striven Fuel Jetty on 4 September 2003

5 September 2003 sailed Loch Strievn Fuel Jetty to No 1 Jetty, Devonport arriving the next day

21 September 2003 sailed No 1 Jetty, Devonport to G3 anchorage at Portland arriving the next day

24 September 2003 sailed Portland anchorage to Loch Striven Fuel Jetty arriving 26 September 2003

1 October 2003 sailed Loch Striven Fuel Jetty for DG trials at Glen Mallen and then to 'D' Buoy Plymouth Sound arriving 12 October 2003

22 October 2003 sailed Plymouth for FOST until returning to 'D' Buoy on 29 October 2003

4 November 2003 sailed Plymouth Sound for FOST until returning to 'C' Buoy on 8 November 2003

9 November 2003 sailed Plymouth Sound for FOST until returning alongside at Portland on 14 November 2003

16 November 2003 sailed Portland for FOST until returning to Portsmouth on 20 November 2003

25 November 2003 sailed Portsmouth to Las Palmas arriving on 29 November 2003

2 December 2003 sailed Las Palmas to off the Azores on 5 December 2003

6 December 2003 off the Azores RASed with HMS Manchester

10 December 2003 berthed alongside at Portland Harbour. Then sailed, same day, to South Shields arriving alongside on 12 December 2003

17 December 2003 sailed South Shields via the Pentland Firth to Glen Mallen arriving 23 December 2003

6 March 2004 sailed Glen Mallen for Exercise Joint Winter 04 visiting Oslo on 25 March 2004

30 March 2004 sailed Oslo to Crombie arriving 31 March 2004

28 April 2004 sailed Crombie to Loch Striven Fuel Jetty arriving the next day

5 May 2004 sailed Loch Striven Fuel Jetty to Charleston arriving the next day

6 July 2004 sailed New York for Crombie arriving 15 July 2004

17 January 2005 with four Merlin’s of 820 NAS sailed for MARSTRIKE 05 with HMS Invincible and several frigates including the French Ship Guepratte. She operated off the coast of Oman for two months

10 February 2005 the ship rescued the only Yemeni survivor from a sunken fishing boat in the Red Sea who had been adrift on a crate for a week.

26 February 2005 RASed with FS Guepratte (F714)

28 June 2005 with Prince and Princess Michael of Kent embarked, she took part in the International Fleet Review for Trafalgar 200 at Spithead along with RFA’s ARGUS, FORT VICTORIA, ORANGELEAF (3), SIR BEDIVERE, SIR GALAHAD (2), SIR TRISTRAM and WAVE RULER (2)

30 June 2005 sailed Spithead to Portland - anchored Portland anchorage the same day

5 July 2005 sailed sailed Portland Anchorage - overnight flying serials with 702 Sqd RNAS - to Plymouth Sound to load fresh water arriving 6 July 2005

6 July 2005 sailed Plymouth Sound to Brest, France - day and night flying serials with 702 Sqd Fleet Air Arm until 13 July 2005

13 July 2005 berthed at Brest, France

16 July 2005 sailed Brest, France - day and night flying serials with 702 Sqd Fleet Air Arm until 21 July 2005

21 July 2005 day and night flying serials with 702 and 848 Sqds Fleet Air Arm until 22 July 2005

22 July 2005 anchored at Portland

22 July 2005 sailed Portland to Crombie arriving 25 July 2005

4 August 2005 sailed Crombie to Leith arriving the same day

8 August 2005 sailed Leith to Brodick Bay anchorage, Isle of Arran arriving 10 August 2005

11 August 2005 sailed Brodick Bay anchorage, Isle of Arran to Spithead arriving 13 August 2005

15 August 2005 sailed Spithead to King George V dry dock, Southampton arriving the same day

12 September 2005 sailed King George V dry dock to Mounts Bay anchorage arriving 14 September 2005

15 September 2005 sailed Mounts Bay anchorage for day and night flying serials with 771 Sqd Fleet Air Arm returning to Mounts Bay anchorage on 17 September 2005

9 November 2005 sailed Portland to Crombie arriving on 13 November 2005

23 November 2005 HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KCVO, Commodore in Chief RFA, visited the ship at the Defence Munitions Centre, Crombie, Fife

PE_visit_FG PE_Visit_FG_2

13 January 2006 sailed Crombie to Bigbury Bay arriving 15 January 2006

16 January 2006 sailed Bigbury Bay to Gibraltar arriving 20 January 2006 - made fast on the South Mole

7 February 2006 sailed Gibraltar

11 February 2006 RASed with HMS Illustrious while on passage from Gibraltar to Portland arriving 15 February 2006

23 March 2006 sailed Portland .

24 March 2006 embarked 824 Sqn RNAS enroute to Kristiansand for Exercise Brilliant Mariner.

25 March 2006 to 30 March 2006 took part in Exercise Brilliant Manner involving flying with 824 Sqn NAS

31 March 2006 arrived at Kristiansand berthed at No 13 berth

2 April 2006 sailed Kristiansand to continue Exercise Brilliant Manner involving flying with 824 Sqn NAS until 6 April 2006 arriving at Portland

26 April 2006 sailed Portland to Brodick Bay Anchorage arriving on 30 April 2006

2 May 2006 sailed Brodick Bay Anchorage to Loch Striven arriving the same day

22 May 2006 sailed Loch Striven to Portsmouth Middle Slip Jetty arriving 25 May 2006

28 May 2006 sailed Portsmouth Middle Slip Jetty to Portland anchorage arriving the same day

29 May 2006 engaged in exercises in the Portland area until 31 May 2006

1 June 2006 to Plymouth - berthed at Devonport Dockyard

7 June 2006 cold move to Yonderbury Oil Jetty

17 June 2006 sailed Yonderbury Oil Jetty for exercise with 820 Sqd NAS

22 June 2006 RASed with RFA Fort Austin

24 June 2006 anchored off Stornoway until 28 June 2006

29 June 2006 three helicopters from 820 Sqd NAS

30 June 2006 berthed at Glen Mallen JMC

4 July 2006 sailed Glen Mallen to Loch Striven arriving the same day

20 July 2006 sailed Loch Striven to Faslane arriving the same day

25 August 2006 sailed Faslane to Garelochhead arriving the same day

18 September 2006 sailed Garelochhead arriving the same day

26 September 2006 sailed Faslane to Garelochhead arriving the same day

18 October 2006 sailed Garelochhead to Tail of the Bank Anchorage A7 arriving the same day

24 October 2006 sailed Tail of the Bank anchorage to Garelochhead arriving the same day

2 November 2006 sailed Garelochhead to Princess Dock, Birkenhead arriving the next day

19 December 2006 sailed Princess Dock, Birkenhead to Loch Striven arriving the next day

5 January 2007 sailed Loch Striven to Tail of the Bank anchorage the same day

6 January 2007 sailed Tail of the Bank for testing equipment. Serials cancelled due to weather conditions - arrived Plymouth Sound made fast 'C' Buoy on 10 January 2007

16 January 2007 sailed Plymouth, conducting flying serials and other exercises. RASed with RFA Black Rover. Then passage to Crombie arriving 30 January 2007

2 March 2007 sailed Crombie to Plymouth Sound - 'C' Buoy - arriving 8 March 2007

18 March 2007 sailed Plymouth Sound and RASed with Allied ships, taking part in the Thursday War returning to Plymouth Sound 'C' Buoy on 23 March 2007

26 March 2007 sailed Plymouth Sound for exercises.

27 March 2007 undertook TOWing Exercises with HMS Portland, Flying Exercise and RASing with Allied shipping until 30 March 2007 at the end of Exercise. The on passage to Crombie arriving 2 April 2007

20 April 2007 sailed Crombie for exercise Neptune Warrior with 820 NAS and RASing with with HMS Illustrious, HMS Manchester and HMS Kent. Returning to Loch Striven on 3 May 2007

7 May 2007 sailed Loch Striven conducting flying operations arriving Stavanger, Norway on 10 May 2007

13 May 2007 sailed Stavanger, Norway taking part in Exercise Noble Mariner in the Baltic Sea returning to Loch Striven on 29 May 2007

1 June 2007 sailed Loch Striven to Glen Mallen arriving the same day

22 June 2007 sailed Glen Mallen on exercises in the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel, off Plymouth returning to the Firth of Clyde (No 6 Anchorage) on 1 July 2007

2 July 2007 sailed No 6 Anchorage, Firth of Clyde to Glen Mallen arriving the same day.

5 July 2007 sailed Glen Mallen to Mounts Bay anchorage arriving 12 July 2007

12 July 2007 moved from Mounts Bay anchorage to Falmouth Bay Anchorage and then to 'C' Buoy Plymouth Sound arriving on 13 July 2007

16 July 2007 sailed Plymouth 'C' Buoy returning to the same buoy the same day

19 July 2007 sailed Plymouth 'C' Buoy returning to the same buoy the next day

23 July 2007 sailed Plymouth 'C' Buoy returning to No 21 Anchorage, S Plymouth Break Water on 26 July 2007

27 July 2007 sailed No 21 Anchorage, S Plymouth Break Water to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

3 August 2007 sailed 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound RASing with HMS Illustrious, HMS Clyde anchoring at Kirkcaldy Bay K2 Anchorage on 12 August 2007

13 August 2007 sailed Kirkcaldy Bay K2 Anchorage to Crombie arriving the same day

18 September 2007 sailed Crombie to Loch Striven OFJ arriving 21 September 2007

23 September 2007 sailed Loch Striven OFJ to Mounts Bay Anchorage arriving 24 September 2007

24 September 2007 sailed Mounts Bay anchorage via Adriatic to take part in Exercise Noble Midas undertaking RAS's with various HM warships

1 October 2007 Humanitarian assistance: whilst enroute to a major NATO exercise in the Adriatic, she provided medical assistance to a passenger on the Italian ferry RIVIERA DEL COVERO and one of her embarked helicopters airlifted the patient to Split

15 October 2007 passed Gibraltar westbound to anchor in Mounts Bay on 18 October 2007

19 October 2007 sailed Mounts Bay anchorage to Crombie arriving 21 October 2007

25 October 2007 sailed Crombie for exercises returning there on 27 October 2007

28 October 2007 sailed Crombie - RASed with HMS Illustrious

30 October 2007 RASed with RFA Orangeleaf

2 November 2007 arrived Leixoes

7 November 2007 sailed Leixoes to Rota arriving on 14 November 2007

17 November 2007 sailed Rota returning there on 23 November 2007

26 November 2007 sailed Rota to Loch Striven arriving 30 November 2007

5 January 2008 sailed Loch Striven to Glen Mallen arriving the same day

June 2008 in refit at Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited (NSL) in Birkenhead, Wirral

22 October 2008 Captain James Murchie RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

captain_j_murchie_royal_fleet_auxiliaryw177

20 November 2008 one man and one woman were injured on board and hospitalised while the ship was under refit at Cammell Laird Shipyard, Birkenhead. The Police were investigating

15 December 2008 Captain (E) Robert Settle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 December 2008 sailed Gladstone Docks, Liverpool for post refit sea trials and then to Loch Striven arriving on 19 December 2008

11 February 2009 sailed Loch Striven to Portsmouth arriving 13 February 2009

27 February 2009 sailed Portsmouth to Plymouth (5 & 6 Berth) arriving the next day

5 March 2009 sailed Plymouth to Portland arriving the next day

10 March 2009 sailed Portland to Plymouth Sound on 'D' Buoy arriving the same day

13 March 2009 sailed Plymouth Sound returning the same evening to 'C' Buoy

16 March 2009 sailed Plymouth Sound returning the next day to 'C' Buoy

18 March 2009 sailed Plymouth Sound returning the 20 March 2009 to 'C' Buoy

23 March 2009 sailed Plymouth Sound returning the same evening to 'C' Buoy

31 March 2009 sailed Plymouth Sound returning the next day to 'C' Buoy

1 April 2009 commenced OST until 14 April 2009 berthed at No 1 Jetty, Devonport

15 April 2009 sailed No 1 Jetty, Devonport to Portland arriving 17 April 2009

20 April 2009 sailed Portland to Yonderberry Oil Jetty, Devonport arriving 22 April 2009

24 April 2009 sailed Yonderberry Oil Jetty, Devonport to Loch Striven arriving 26 April 2009

Captain_Paul_Kehoe

Captain Paul Kehoe RFA

8 May 2009 Captain D P Kehoe RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

15 May 2009 sailed Loch Striven to Crombie arriving 17 May 2009

24 May 2009 sailed Crombie to take up duties as FOST tanker SCEXA until 29 May 2009 arrived at Plymouth Sound 'C' Buoy

1 June 2009 continued as FOST tanker SCEXA

2 June 2009 as FOST tanker RASed HMS Monmouth

4 June 2009 as FOST tanker RASed HMS Monmouth

5 June 2009 secured to 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

9 June 2009 sailed Plymouth to Mayport USA arriving 20 June 2009

24 June 2009 sailed Mayport to take up duites as APT(N)

25 June 2009 RASed HNLMS Van Amstel

29 June 2009 RASed HMS Iron Duke

1 July 2009 berthed alongside at Fort Lauderdale

5 July 2009 sailed Fort Lauderdale

6 July 2009 RASed RFA Largs Bay

13 July 2009 RASed USS Hawes

15 July 2009 anchored at Little Bay, Montserrat

20 July 2009 sailed Montserrat

21 July 2009 RASed HMS Iron Duke

24 July 2009 RASed HMS Manchester

26 July 2009 anchored Crocus Bay, Anguilla

29 July 2009 sailed Anguilla to Curacao arriving 3 August 2009

9 August 2009 sailed Curacao

10 August 2009 RASed HMAS Ballarat

11 August 2009 RASed HMAS Sydney

17 August 2009 RASed HMS Iron Duke

21 August 2009 arrived Guantanamo Bay

25 August 2009 sailed Guantanamo Bay

28 August 2009 RASed HMS Iron Duke

2 September 2009 RASed HMS Iron Duke

7 September 2009 berthed at Trinidad

10 September 2009 sailed Trinidad

12 September 2009 RASed USS Hawes (FFG53)

15 September 2009 with HMS Iron Duke and a unit of the US Coast Guard they stopped a vessel mv Crystal found to be carrying five and a half tons of cocaine in 212 bales.

15393347

The drugs found hidden onboard were reported as being worth £240 million on the streets of the UK

18 September 2009 anchored off St Kitts

21 September 2009 sailed St Kitts to undertake further APT(N) duties

24 September 2009 anchored off Grenada

30 September 2009 sailed Grenada to undertake further APT(N) duties

5 October 2009 berthed at Curacao

9 October 2009 sailed Curacao to return to UK waters

21 October 2009 RASed with HMS DARING

23 October 2009 berthed at Crombie

18 November 2009 sailed Crombie to Portland arriving the next day

20 November 2009 at Portland small fire onboard - extinguished

21 November 2009 off Portland flying ops conducted

22 November 2009 off Portland flying ops conducted - casualty on flight deck - moved to hospital for observation

23 November 2009 to 27 November 2009 between Portland and Plymouth flying ops conducted

29 November 2009 FOST tanker variously deployed until 11 December 2009 when secured on D Buoy at Plymouth

14 December 2009 sailed Plymouth

16 December 2009 RASed with HMS ARK ROYAL

18 December 2009 alongside at Loch Striven

5 January 2010 sailed Loch Striven to Glen Mallan

24 January 2010 sailed Glen Mallen - Scexas to Mounts Bay arriving 5 February 2010

5 February 2010 sailed Mounts Bay to Crombie arriving 8 February 2010

March 2010 Captain Dale Worthington OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

d. worthington

Captain Dale Worthington OBE RFA

15 April 2010 sailed Crombie to RAS with RN and other Allied naval units arriving at Loch Striven on 20 April 2010

22 April 2010 sailed Loch Striven as temporary flagship for the initial phase of the Auriga 10 Deployment until the arrival of the carrier HMS ARK ROYAL

11 May 2010 with other units (RN, US and French) of the Auriga multinational naval task group arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, USA for a three day visit

14 May 2010 sailed Norfolk, Virginia to take part in Exercise Capella Strike

17 May 2010 - 26 May 2010 RASed various RN and USN naval units

27 May 2010 pump over with USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196)

29 May 2010 berthed at Mayport, Florida

4 June 2010 sailed Mayport, Florida to take part in Exercise Seaswiti

8 June 2010 to 10 June 2010 RASed with various RN and USN naval ships

11 June 2010 berthed at Norfolk, Virginia

14 June 2010 sailed Norfolk Virginia to take part in Exercise Halcyon Rendevous berthing at Halifax NS on 23 June 2010

28 June 2010 anchored in the Bedford Basin, Halifax, Nova Scotia during the International Fleet Review

30 June 2010 sailed Halifax taking part in Exercise Kearsage arriving at Port Canaveral on 27 July 2010

2 August 2010 sailed Port Canaveral, RASed with various RN units arriving 13 August 2010 when 814 Squadron NAS disembarked thence to Crombie arriving 16 August 2010. During the deployment the ship conducted 75 fuelling replenishments at sea and 19 stores replenishments at sea

20 August 2010 sailed Crombie to Loch Striven via Rothsay Sound arriving on 23 August 2010

27 August 2010 sailed Loch Striven to Crombie arriving 29 August 2010

22 September 2010 sailed Crombie to Weymouth Bay arriving 24 September 2010

27 September 2010 sailed Weymouth Bay to Loch Striven arriving 1 October 2010

3 October 2010 sailed Loch Striven to take part in Exercise Joint Warrier 1 & 2 returning to Loch Striven on 13 October 2010 during the exercised with RN and other Allied units

13 October 2010 sailed Loch Striven to Broderick Bay anchorage arriving 15 October 2010

17 October 2010 sailed Broderick Bay to Glen Mallen and Tail of Bank anchorage

19 October 2010 announced by the Defence Secretary that she was to be withdrawn from service in April 2011 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review along with RFA’s BAYLEAF (3) and LARGS BAY

25 October 2010 secured alongside at Glen Mallen

2 November 2010 sailed Glen Mallen to Loch Striven arriving the same day

3 November 2010 sailed Loch Striven to Lyme Bay and then to Crombie arriving 20 November 2010

8 December 2010 sailed Crombie to the River Tyne

9 December 2010 berthed at Northumbrian Quay, North Tyneside

13 December 2010 sailed North Tyneside to Garelochhead arriving 15 December 2010

6 January 2011 sailed Garelochhead to Loch Striven arriving the same day

28 January 2011 sailed Loch Striven to Plymouth Sound

1 February 2011 berthed at Devonport to de-store prior to being laid up

22 February 2011 having destored sailed Devonport for Liverpool arriving 23 February 2011

rfa-fort-george-final-sail-devonport-hoe-22

RFA Fort George sailing Plymouth for the last time on 22 February 2011

June 2011 donations amounting to £1,244.21 were made to Secretary of the Eyemouth RNLI life boat and to the Commanding Officer of the South Shields Sea Cadet Unit - TS Collingwood from the officers and crew of the Fort George by Chief Officer (X) Martyn Bunker RFA the ships last (XO). TS Collingwood was the ship's affiliated Sea Cadet Unit.

Fort_George_in_Liverpool

RFA Fort George laid up at Liverpool

image taken by Mark Nugent RFAHS member

24 July 2012 offered for sale this day by the MOD Disposal Services Authority 'As is' at Liverpool

16 January 2013 sailed Liverpool under tow of the tug Christos XXIII this day to shipbreakers at Aliaga, Turkey

February 2013 berthed at Leyal Recycling Ltd, Aliaga, Turkey: -

rfafort george

Courtesy and © of Leyal Recycling Ltd

Notes:

The Navy had a requirement for at least 4 of this Class and had originally hoped for 6, but Defence Budgets reduced this to a Class of just 2

RFA Fort Grange

RFA Fort Grange entering Sydney, NSW, Australia 2 October 1986 © Kingsley Barr

RFA_Fort_Grange

Lower image RFA Fort Grange during the Falklands War © Brian Bilverstone

Previous name:
Subsequent name: Fort Rosalie

Official Number: 377548

Class: FORT CLASS Ammunition, Food, Explosive Stores Ship

Pennant No: A385

Laid down: 9 November 1973
Builder: Scott's SB, Greenock
Launched: 9 December 1976
Into Service: 6 April 1978
Out of service:
Fate:

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

November 1971 ordered

9 November 1973 laid down as AEFS 03

9 December 1976 Launched by Scotts Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Cartsburn Yard,Greenock as Yard Nr 737 named FORT GRANGE. The Lady Sponsor was Mrs E.M. Glue, wife of Mr G.T. Glue, DGST (N). Named after a Palmerston fort which is currently with the grounds of HMS Sultan, Gosport , Hampshire

6 April 1978 completed and accepted into service. Was provided with the first Sea King Flight of 706 Squadron NAS to be permanently embarked aboard an RFA

15 April 1978 first arrival at Plymouth

16 July 1979 to October 1979 along with RFA BACCHUS (3) she supported Operation Culex which was conducted following an influx of illegal immigrants in Hong Kong and delivered one Seaking helicopter

7 October 1979 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

17 January 1980 along with RFA GREY ROVER she was part of the RN Task Force which was sent to the Mediterranean to co-operate with the USN due to the Iranian crisis

31 August 1980 berthed at Devonport

13 May 1982 sailed Devonport for service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - with 824 NAS C Flight embarked - 3 x Sea King HAS2 helicopters

22 May 1982 arrived Ascension Island

24 May 1982 sailed Ascension Island

26 May 1982 entered the TEZ (Total Exclusion Zone) around the Falkland Islands

31 May 1982 attacked by an Argentinian C-130 on its way to join the Carrier Battle Group

3 June 1982 joined the Carrier Battle Group to relieve RFA FORT AUSTIN

5 June 1982 commenced transferring stores from RFA FORT AUSTIN

6 June 1982 completed transfer of stores

9 June 1982 arrived San Carlos Anchorage along with the ferry NORDIC FERRY

28 July 1982 Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA appointed as Master

Barry_Rutterford

Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA

17 August 1982 sailed Falkland Islands for home on completion of Operation Corporate duties

3 October 1982 arrived back U.K. on completion of Operation Corporate duties

11 April 1983 off the Falkland Islands with HMS Active and HMS Cardiff

1 September 1983 Captain Rex A Cooper RFA appointed as Master

11 April 1985 was presented with her Falkland Islands 1982 Battle Honour at Plymouth by Captain C.G. Butterworth CMS

14 April 1986 sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 318.4 - the Global 86 Deployment led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s BAYLEAF (3) and OLMEDA

22 July 1986 at anchor in Hong Kong

4 October 1986 TG 318.4 participated in the Australian Fleet Review in Sydney

13 June 1988 sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 318.1 - the Outback 88 Deployment led by the carrier HMS ARK ROYAL - along with RFA’s ORANGELEAF (3) and OLWEN (2)

8 August 1990 decision taken to deploy her, along with RFA’s OLNA (3) and DILIGENCE to the Gulf following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

22 August 1990 sailed Devonport for service during Operation Granby - the Gulf War - with 2 x Sea King helicopters from 846 NAS embarked

24 August 1990 along with RFA OLNA (3) she r/v off Gibraltar with HNMS’s WITTE DE WITH and PIETER FLORIS

9 September 1990 arrived in the Gulf Area

11 April 1991 official Cease Fire comes into force

1991 was awarded the Kuwait 1991 Battle Honour, along with 10 other RFA’s

23 April 1991 to 3 June 1991 Humanitarian relief - was in Operation Manna - the relief operations in Bangladesh following major damage and flooding in the wake of a cyclone

3 November 1992 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 April 1994 start of Operation Grapple at Split and she was based there to act as an accommodation and storage ship for food and ammunition for the British Forces operating in Croatia

12 December 1994 was relieved at Split by RFA RESOURCE

6 July 1996 Captain David Gerrard RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

DMG292

Captain David Gerrard RFA

14 December 1996 berthed at Malaga, Spain

5 April 1997 again arrived Split, Croatia

14 April 1997 replaced RFA RESOURCE on Operation Grapple duties

9 June 1998 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

October 1998 Captain Steven Hodgson RFA in command

14 February 1999 while anchored off Split, Croatia Staff Sergeant Jacqueline O'Rourke and Petty Officer John Walker were married

April 1999 Captain Jeremy R J Carew OBE RFA in command

December 1999 Captain John Stones RFA in command

6 January 2000 sailed Split for the UK on the termination of Operation Grapple duties there

1 June 2000 renamed Fort Rosalie (2) to obviate confusion with RFA FORT GEORGE during a refit period on the Tyne

14 June 2000 sailed from the Tyne after renaming

20 June 2000 arrived Gibraltar to act as an accommodation ship for the crew of the submarine HMS/m TIRELESS during the submarine’s lengthy repairs

10 November 2000 Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

30 March 2001 to 30 April 2001 berthed at Gibraltar

7 May 2001 sailed Gibraltar after supporting HMS/m Tireless

10 July 2001 berthed at Glen Mallan - Captain David Pitt RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

29 November 2001 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 April 2002 to 24 April 2002 berthed at Malaga, Spain

2 September 2002 to 5 September 2002 berthed at Cadiz, Spain

24 October 2002 in refit at Hebburn on Tyne, Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

15 January 2003 sailed UK for service during Operation Telic - the 2nd Gulf War - along with 13 other RFA’s

9 February 2003 to 28 May 2003 deployed on Operation Telic

28 May 2003 arrived Plymouth Sound on completion of Operation Telic duties

1 September 2004 with RFA Sir Bedivere berthed at Tema Harbour, Accra, Ghana to off load supporting logistics and supplies for a bilateral military training exercise. The six-week exercise code-named "Ex-Western Rhumba 2004" is a joint military exercise aimed at practicing tactics, techniques and procedures required to operate in the jungle

4 March 2005 berthed at Gibraltar

27 May 2005 sailed Gibraltar

15 December 2006 the Commodore in Chief HRH the Earl of Wessex visit the ship at Portland

27 March 2007 was granted the Freedom of the Borough of Tarnworth

June 2007 following a collision between an Italian freighter and a French yacht off Finistere at the request of the French coastguards assisted the Italian freighter by keeping other vessels away from her as she made her way to Southampton in a damaged condition and in heavy weather

19 July 2008 suffered a fire while undergoing refit at Birkenhead

8 January 2009 ship visited by the Defence Secretary John Hutton as she was coming to the end of a refit at Birkenhead.

20 June 2009 to 25 June 2009 with RFA Mounts Bay and various RN and Indian Navy ships engaged in Exercise Konkan off Portsmouth

14 July 2009 visited Cherbourg, France for a port visit

27 January 2010 while at sea off Portsmouth Sergeant Andrew Pearson, Royal Marines fell while attempting to board the ship from a RIB and died from a combination of having his breathing restricted, falling from a height and drowning. An inquest touching on the cause of his death was held at Portsmouth on the 23 August 2011 where a verdict of 'accidental death' was returned by the jury.

19 -23 March 2010 paid an informal visit to Den Helder

16 June 2010 members of the ships company attended a ceremony at the Commonwealth Cemetery at La Boule, France

17 June 2010 Commanding Officer and a party made up from all sections of the ships company attended the commemorative service at the Lancastria memorial on the sea front in St. Nazaire, where wreaths were laid by The Commanding Officer Captain V Ramsey-Smith for the RFA and by 2/O Ian Gill for the Royal Navy, alongside those of the various Lancastria associations, families and affiliates.

3 September 2010 berthed at Greenock

8 June 2011 off Cyprus loaded an Apache helicopter and ferried it to HMS Ocean off Libya

10 August 2011 entered Grand Harbour, Malta and berthed alongside Dock No 2 at French Creek

24 October 2011 anchored off Kirkcaldy, Scotland

27 November 2011 entered Plymouth Sound and moored to C Bouy

28 November 2011 sailed Plymouth Sound to sea returned later the same day

20 January 2012 berthed at Grenada to provide support to the seventh UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum

23 February 2012 and 24 February 2012 at Bridgetown, Barbados the Prince and Princess Edward, Earl and Countess of Wessex made a formal visit to the Island from the ship

28 February 2012 at Port of Spain Trinidad the Prince and Princess Edward, Earl and Countess of Wessex made a formal visit to the Islands from the ship

20 April 2012 berthed at Road Town, British Virgin Islands

13 June 2012 berthed at Havana, Cuba to strengthen counter-narcotics collaboration work between UK and Cuban authorities. The visit coincided with Cuba's British culture week and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Havana when British forces laid siege to Havana in June 1762 during the Seven Years' War with Spain. The ship's company took time to lay a wreath at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana, which honours a martyr of the revolution against Spanish control. RFA staff visited a cigar factory and historic buildings and, in exchange, more than 900 Cubans visited the ship.

FRos Cuba

RFA Fort Rosalie alongside at Havanna, Cuba

8 July 2012 berthed at Kings Wharf, Bermuda with RFA Argus

11 July 2012 sailed Kings Wharf, Bermuda

26 August 2012 arrived at Plymouth Sound

27 August 2012 sailed Plymouth Sound to sea

12 December 2012 deployed in the Gulf of Oman

FortRosalie3 Dec 2012

Fort Rosalie 4 2012

Fort Rosalie2 2012

The above 3 images of RFA Fort Rosalie courtesy and © of Captain Shaun Jones OBE RFA

29 December 2012 arrived Gibraltar Bay, sailing into the North Atlantic later the same day

3 January 2013 berthed at Glen Mallan, Scotland with the assistance of the tug SD Impetus

5 January 2013 sailed from Glen Mallan, Scotland

6 January 2013 arrived at Liverpool

RFA Fort Langley

Fort_Langley_1965

Previous name: Montebello Park

Subsequent name:

Official Number: 180495

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: A230 B532

Laid down: 22 June 1944
Builder: Victoria MD, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Launched: 31 October 1944

Completed: 28 December 1944
Into RFA Service: 18 May 1954

Out of service: 1970
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

18 May 1945 Completed as an Air Stores Issuing Ship, acquired by the MoWT , renamed FORT LANGLEY and placed under initial management of Alfred Holt & Co, Liverpool. On completion she was completely stored at Victoria with British and USN aircraft spares and sailed direct to join the Pacific Fleet Train, arriving in time for the closing stages of the War against Japan. She also ferried reserve aircraft and spares for Fleet Air Arm Squadrons from Sydney to Manus or Leyte.

24 June 1945 sailed San Francisco to Pearl Harbour

3 July 1945 sailed Pearl Harbour to Manus arriving 16 July 1945

16 September 1945 sailed Manus to Brisbane arriving 23 September 1945

21 October 1945 sailed Brisbane to Sydney, NSW arriving the next day

3 July 1947 at Sydney, NSW

16 September 1947 sailed Sydney, NSW for Singapore

1948 Managers became George Nisbet & Co, Glasgow

16 September 1949 at Hong Kong

18 April 1950 at Greenock, River Clyde

25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 Saw service during the Korean War

5 November 1950 berthed at Perth, Western Australia

25 November 1950 sailed Port of Fremantle for Melbourne after loading stores

3 February 1951 arrived at Gage Roads, Port of Fremantle from Melbourne

8 July 1951 at Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow Sailors Cook Chan Chow discharged dead from cancer of the throat

5 November 1953 arrived Hong Kong from Sasebo then sailed to Leith for refit

22 February 1954 Captain R H Hill OBE RFA appointed as Master

23 February 1954 transferred to Admiralty ownership, name unchanged

3 May 1954 Mr A B Tate RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

May 1954 transferred to RFA management and converted into an ASIS

22 December 1954 the Officers and crew made a donation of $405 to the Singapore Flood Relief Fund

15 November 1955 Mr L Cochrane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 May 1957 Captain Hubert G Carkeet RFA appointed as Master

17 April 1958 Firemans Boy Fai Ling discharged dead apparently from a heart attack

6 August 1958 Captain D A C Butler RFA appointed as Master

12 December 1958 Second Officer Philip H Banks RFA discharged dead. Buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta.

RFA Fort Langley Banks

31 December 1958 in Grand Harbour, Malta the ships motor boat was pulling away from the Gozo landing steps when about 20 yards off shore the boats engine stopped. An examination found that the body of Steward Ronal Walker (19) of HMS Victorious had become entangled in the propellor. Police and a diver from HMS Forth were called and recovered the body.

1959 Along with RFA FORT DUQUESNE she was the winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup for the most conspicuous efficiency in replenishment-at-sea in the Mediterranean area

13 January 1959 RASed with HMS Bermuda off Malta

9 March 1959 RASed with HMS Centaur off Malta

17 June 1959 berthed at Malta after taking part in exercise Sardex with units of the Royal Navy and RFA's Fort Duquesne, Wave Sovereign and Wave Victor

10 October 1959 with HMS Birmingham, HMS Dainty, HMS Daring and HMS/m Tally Ho and RFA's Tide Austral and RFA Fort Duquesne sailed Malta to take part in Anglo-Spanish exercises in the Western Mediterranean

11 January 1960 Mr B C Jeremiah RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 January 1960 Captain F C Holt RFA appointed as Master

4 May 1960 Captain Norman R McLeod RFA appointed as Master

14 September 1961 Captain J D G Gray RFA appointed as Master

15 September 1961 Mr W P Garrick RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 April 1963 Captain Robert H Venning RFA appointed as Master

14 August 1963 Mr J W Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 September 1963 at 0.12N 68.42E Assistant Steward Chan Wan Lang discharged dead from natural causes

1964 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

6 March 1964 during exercise Jet supplied HMAS YARRA with ammunition by jackstay transfer

7 November 1964 Captain Alf Waters RFA appointed as Master

9 November 1964 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 June 1965 the ship was searched on arrival at Singapore by Customs who found 135lbs of opium. The ship had arrived from Hong Kong. Three of the Chinese crew were arrested

12 August 1965 off the Johore Shoal Buoy supplied HMAS YARRA with ammunition by jackstay transfer

15 July 1966 Captain William R Town RFA appointed as Master

26 August 1966 Mr W B Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1967 was converted at Chatham Dockyard for the freighting of missiles and other Polaris material supporting the Navy’s fleet of Polaris-armed submarines

25 August 1967 Captain D de Vere Moulds RFA appointed as Master

21 September 1967 Mr P W Scott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

November 1967 commenced a Polaris material support shuttle service between the US Naval Supply Centre at Charleston, South Carolina and RNAD Coulport in Scotland.

31 December 1967 Captain John Logan RFA appointed as Master

15 January 1968 during a 'hurricane' which hit Scotland a crane near the Firth of Clyde Dry Dock crashed onto Fort Langley causing damage to the superstructure. No one was injured.

2 July 1968 Mr Peter Otway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 November 1969 arrived Devonport to destore pending disposal.

February 1970 laid up, purchased by Marine Salvage Co Ltd, Port Colbourne, Ontario then resold to Spanish breakers

17 July 1970 sailed Devonport in tow for the breakers

21 July 1970 Arrived at Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Hierros Arbulu

August 1970 demolition begun

Notes: -

Served in the British Pacfic Fleet Train - hence the 'B' pennant number

RFA Fort Rosalie

RFA Fort Rosalie (1)

Fort_Rosalie_1964

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 180636

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: X142 / B559 / A186

Laid down: 29 August 1944
Builder: United Shipyards Limited, Montreal, Canada
Launched: 18 November 1944
Into Service: 20 November 1947
Out of service: 1 May 1972
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

18 November 1944 Launched as a “Canadian” type by United Shipyards Ltd, Montreal as Yard Nr 43 named FORT ROSALIE(1) for the MoWT

7 April 1945 Completed as an Ammunition Carrier and placed under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London and served with the British Pacific Fleet Train

1 October 1945 entered Pearl Harbour

12 October 1945 at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands

21 October 1945 berthed at the Naval Base at Manus, Admiralty Islands

4 November 1945 arrived at Shanghai, China

12 November 1945 sailed Shanghai, China

27 November 1945 at sea at 28.17N 125.53E Fireman Jainodeen Sk Mohammed discharged dead - natural causes

26 December 1945 at Hong Kong Quartermaster John McDonald discharged dead - reported missing believed killed or drowned

May 1946 Naval Rating were used to load Naval Stores for Hong Kong during a dockers strike in Sydney, Australia

20 July 1946 arrived at Yokohama

18 November 1946 sailed Hong Kong for Colombo

7 December 1946 sailed Colombo to Sydney, NSW, Australia

25 December 1946 while on passage from Fremantle to Sydney called at Albany, Australia to land a sick member of the crew. Sailed the same day for Sydney, NSW

30 January 1947 sailed Sydney, NSW for Portsmouth, England

22 March 1947 passed Gibraltar enroute to the UK

15 August 1947 at Portland, Dorset Lascar Doulat Khan x Doraf Ali discharged dead having apparently suffered heart failure

17 November 1947 Captain Thomas Elder DSC RFA appointed as Master

20 November 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour - transferred to the Admiralty, under RFA management and was converted into an ASIS

1 December 1947 Mr George C Dunning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

G_C_Dunning_RFA

Chief Engineer Officer George C Dunning RFA

7 May 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

7 July 1948 at 24.26N 36.05E Bhandary Ramjan Joagnoo discharged dead from TB

9 May 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

10 August 1949 Mr I Cameron RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 December 1949 berthed at No 8 North Wharf, Fremantle, Australia to load 1,400 tons of ammunition for Sydney, NSW

9 January 1950 arrived at and anchored off Melbourne

7 March 1950 berthed at No 3 Naval Buoy, Sydney, NSW, Australia

13 March 1950 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Singapore

20 March 1950 berthed at Townsville, Queensland with engine defects - the local fire service maintained a 24 hour guard on her due to her explosives cargo. She sailed the next day for Singapore

21 June 1950 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master

25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 saw service during the Korean War for more than 18 months, along with 18 other RFA’s

10 July 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

15 July 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour under tow of the tug Restive - returned to port

21 July 1950 sailed Portsmouth Harbour for Devonport to load following an explosion at the Naval Armanents Depot, Bedenham, Fareham Creek

5 September 1950 berthed at Singapore

June 1952 returned to the UK after Korean Operations

1 September 1952 Captain A R Wheeler RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

3 October 1952 In support of Operation Hurricane 1 - the first British test atomic bomb explosion at Monte Bello Islands off NW Australia - along with RFA’s FORT BEAUHARNOIS, FORT CONSTANTINE, GOLD RANGER, WAVE PRINCE, WAVE RULER(1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN

12 December 1952 Mr Wilfred C Shortland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 September 1953 a crew member appeared before Singapore Fifth Police Court for smoking onboard while the ship was discharging ammunition at Singapore Naval Base - he was fined $1

11 May 1954 while on passage from Singapore to Penang used by RNA Service to dump old depth charges. She was escorted by HMS WHITESAND BAY

16 November 1954 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA appointed as Master

2 September 1955 Mr J McI Lumsden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

December 1956 Sailed UK with AWRE stores for Christmas Island

1 October 1956 Captain J Dines RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

8 October 1956 Mr H G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 December 1956 sailed the UK with Naval Stores for Christmas Island

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

Port_London_Christmas_Island

11 August 1957 General Servant Perdo Diaz discharged dead - natural causes

17 April 1958 Mr J W Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 August 1958 Commodore Thomas Elder CBE DSC RFA appointed as Master

1 April 1959 Captain Leslie J Mack DSO RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1960 arrived at Malta from Palmas Bay, Sardinia

7 July 1960 sailed Malta for Rhodes

29 July 1960 berthed at Malta with RFA Fort Duquesne and RFA Wave Knight (1) after fleet exercises

26 September 1960 at New York City Sailor Lall Ming discharged dead. His body was washed ashore and it was found he had drowned.

14 November 1960 Mr G Thompson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 December 1960 Captain Howard D Gausden DSO OBE RFA appointed as Master

24 November 1961 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 September 1962 Captain George Robson RFA appointed as Master

October 1962 Restored and sea trials in the Plymouth area

November 1962 Further storing at RNAD Milford Haven. Sailed Milford Haven to Middle East and Far East stations via the South Atlantic

December 1962 At Freetown (for bunkers), Ascension Island, Cape Town (bunkers)

23 December 1962 arrived at RNAD Mombassa - cross stored with RFA Fort Langley who she relieved on station.

January 1963 sailed Monbassa

27 January 1963 arrived Singapore.

February 1963 sailed Singapore for the Andaman Sea

27 February 1963 took part in Exercise JET63 with RN and RAN units

17 March 1963 Exercise JET63 completed and sailed to Hong Kong

17 April 1963 sailed from Singapore to USN Philippine exercise area

24 April 1963 Took part in SEATO Exercise 'Sea Serpent' with units of the RN, RAN, RNZN, USN and Phillippine Navy

8 May 1963 Exercise 'Sea Serpent' completed. Ships anchored in Manila Bay.

11 May 1963 returned to Singapore

June to July 1963 involved in exercises off Singapore supporting Far East Fleet ships visiting Hong Kong and Manila

31 July 1963 at Singapore Winchman/Sailor Chan Hi discharged dead - natural causes

August 1963 storing at Singapore - both armaments and victualling stores for RN units in the Persian Gulf. Sailed for the Middle East calling at Karachi for bunkers

September 1963 in the Persian Gulf and at Bahrain

October 1963 Two day RAS with RFA Fort Langley off Socotra Islands . Stand off Aden for two weeks then deployed to Mombassa

November 1963 Sailed Mombassa to support ships exercising. To Karachi and then return to Mombassa

December 1963 at Mombassa cross stored with RFA Fort Langley who was relieving her on station. Sailed to Gan to RAS with RFA Wave Sovereign.

19 December 1963 Mr D Meikle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 December 1963 anchored Malacca Strait

26 December 1963 anchored off Singapore

27 December 1963 alongside RNAD Singapore to destore

January 1964 to April 1964 refit in H.M. Dockyard, Singapore

April 1964 restore and trials

6 May 1964 Captain Sydney S F Dalgleish OBE RFA appointed as Master

8 May 1964 RAS with Fort Sandusky cancelled due to the deployment of the Fort Sandusky to the Seychelles

18 May 1964 sailed Singapore for SEATO Exercise 'Ligtas' off the island of Mindoro, Philippines

4 June 1964 arrived Hong Kong with the Far East Fleet

5 June 1964 Fireman Cheung Ying discharged dead - natural causes - had previously been transfered to HMS Bulwalk for treatment and this aircraft carrier was off Margarin Bay, Phillipines at the time of his death

30 June 1964 berthed at Singapore

24 July to 7 August 1964 Exercise 'FORTEX' 1964

August to October 1964 Singapore station ammunition ship

October/November 1964 deployed in support of Indonesian confrontation visited Kutching, Labaun and Hong Kong

13 October 1964 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

December 1964 berthed at Singapore

15 January 1965 while en-route to the UK and off Muka Head, Malaya a crew member suffered a perforated stomach ulcer. He was medevaced off the ship by a RAAF helicopter operating from RAF Butterworth.

27 January 1965 Her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

February 1965 visit to Hong Kong cancelled - visited Australia instead (at Darwin for 8 days) - returned to Singapore

21 April 1965 Mr S P Awati RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 March 1966 Mr J Ross RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer - sailed Singapore

5 April 1965 berthed at Hong Kong

20 April 1965 sailed Hong Kong

26 April 1965 berthed at Singapore

May 1965 deployed to Manilla

7 May to 22 May 1965 SEATO Exercise 'Sea Horse'

2 September 1966 Captain R J Lockwood RFA appointed as Master

4 October 1966 commenced to take part in Exercise Millsail - an advanced weapon exercise - in the Subic training areas, together with RFA's TIDESPRING, FORT DUQUESNE and RESURGENT together with various RN and RAN units

18 May 1967 Mr J A Swallow RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 October 1967 Captain Basil V Dobbie RFA appointed as Master

2 May 1968 Mr B W Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 May 1972 de-stored out of service and laid up at Rosyth Dockyard, Scotland

24 January 1973 sailed Rosyth in tow for Spanish breakers along with RFA FORT SANDUSKY

10 February 1973 arrived at Castellon, Spain for breaking up by Varela Davalillo

March 1973 breaking up began

Notes:

Additional information kindly supplied by Mr Michael Dyson
Prior to RFA service was a member of the British Pactific Fleet - hence the B pennant number

RFA Fort Rosalie (2)

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

For details of this Fort Rosalie (2) please see Fort Grange

RFA Fort Sandusky

Fort_Sandusky_-_Unofficial

Fort_Sandusky_Malta

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 180649

Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship

Pennant No: B560 / A316

Laid down: 11 February 1944
Builder: United Shipyards, Montreal, Canada

Launched: 25 November 1944
Into Service: 13 January 1949
Out of service: 13 February 1972
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

25 November 1944 launched as a “Canadian” type by United Shipyards Ltd, Montreal as Yard Nr 44 named FORT SANDUSKY for the MoWT

1 August 1945 completed as an Ammunition Carrier and placed under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London

17 August 1945 arrived at Liverpool from Montreal

1 February 1946 at the Outer Anchorage, Yokohama with HMAS Arunta alongside collecting Naval Stores

24 June 1946 Chief Engineer Officer J C Bagshaw, Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London, appointed as an Officer of the Most Excelent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) and Chief Steward Benjamin J Smith awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the Birthday Honours List 1946 - details published in the London Gazette of this day

26 July 1946 berthed at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from Hong Kong

2 August 1946 arrived at Sydney, NSW, Australia from Brisbane

27 September 1946 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Hong Kong

2 September 1947 and 3 September 1947 together with Fort Beauharnois, RN and RAN ships together with US Navy Aircraft from Okinawa took part in Exercises Adgate Two and Three within an area 31 43N 127.34E and 29.26N 128.40E

1948 managers became W.H. Seager & Co Ltd, Cardiff

25 December 1948 Mr C A Herbert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 January 1949 transferred to the Admiralty, under RFA management and was converted into an ASIS at Portsmouth Dockyard

1 March 1949 Captain William W Peddle RFA appointed as Master

PEDDLE_WM_WALTER

Captain William W Peddle RFA

8 August 1949 at sea at 6.54N 78.43E Fireman Sk Esmail Abdoola discharged dead - natural causes

25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 saw service during the Korean War for more than 18 months, along with 18 other RFA’s

28 August 1950 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA appointed as Master

27 December 1950 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Singapore

19 February 1951 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Singapore

20 March 1951 arrived Fremantle, Australia from Melbourne

6 April 1951 in Gage Roads, Fremantle

28 August 1951 Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA appointed as Master

1951 was involved in supporting Allied forces during the Korean War although she did not receive a battle honour.

4 December 1951 berthed at Malta bringing 1,200 tons of ammunition from Milford Haven

28 June 1953 Captain Cecil H Grainger RFA appointed as Master

29 June 1953 Mr A D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 September 1953 arrived at Malta from the UK

14 May 1954 Captain W H G Hine RFA appointed Master

3 January 1955 Mr Philip E Bassadona RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 February 1955 Captain D A C Butler RFA appointed as Master

10 June 1955 sailed Singapore together with RFA Gold Ranger and RFA Fort Charlotte to take part with, RN, RAN and RNZN units in ANZAM Maritime Exercise (2) in the South China Sea.

25 March 1956 sailed from Singapore together with RFA Wave Knight to be involved with RN, RAN and RNZN units and aircraft from the RAAF and RNZAF in Exercise Monsoon in the South China Sea

24 April 1956 at Hospital in Singapore Seaman 1st class Ismail Yusoff Zagady discharged dead - natural causes

13 August 1956 Captain T G Hill RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

6 September 1956 Mr D L Walls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 September 1956 at Cairn Ryan, Scotland Seaman 1st Class Sk Ahmed Sk Yusuf discharged dead having suffered a stroke

28 October 1957 Captain Raymond V Boodle RFA appointed as Master

31 October 1956 In support of Operation Musketeer - the Suez Crisis - and was part of Task Force 325.8 - the Logistics Group supporting the carriers - along with RFA’s OLNA (2), RETAINER, TIDERACE and TIDERANGE.

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

1958 towed HMEAS Bassingham from Aden to Mombassa - the tow broke twice in foul weather

23 June 1959 Captain Douglas S Norrington RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

18 August 1959 Mr J A Ferguson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 June 1960 Captain William R Town RFA appointed as Master

3 January 1961 Mr F A Essam RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 January 1961 Captain Ronald V Warren DSC RFA appointed as Master

July 1961saw service during Operation Vantage - the Kuwait Crisis - along with 12 other RFA’s.

30 October 1961 Mr J W Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 December 1961 Engineroom Tindall Jasoodeen Hasson Mea discharged dead at 3.12S 56.41E with heart failure. Buried at sea

4 April 1962 Captain James H Chant RFA appointed as Master

25 July 1962 arrived Malta from Gibraltar

22 September 1962 sailed Malta for Istanbul, Turkey

17 January 1963 sailed Malta to Taranto with RFA Wave Knight (1)

30 January 1963 Captain N B J Stapleton RD RFA appointed as Master

24 April 1963 at Sea at 34.38N 23.43E 2nd Steward Gabriel Labiche discharged dead having been found to be missing from the ship - believed lost over the side

13 October 1963 C A Herbert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 December 1964 Captain P T Taylor RFA appointed Master

21 January 1965 Mr J G Yuill RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 June 1966 Mr L Cochrane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 October 1966 Captain O J Coulthard RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1967 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 September 1967 Captain J H McLoughlin RFA appointed as Master

11 October 1967 to 25 January 1968 Was part of Task Force 318 - the Aden Task Force -which was formed to cover the final British military withdrawal from Aden codenamed Operation Magister, along with 9 other RFA’s and was engaged in the final Fleet Review along with 5 of the other RFA’s involved.

2 May 1968 Mr R J D'Souza RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 August 1968 Captain J C Moffat RFA appointed as Master

6 December 1968 Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA appointed as Master

Barry_Rutterford

Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA

31 October 1971 took part in the final steam past in the Singapore Straits after the closure of the naval base there along with 6 other RFA’s

13 February 1972 arrived Rosyth to discharge, destore and await disposal

24 January 1973 sailed Rosyth in tow for Spanish breakers along with RFA FORT ROSALIE (1).

10 February 1973 arrived Castellon, Spain for breaking up by Varela Davalillo

Notes: -

Allocated a British Pacific Fleet Train Pennant number - hence the 'B' pennant number above

RFA Fort Victoria

Fort_Victoria_1987

Subsequent name:

Official Number: 722240

Class: FORT CLASS Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Ship

Pennant No: A387

Laid down: 4 April 1988
Builder: Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Launched: 12 June 1990
Into Service: 24 June 1994
Out of service:
Fate:

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

17 November 1987 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her .

15 September 1988 laid down in the large dry dock by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast as Yard Nr 1727

9 January 1989 Mr Robert Settle RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer

10 July 1989 Captain (E) Robert Settle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 May 1990 floated out

June 1990 Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

19 June 1990 officially named FORT VICTORIA by HRH Duchess of York

6 September 1990 became the victim of two IRA bombs in her engine room. One was defused the other exploded causing damage and flooding

29 June 1992 sailed Belfast on Contractor’s Sea Trials 2 years later than originally planned

6 July 1992 arrived Birkenhead for completion and for rectification of damage sustained during sea trials. The Builders sub-contracted the work to Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Ltd due to the heavy backlog of shipbuilding work at Belfast

16 July 1992 the National Audit Office announced that both of the FORT CLASS AOR’s were subject to delays and cost overruns, FORT VICTORIA 32 months behind schedule and more than £63m over budget. Delays in the development of the command system for their air defence capabilities and difficulties in obtaining parts mean that neither AOR will go to sea with full air defence capabilities for some considerable time. The NAO also concluded that problems resulting from the privatisation of the shipyard have played a significant part in the delay in delivery and the cost overrun

31 July 1992 adopted by the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley

March 1993 Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Ltd closed down

24 March 1993 ship handed over to the MoD (N). Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

5 April 1993 sailed Birkenhead with between 15,000 and 20,000 items incomplete

7 April 1993 arrived Portsmouth Dockyard for completion and defect rectification in D Lock by FMRO, 3 years behind schedule and £70m over budget

4 August 1993 sailed Portsmouth for trials after completion at a total cost of £200m

12 August 1993 returned to Portsmouth after numerous systems’ failures had resulted in having to anchor in Weymouth Bay to carry out temporary repairs

7 January 1994 finally sailed Portsmouth for her long- overdue Part 1V Sea Trials

28 February 1994 Captain Alan Roach RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

29 April 1994 Captain (E) Robert Settle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 June 1994 Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

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Captain Shane Redmond OBE RFA

24 August 1994 1st Officer (E) Phillip L Bandy RFA discharged dead

25 August 1994 fire broke out in the cargo main pump room while at Torpoint, Cornwall. No casualties

13 September 1994 sailed Devonport after repairs

27 February 1995 humanitarian aid - rescued the 11 crew members of the Norwegian trawler ROALDNES which sank off Aslasund. The crew were kept in the ship’s hospital overnight before being flown back to Norway the following day

29 September 1995 Captain Alan Roach RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

5 July 1996 Captain S F Hodgson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

28 November 1996 Captain David M Pitt RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

27 April 1997 Captain Jeremy R J Carew OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

5 June 1997 Captain David Gerrard RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

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Captain David Gerrard RFA

2 September 1997 sailed Portsmouth for the Gulf supporting the carrier HMS INVINCIBLE

12 September 1997 at Malaga, Spain

14 November 1997 to 17 April 1998 along with the carrier HMS INVINCIBLE served on Operation Bolton - deployment to the Gulf to enforce UN Resolutions against Iraq

23 December 1997 Captain Nigel A Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

8 January 1998 Captain Christopher Knapp RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

18 January 1998 transitted the Suez Canal southbound and met up with the frigate HMS COVENTRY at the southern end of the Red Sea for a fast passage to the Gulf

26 January 1998 Entered the Straits of Hormuz

17 April 1998 departed the Gulf Areas for the U.K

May 1998 Captain Nigel A Jones RFA in command

17 July 1998 with HMS Marlborough visited Latakia, Syria

5 September 1998 Captain P A Taylor OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

1999 during a refit at Rosyth she was fitted with the Phalanx close-in weapon system with guns on her hangar and bridge roof

July 1999 Captain N A Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

2 December 1999 Captain A Roach RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

2 May 2000 sailed U.K. as part of Task Group 2000 - the Eastern Adventure Deployment circumnavigation of the globe led by the frigate HMS CORNWALL - along with RFA’s BAYLEAF (3) and DILIGENCE

19 July 2000 Captain P A Taylor OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

7 August 2000 with RN and French naval units paid a visit to Hong Kong

17 March 2001 Captain J Murchie RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

11 May 2001 to 14 May 2001 berthed at Vigo, Spain

23 August 2001 Captain R L Williams RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

10 January 2002 berthed at Gibraltar

2002 the ship and Barnsley celebrated their 10th anniversary with a Naval Parade through the town

2 August 2002 Captain J Murchie RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

29 September 2002 Captain R L Williams RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

28 October 2002 to 2 November 2002 berthed at Barcelona

18 January 2003 deployed on Operation Telic - the 2^nd Gulf War - along with 13 other RFA’s with 4 x Merlin helicopters from No. 814 NAS embarked

2 May 2003 to 8 May 2003 berthed at Gibraltar

18 May 2003 returned to Crombie on completion of Operation Telic duties

2003 following participation in Operation Telic her ensign was presented to the borough of Barnsley and this is displayed in the foyer of Barnsley Town Hall

26 April 2003 Captain Jamie Murchie RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

20 October 2003 Captain R L Williams RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

17 November 2003 RASed HMS Invincible in the North Sea

10 September 2004 while at Falmouth a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyor, and a lifeboat crew member, sustained back injuries during a planned lifeboat exercise drill. The on-load release gear was operated without another check being made on the boat’s distance above the water. This resulted in the boat freefalling a distance of about 1.2m, before striking the water. The impact with the water resulted in one crewman being hospitalised due to a fractured vertebrae, and the surveyor suffering a back injury which required subsequent medical assistance

12 November 2004 Captain William M Walworth OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

a Maritime and Coastguard Agency

(MCA) surveyor, and a lifeboat crew member, sustained back

injuries during a planned lifeboat exercise drilla Maritime and Coastguard Agency(MCA) surveyor, and a lifeboat crew member, sustained backinjuries during a planned lifeboat exercise drill

28 June 2005 took part in the International Fleet Review for Trafalgar 200 at Spithead along with RFA’s ARGUS, FORT GEORGE, ORANGELEAF (3), SIR BEDIVERE, SIR GALAHAD (2) , SIR TRISTRAM and WAVE RULER (2)

12 July 2005 Captain P B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

20 July 2005 visited by HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall

12 September 2005 Captain William M Walworth OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

1 January 2006 alongside at Bahrain

29 January 2006 Captain W G Tait RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

26 February 2006 Captain William M Walworth OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

29 March 2006 sailed Portsmouth as part of the Aquila 06 Deployment to the Middle East led by the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - along with RFA’s BRAMBLELEAF (3) and DILIGENCE

17 May 2006 involved with RN and Indian Navy units in Operation Konkan, a training operation off Goa, India

13 June 2006 during Operation Aquila in the northern Indian Ocean, she conducted a fresh water RAS with the Pakistani dhow SUBHANALLAH

16 July 2006 supported Operation Highbrow - the evacuation of British nationals from the Lebanon - with the carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, the assault ship HMS BULWARK, the destroyers HMS GLOUCESTER and HMS YORK and the frigate HMS ST ALBANS

30 August 2006 Captain David L Lamb RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

7 October 2006 in Plymouth Sound

11 October 2006 to 13 October 2006 at Cherbourg, France

12 December 2006 with RN units involved in a search off Portland Bill, Dorset for a fisherman who had fallen overboard from a fishing vessel. Not found despite over 6 hours of searching

11 February 2007 alongside at Loch Striven

1 March 2007 Captain W G Tait RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

18 June 2007 at Portsmouth in No 3 basin

27 October 2008 sailed under tow from Portsmouth Dockyard for a refit in Birkenhead

10 September 2009 suffered a fire in a cargo store area near the engine room while under refit at Cammell Lairds - fire contained and no one was injured

12 October 2009 Captain Rob W Dorey RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

22 November 2009 off Crombie, River Forth

10 November 2009 while in refit at Liverpool at NE Canada Dock an employee of a Cammell Lairds supplier fell some 24 feet to his death in the engine room

12 November 2009 Captain P S Whyte MBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

11 November 2009 sailed Liverpool after refit

12 March 2010 at Portsmouth

15 May 2010 berthed on the River Tyne

25 May 2010 Captain C G Clarke MBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

11 August 2010 Captain Rob W Dorey RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

18 October 2010 while conducting piracy patrols as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151off the coast of Somalia the ship identified a "suspicious whaler towing a skiff". The whaler contained a significant amount of fuel barrels and when approached by the ships helicopter, four of the nine passengers tried to hide themselves from view. Suspecting that they may have found a Pirate Action Group (PAG), Fort Victoria was granted approval to conduct a boarding by the CTF 151 Commander, Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugral, Turkish Navy. Royal Marines from the Fleet Protection Group (FPGRM) approached, the suspected pirates attempted to flee for shore but were rapidly surrounded, the Royal marines found they were carrying six AK-47s, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with four warheads and six RPG booster charges along with hand-held GPS units, mobile phones and other equipment. The nine suspects were transferred to the smaller skiff, and the Royal Marines disabled the outboard engine and gave them oars, Once they were safely ashore, the whaler was rigged with explosives and destroyed along with other confiscated pirate paraphernalia.

13 November 2010 while conducting piracy patrols as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 (Operation Ocean Shield) between the coast of Somalia and the Seychelles detected another boat with ten pirates with ammunition and ladders. The pirates admitted to throwing their firearms over the side. The pirates were returned to Somalia, the boat, ammunition and ladders were seized

8 February 2011 Captain I N Pilling RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

27 May 2011 Temporary Acting Captain (E) Mike New RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 September 2011 Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed Commanding Officer

Shaun Jones

Captain Shaun Jones RFA

12 October 2011 while conducting piracy patrols as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 (Operation Ocean Shield) off the coast of Somalia and in company with the USS De Wert stopped, boarded and released from the clutches of pirates who had seized the Italian bulk carrier the 56,000 ton MV Montecristo. Eleven pirates were detailed

14 October 2011 some 200 (320km) off the coast of Somalia, together with HMS Somerset closed on a pirate dhow mother ship Hibid Fidi which was boarded. Four suspected pirates were detained and handed over to the Italian authorities. The genuine crew of the dhow were released

31 October 2011 anchored off Mahe, Seychelles

2 November 2011 alongside at Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

28 December 2011 alongside at Dubai

2 January 2012 sailed Dubai

10 January 2012 off Somalia forced a gang of pirates to abandon an attempt to hijack cargo ships by identifying a hijaked ship - mv Liquid Velvet - which had sailed from Somalia to act as a 'mother ship' by a gang of pirates. The mv Liquid Velvet returned to her anchorage off Somalia when her way was cut off when it was 90 miles off the coast.

13 January 2012 off Somalia in a join Royal Marine (from the RFA Fort Victoria) / USS Carney operation 13 suspected pirates were detained in a dhow in which a cache of weapons were discovered

23 February 2012 alongside at Port Rashid, UAE

24 February 2012 Captain I N Pilling RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

3 May 2012 members of the US Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Severn Severn (HSM-77) "Sabrehawks" from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) with one MH-60R helicopter under the command of Lieutenant Commander Aric "Bull" Edmondson USN embarked on RFA Fort Victoria

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27 July 2012 Fort Victoria's adopted town - Barnsley's Sea Cadet Unit led by their Commanding Officer rang the bell donated by the ship to the town to mark the commencement of the Olympic Games in London

Olympic Bell Ringing 029

2 August 2012 Temporary Acting Captain (E) Mike New RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 August 2012 sailed Dubai to sea

19 August 2012 Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

24 September 2012 berthed at Dubai - and dry docked

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CSC 9389

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28 September 2012 In the Operational Honours List of this day Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to be an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) (OBE). Chief Officer S K Booth RFA and 1st Officer D K Vernoum RFA both awarded a Command Joint Operations (CJO) Commendation for OP Capri 2. 1st Officer A C Day RFA and Petty Officer F Strachan RFA both received a Fleet Commander's Commendation. Two of the UK embedded forces were also in receipt of awards Major Adam Whitmarsh, Royal Marines received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service and Lieutenant Alistair J Thompson, Royal Navy and Petty Officer (Reg) Carol Morton-Harrowsmith received a Commander Joint Operations (CJO) Commendation

FortVic Heli

RFA Fort Victoria's embedded helicopter

FortVic pilot Lt A J Thompson

RFA Fort Victoria's embedded pilot - Lieutenant Alistair J Thompsn, Royal Navy

29 November 2012 sailed from and later berthed at Dubai

3 December 2012 to 8 December 2012 off Dubai with sea trials

9 December 2012 to 10 December 2012 at Jebel Ali

11 December 2012 sailed from Jebel Ali for Djibouti

15 December 2012 to 19 December 2012 berthed at Djibouti

20 December 2012 to 27 December 2012 at sea supporting Coalition Navies (Kipion Ready Tanker)

27 December 2012 to 2 January 2013 berthed at Fujairah

3 January 2013 at sea supporting Coalition Navies (Kipion Ready Tanker)

17 January 2013 to 21 January 2013 berthed at Bahrain

22 January 2013 to 27 January 2013 at sea supporting Coalition Navies (Kipion Ready Tanker)

28 January 2013 berthed at Jebel Ali

29 January 2013 to 7 February 2013 at sea supporting Coalition Navies (Kipion Ready Tanker)

8 February 2013 to 28 February 2013 berthed at Al Hadd, Muharrag, Bahrain

28 February 2013 Captain Kevin D Rimell RFA assumed command

2 March 2013 at sea supporting Coalition Navies (Kipion Ready Tanker)

April 2013 became the seagoing headquarters of Rear Admiral Giam Hock Koon of the Republic of Singapore Navy and his command staff of Commbined Task Force CTF151 for three months

FortVic001

Captain Kevin D Rimmell RFA and Rear Admiral Giam Hock Koon

10 April 2013 RASed with USS Kearsarge

Fvic and USS Kearsarge

RFA Fort Victoria about to RAS with USS Kearsarge

26 May 2013 berthed alongside at Jebel Ali

Notes:

The Navy had a requirement for at least 4 of this Class of ship and had originally hoped to have 6 of them but Defence Budgets reduced the Class to just 2. FORT VICTORIA was built in 29 sections

RFA Fortol

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 140341

Class: SECOND 2000t BELGOL CLASS Tanker

Pennant No: X58 / X26 / A126

Laid down:
Builder: McMillan, Dumbarton
Launched: 21 May 1917
Into Service: 31 August 1917
Out of service: 1958
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: There were 10 ships in this Class, all Admiralty designed of which 5 were named after Allied countries while the other 5 were given names indicating power or speed, all with the OL suffix. 3 of them, RFA’s FRANCOL, MONTENOL and SERBOL had upright funnels with a single tall mast close by, while the remainder had a raking funnel and 2 raking masts. During WW2 the mainmast was removed from these.

25 February 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Ernest K Horsley RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 May 1917 Launched by A. Macmillan & Sons, Dumbarton as Yard Nr 467 named FORTOL

1 August 1917 Lieutenant John C Hawick RNR appointed in command

29 August 1917 Able Seaman Thomas Toole logged as deserting from the ship. He has signed on the ship on the 24 August 1917

12 September 1917 Fireman James Scharah and Pumpman William Stant both logged as deserting. Fireman Scharah had signed on on the 24 August 1917 and Pumpman Stant had signed on on the 26 August 1917

13 September 1917 Leading Fireman Thomas Kay and Leading Fireman Edward Styles both logged as deserting. Both had signed on on the 12 August 1917

14 September 1917 Signalman and Able Seaman C V Batchelor logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 15 August 1917

4 October 1917 Greaser James McKenna logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 14 September 1917

18 October 1917 Greaser Frank Holland logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 24 August 1917

3 November 1917 Bosun Charles Turbet logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 12 August 1917

11 November 1917 Greaser Thomas Coe logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 24 August 1917

31 January 1918 Able Seaman George Ellison logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on the ship on the 24 August 1917

2 February 1918 Fireman W Nash logged as deserting at Liverpool. He had signed on on the 12 November 1917

11 March 1918 Fireman Arthur Bright logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 10 February 1918.

12 April 1918 Fireman Jas Lyng logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 5 April 1918

23 August 1918 midstream in the River Mersey refuelling HMS ACHILLES alongside

25 October 1918 Able Seaman Ed Baldwin MMR 664763 logged as deserting while at Belfast. He had signed on on 5 February 1918

1 November 1918 anchored at Tail of the Bank. Moved alongside RFA Dredgol to load 256 tons of bunkers

4 November 1918 and 5 November 1918 moved from anchorage to alongside RFA Dredgol at Greenock to load 2,200 tons of cargo. On completion moved alongside the wharf at Rothsay Basin. Cast off and moved up the River Clyde to Old Kilpatrick oil wharf

6 November 1918 discharged 2,200 tons of cargo. Sailed to the anchorage at Tail of the Bank and secured alongside ss War Prophet to load cargo.

7 November 1918 completed loading 2,222 tons of FFO and cast off from ss War Prohet. Sailed up the Clyde to Old Kilpatrick oil wharf to discharge

8 November 1918 sailed down stream to anchor off Princes Pier

26 December 1918 at Old Kilpatrick oil wharf. Sailed down river to Tail of the Bank. ss War Rajput came alongside

27 December 1918 at Tail of the Bank with ss War Rajput alongside.

29 December 1918 at Tail of the Bank with ss War Prophet alongside. ss War Prophet cast off and ship moved up the Clyde to Old Kilpatrick oil wharf

30 December 1918 at Old Kilpatrick oil wharf

31 December 1918 alongside RFA Dredgol. Cast off at 11:50hrs sailed up the Clyde to Old Kilpatrick oil wharf

11 February 1919 Fireman Alfred Reed MMR 918492 logged as deserting. He had signed on on 7 December 1917

14 February 1919 3rd Officer J E J Holden RFA discharged dead. He died at Larbert Hospital, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He had signed on on the 26 February 1918

11 March 1919 berthed at Portsmouth

12 March 1919 sailed Portsmouth to sea

4 April 1919 sailed Sheerness

15 April 1919 Engineer Sub Lieutenant Frederick P Atkins RNR appeared before a court martial charged with (a) drunk on board ship and (b) Act to the prejudice of good order and naval discipline in drinking intoxicating liquors to such excess as to produce illness, by which he was unfitted for this discharge of his duty. The charges were adjudged to be not proved and he was acquitted.

24 April 1919 Greaser James Mahoney logged as deserting. He had signed on on the 27 February 1919

21 June 1919 at Scapa Flow

1 November 1919 Able Seaman J W Mould MMR 1011631, Fireman D Mind MMR 1008152 and Fireman C E Rigby MMR 1008155 all logged as deserting while at Invergordon. Each had signed on on 23 August 1919

22 November 1919 Assistant Steward H Riley MMR 996773 logged as deserting while at Grangemouth. He had signed on on 23 August 1919

On an unknown date Ordinary Seaman William Bolton was logged as deserting. He was arrested and sent to Chatham Detention Quarters. He had signed on on 24 August 1917.

On an unknown date Fireman David McCulloch was logged as deserting. He had signed on on 24 September 1917

2 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS Torbay alongside to be refuelled - 115 tons FFO supplied. FS L'Auere alongside to be refuelled - 75 tons FFO supplied. Fresh and salt water pipes burst on the fore well deck

4 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS Serene alongside to be refuelled - 50 tons FFO supplied

9 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - moved alongside HMS Caledon and refuelled her - 210 tons of FFO supplied. Then moved to anchorage where HMS's Torquoise and Sturdy came alonside to be refuelled. A total of 282 tons of FFO supplied to these two ships

10 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - FS Meuse alongside to be refuelled - 67 tons FFO supplied

12 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS Tenedos alongside to be refuelled - 112 tons FFO supplied

18 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS's Tenedos and Tyrian alongside to be refuelled - 159 tons FFO supplied

19 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS Torquoise alongside for naval stores and 50 gallons of parafin

21 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - FS's Meurse and L'Anere alongside to be refuelled - a total of 130 tons FFO supplied

22 February 1920 at the outer harbour, Libau, in the Baltic while acting as the base oiler - HMS Tourmaline alongside to be refuelled - 109 tons of FFO supplied

31 May 1920 berthed at Portsmouth

26 June 1920 Mr William D Hewitt RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 July 1920 berthed at Portsmouth sailing the same day to sea

8 September 1920 at Acapulco transfered 223 tons of FFO from the ships cargo to her bunkers

9 September 1920 at Acapulco moored alongside HMS Renown while she was at anchor to refuel her - supplied 1,876 tons of FFO. Whilst alongside HMS Renown with a heavy ground swell two timber floats which were used as fenders on Renown were damaged. Fortol suffered damage also with several plates, rivets and frames distorted inside the buoyance tank on the starboard side, in No 5 tank and in the starboad bunker tank.

16 September 1920 transitted the Panama Canal from Balboa to Cristobal

18 September 1920 alongside the Oil Wharf at Colon and loaded 100 tons of FFO for bunkers. Sailed for Trinidad

29 September 1920 at Trinidad - oil barge alongside loaded 70 tons of FFO for bunkers

29 October 1920 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

8 December 1920 at Portsmouth alongside HMS Malaya (battleship) to refuel her

18 December 1920 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

23 December 1920 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

3 January 1921 sailed Portsmouth Harbour returning the same day

21 January 1921 sailed Portsmouth Harbour

2 June 1921 at Rathmullen, Co Donegal, Ireland Leading Fireman Ernest Atkinson Turner discharged dead having been accidentally drowned

15 August 1921 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

14 October 1921 sailed Portsmouth Harbour

11 November 1921 at the RN Hospital Chatham 2nd Steward William John Thomas discharged dead - natural causes

1 April 1922 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

2 April 1922 sailed Portsmouth Harbour

14 July 1922 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour, sailing from the same later the same day

15 January 1923 RFA War Krishna arrived at Plymouth in tow of RFA Fortol

24 November 1923 0300 at Devonport alongside HMS Hood - Battle Cruiser - supplied 3,465 tons of FFO

16 January 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

17 January 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

18 January 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour and sailed again later the same day

26 January 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

29 January 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

16 April 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

18 April 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

25 April 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

28 April 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

8 May 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

9 May 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

23 May 1924 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

26 May 1924 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

10 July 1924 Captain Frank J Delamotte RFA appointed as Master

13 December 1924 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 May 1925 Captain Stanley G Kent RFA appointed as Master

1 January 1927 Captain Charles L Cutsforth RD RFA appointed as Master

Charles L Cutsforth

Captain Charles L Cutsforth RD RFA

29 January 1927 to 4 February 1927 alongside the oil wharf in HM Dockyard, Singapore

In April 1927 RFA Fortol was operating with HMS Mantis on the Yangtze River, China when they came under deliberate rifle fire when proceeding below Nanking. HMS Mantis returned fire with machine guns. There were no casualties among the crew

1 June 1927 Captain W R Green RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1927 Mr R Blacklock RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 October 1929 alongside the oil wharf in HM Dockyard, Singapore

10 December 1929 Captain John W Pegden RFA appointed as Master

19 December 1929 Mr J A Macintosh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 January 1930 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

28 February 1930 involved in a collision in the Bay of Gibraltar with the White Star liner Calgaric. Both ships suffered some damage.

3 March 1930 following the collision of the 28 February 1930 (see above) an enquiry was held in HM Dockyard Gibraltar. Pending the result of the enquiry the Chief Officer of the Fortol Chief Officer T G Bennett RFA, took command temporarily. The ships Master - Captain John W Pegden RFA returned to England

4 March 1930 Captain Cecil R Rosen RFA appointed as Master

15 March 1930 arrived at Gibraltar in ballast from Palma

9 December 1930 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

18 December 1930 Captain John B Hurst RFA appointed as Master

John B Hurst

Captain John B Hurst RFA

7 October 1930 Mr James Paton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 January 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

17 January 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

27 January 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

3 February 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

6 February 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

13 February 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

17 February 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

24 February 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

28 February 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

11 March 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

8 April 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

2 May 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour and sailed to sea the next day

11 May 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

8 September 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

3 October 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

14 October 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

18 December 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

21 December 1931 in reserve at Rosyth for next four years

1935 converted into a white oil carrier for service in the Gulf of Suez / Aden areas and then resumed black oil duties when RFA GREEN RANGER was commissioned

16 October 1935 Captain John P Tugwood DSC RD RFA appointed as Master

Captain TUGWOOD JOHN PERCIVAL

Captain John P Tugwood DSC RD RFA

27 November 1935 re-entered service

1 February 1936 has paravanes fitted and the Admiralty wrote to the Grangemouth Dock Company who under took the work

2 August 1936 arrived Gibraltar from Suez to discharge her cargo

letter2

Courtesy Falkirk Council Archives

26 January 1937 RFA Fortol was in dry dock at Devonport when fire broke out under the vessel. Fire extinguished. No casualties or damage.

1 April 1938 again re-entered service

20 April 1939 Mr T McGregor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 May 1939 Captain Thomas Elder RFA appointed as Master

3 September 1939 in reserve at Devonport at outbreak of WW2

13 March 1940 at Colombo, Ceylon

14 to 21 July 1940 in port at Mauritius

22 July 1941 Mr Frederick O Brims RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer to 26 July 1943

Frederick_O_Brims

Chief Engineer Officer Frederick O Brims RFA taken earlier in his sea going career

20 December 1941 Captain Herbert Walker Flint RFA appointed as Master

8 April 1942 sailed Freetown in convoy ST 19 arriving Takoradi on 13 April 1942

25 July 1942 under going repairs at Cape Town. Completed 2 August 1942

20 August 1942 at St. Helena HMS Catterick came alongside to refuel in the lee of the Island

21 August 1942 at St. Helena HMS Petard came alongside to refuel in the lee of the Island

26 August 1942 in the South Atlantic ss Beechwood was sunk by U130 - the Master was taken by the U-Boat. Thrity six members of the crew, five gunners and one stowaway were rescued by RFA Fortol and landed at Freetown.

25 September 1942 after trials she was ordered to proceed to Freetown via Ascension Island

22 March 1943 berthed at St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands and off loaded 1,216 tons of FFO

24 March 1943 sailed as escort oiler in convoy OS45 from Liverpool to Freetown arriving on the 14 April 1943

20 April 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL 128 to Dakar arriving 30 April 1943

6 June 1943 on passage from Gibraltar to Freetown in Convoy RG 8

13 June 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL131 and r/v with convoy MKS15 to arrive Gibraltar 26 June 1943

17 June 1943 Mr J Hall RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 June 1943 arrived Gibraltar

29 June 1943 under going repairs at Gibraltar. Completed 30 June 1943 (?)

25 September 1943 acted as Escort oiler on convoy MKS 25 from Gibraltar to Liverpool.

29 November 1943 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master

30 December 1943 under going repairs on the Clyde which were completed on 9 January 1944

18 April 1944 sailed from Reykjavik, Iceland in convoy RU 116 to Loch Ewe arriving on the 23 April 1944

31 May 1944 at Milford Haven with USS Susan B Anthony alongside to refuel

7 May 1945 sailed from Scapa Flow with HMS Queen (Flagship) plus nine other RN ships to the Skaggerak to accept the surrender of the German Fleet on the 8 May 1945 (VE Day) - Operation Cleaver

12 July 1945 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

14 September 1945 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour returning to her berth the next day

22 September 1945 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

16 November 1945 Mr James E Hawthorn RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 January 1946 Captain Francis J King RFA appointed as Master

22 December 1946 entered and berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

30 January 1947 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA appointed as Master

4 February 1947 Mr James Paton OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 August 1947 at Rosyth Able Seaman Joseph Smith discharged dead by accidential drowning

14 November 1947 Captain Cyril F Cunningham RFA appointed as Master

22 November 1947 Mr George G Stenhouse RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 April 1949 Donkeyman Greaser George Abbotts discharged dead at Port Edgar

17 January 1950 laid up at Devonport

June 1958 sold to the British Iron and Steel Corporation for scrap

27 June 1958 sailed Devonport in tow of the British tug MERCHANTMAN after handover to the breakers

6 August 1958 arrived for breaking up at Rosyth by Shipbreaking Industries Ltd..

RFA Francol

francol

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 140441

Class: SECOND 2000t BELGOL CLASS Tanker

Pennant No: X67 / X 27

Laid down:
Builder: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull
Launched: 18 October 1917

Into Service: 18 December 1917
Out of service: 4 March 1942
Fate: Sunk by Japanese armed forces

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

26 July 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Frederick C Pavitt RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 October 1917 launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull as Yard Nr 624 named FRANCOL

9 November 1917 Lieutenant William T Williams RNR appointed in command

18 December 1917 completed

23 April 1918 Fireman Robert Bateson MMR 384716 logged as a deserter. He had signed on the ship on 5 December 1917. He was arrested on 27 April 1918.

24 April 1918 Able Seaman Thomas Cousins MMR 82035, Greaser Jno Jones, Fireman Thomas McArdle MMR 865981 and Greaser J Jones logged as deserting the ship. Able Seaman Cousins and Greaser Jno Jones both signed on on 23 November 1917. Fireman McArdle signed on on 9 January 1918. Greaser Jones signed on on 1 April 1918.

9 June 1918 Able Seaman Beu Sweeten MMR 927290 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917.

10 June 1918 Greaser Jas Graham MMR 943636 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917

21 June 1918 Pumpman John Thomas MMR 842984 and Greaser Hy Granite MMR 896460 both logged as deserting the ship. Both had signed on on the 23 November 1917

28 June 1918 Ordinary Seaman Robert Pasher MMR 927204 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 5 December 1917.

9 September 1918 Ordinary Seaman K Liversay logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 1 July 1918

12 September 1918 Stoker A Sykes MMR 957505 logged as a deserter. He had signed on on the 1 July 1918

18 January 1919 sailed Portsmouth to sea

5 June 1919 Greaser Thomas Hinch MMR 969349 logged as an absentee

28 July 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her with petrol and oil in drums

18 August 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her

3 September 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her. RFA Turmoil (1) alongside at the same time

19 September 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her 440 tons FFO

9 October 1919 arrived at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea

18 October 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her 295 tons FFO

1 November 1919 Captain William T Williams RFA appointed as Master under a Board of Trade Agreement - previously had been in command as Lieutenant RNR since 9 November 1917. Discharged on 25 January 1920

5 November 1919 at Biorko Sound, Baltic Sea alongside HMS EREBUS refuelling her 275 tons FFO

15 November 1919 at Riga, Latvia alongside HMS DRAGON to refuel her

23 November 1919 at Riga, Latvia alongside HMS DRAGON to refuel her

24 November 1919 at Riga, Latvia RFA Celerol arrived and came alongside Francol. Both then sailed

1 December 1919 Able Seaman Andrew Horgan MMR 1012510 logged as an absentee in Copenhagen.

6 December 1919 Greaser Victor Bardot MMR 878865 and Fireman H McCann MMR 974452 both logged as deserting. Greaser Bardot had signed on on 9 August 1919 and Firemnan McCann had signed on on 14 September 1919

27 December 1919 Able Seaman James William Campbell, Able Seaman Patrick Trehayne, aged 27, Greaser Charles Sheehan MMR 713819, aged 31 all discharged dead. AB Trehayne and Greser Sheehan are both buried in Pembroke Dock (Llanion) Cemetery. AB Campbell is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Ordinary Seaman John Tyler MMR 883964 discharged dead. He is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. AB Trehayne, AB Campbell, Greaser Sheehan and OS Tyler were all accidentally drowned in Pembroke Dock. Greaser Sheehan's body was recovered on 6 March 1920

26 January 1920 Captain Richard Narramore Smardon RFA appointed as Master

26 January 1920 2nd Cook Tam Yow discharged dead. He had signed on on 23 January 1920

28 January 1920 Mr R McWhannel RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 March 1920 arrived at Aden with HM Submarines L2, L8, L19, L20, L22 and L33

21 March 1920 at Colombo, Ceylon alongside HMS CAROLINE refuelling her

14 April 1920 arrived at Hong Kong

20 May 1920 at Kobe, Japan alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

25 May 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS CAIRO to refuel her

27 May 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS CARLISLE to refuel her - 278 tons of FFO supplied

1 June 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

8 June 1920 off Wei-hair-Wei target towing for HMS HAWKINS sub calibre shoot

10 June 1920 off Wei-hair-Wei target towing for HMS HAWKINS sub calibre shoot also as a torpedo target for the same ship

6 July 1920 at Wei-hair-Wei target alongside HMS HAWKINS and later alongside HMS AMBROSE

7 July 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS's CAIRO, CARLISLE and HAWKINS to refuel each. Supplied 700 tons of FFO to HMS HAWKINS and 410 tons to HMS CARLISLE

9 July 1920 off Wei-hai-Wei towing target for full calibre practice by HMS CAIRO

22 July 1920 sailed Wei-hai-Wei

30 July 1920 off Wei-hai-Wei towing target for full calibre practice by HMS CAIRO and HMS HAWKINS

12 August 1920 at Wei-hai-Wei secured alongside HMS CAIRO to refuel her

2 November 1920 at Shanghai secured alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

11 December 1920 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master. Previously Master of RFA Trefoil

25 December 1920 arrived at Hong Kong

24 January 1921 conducted OAS experiments with the cruiser HMS CAIRO off Hong Kong transferring 143 tons of FFO

31 January 1921 at Hong Kong sailed towing target for full calibre practice by HMS's CAIRO and CARLISLE

2 February 1921 at Hong Kong secured alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

16 April 1921 at Hong Kong RFA Kharki secured alongside

12 May 1921 sailed from Wei-hai-Wei with BP target in tow with HMS HAWKINS and HM Submarines L3 and L9. Returned to Wei-hai-Wei four hours later still towing the target

17 May 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her but the swell prevented this occuring and Francol cast off

18 May 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

20 May 1921 off Wei-hair-Wei towed target for HMS HAWKINS to carry out full calibre shoot

30 May 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei with work party onboard from HMS AMBROSE. Then sailed towing BP target. Returned and anchored at 16:00hrs the same day

17 June 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei with work party onboard from HMS AMBROSE

20 June 1921 Captain Edward Gatley RFA appointed as Master. Previously Master of RFA Kharki

25 June 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

27 June 1921 sailed Wei-hai-Wei

6 July 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei with HMS/m L1 berthed alongside

9 July 1921 off Wei-hair-Wei towed target for HMS HAWKINS to carry out full calibre shoot

23 July 1921 at Shanghai, China 2nd Engineer Officer James William Campbell discharged dead. His death certificate gives the cause of death as 'General Paralysis of the Insane'

13 August 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

14 September 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

21 September 1921 2nd Engineer J W Campbell RFA discharged dead. He had signed on on 26 January 1920

22 September 1921 off Wei-hair-Wei towed BP target for HMS HAWKINS to carry out full calibre shoot

30 September 1921 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

1 October 1921 sailed Wei-hai-Wei

17 October 1921 at Masampo challenged by HMS HAWKINS

20 October 1921 at Masampo alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

30 December 1921 at Hong Kong alongside HMS HAWKINS to refuel her

5 January 1922 Captain John P Tugwood DSC RD RFA appointed as Master

Captain TUGWOOD JOHN PERCIVAL

Captain John P Tugwood DSC RD RFA

9 January 1922 at Hong Kong with HMS TARANTULA moored alongside to be refuelled

19 February 1922 berthed at Singapore. Sailed 23 February 1922 for Rangoon

15 March 1922 off Hong Kong towed target for HMS Durban to carry out full calibre shoot

14 June 1922 arrived at Wei-hai-Wei

4 July 1922 and 5 July 1922 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins to carry out full calibre shoot

15 August 1922 alongside HMS Durban to refuel her at Hong Kong

27 September 1922 and 28 September 1922 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins and other ships in the Cruiser Squadron to carry out full calibre shoot

11 October 1922 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her

25 January 1923 off Hong Kong towing target for HMS Diomede for full calibre shoot

13 March 1923 at Hong Kong target party from HMS Diomede boarded

29 March 1923 at Yokohama, Japan alongside HMS Diomede to refuel her

20 April 1923 arrived Wei-Hai-Wei

24 April 1923 sailed Wei-Hai-Wei towing target for sub-calibre shoot by HMS Diomede. Returned to Wei-Hai-Wei

26 April 1923 sailed Wei-Hai-Wei towing target for sub-calibre shoot by HMS Diomede. Returned to Wei-Hai-Wei

27 April 1923 HMS Despatch transfered S A Ammunition to RFA Francol at Wei-Hai-Wei

2 May 1923 alongside HMS Diomede and HMS Despatch to refuel them at Wei-Hai-Wei

5 May 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Durban to refuel her and the sailed to Hong Kong

20 June 1923 sailed Hong Kong

24 June 1923 arrived Wei-Hai-Wei

2 August 1923 Mr David E Morgan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

CEO David E Morgan

Chief Engineer Officer Daivid E Morgan RFA

15 August 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Durban to refuel her

18 August 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her

21 August 1923 off Wei-hai-Wei towed target for HMS Hawkins to carry out full calibre shoot

14 September 1923 at Yohohama, Japan alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her

27 September 1923 at Yokohama, Japan alongside HMS Durban to refuel her

6 June 1924 Captain Stanley B Spillett RFA appointed as Master

20 June 1924 at Royal Naval Hospital Wei-Hai-Wei Captain Edward Gatley RFA discharged dead from malaria

1925 had the lower portion of her forehold fitted out as a temporary magazine

22 April 1925 Chief Engineer Officer David E Morgan RFA married Miss E M Smith, Sister in the Government Civil Hospital which took place at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wanchi, Hong Kong

4 June 1925 Mr Edward B Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

E_B_Morton

Chief Engineer Officer Edward B Morton RFA

19 October 1927 Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA appointed as Master

Donald_R_McCutchan2

Captain Donald R McCutchan RFA

10 May 1928 Captain Frederick J Connolly RFA appointed as Master

Cap Frederick J CONNOLLY

Captain Frederick J Connolly RFA

12 March 1929 Captain Frederick J Connolly RFA discharged dead at Hong Kong - buried at the Protestant Cemetery, Hong Kong on 14 March 1929 with mourners from the RFA's Francol, Kharki, Fortol and officers from the Naval Stores Department from HM Dockyard.

F J Connolly

The grave of Captain Frederick J Connolly RFA in Hong Kong

9 May 1931 Captain Nathan Colbridge RFA appointed as Master and Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Captain Nathan Colbridge

Captain Nathan Colbridge RFA

4 February 1932 Captain Cecil R Rosen RFA appointed as Master

13 February 1934 Mr William W Ridgway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 March 1935 Captain I Evans RFA appointed as Master

December 1937 Captain C J Leach RFA appointed as Master

12 January 1938 Captain A Spencer RFA appointed as Master

7 January 1939 Captain Frederick G Drake RFA appointed as Master

3 September 1939 at Hong Kong on the outbreak of WW2

17 December 1939 in collision with HMS Birmingham while refuelling her. The Birmingham had to have her bow repaired and a propeller replaced in Hong Kong

12 November 1940 Seaman Gunner Basil Schofield appeared before the Marine Court, Hong Kong charged with being absent from the Francol since since 30 October 1940. He pleaded Guilty and was sentenced to be returned to the ship

July 1941 Captain John H Burman RFA appointed as Master

11 December 1941 refueled USS Alden DD211 at Singapore

January 1942 served as the Eastern Fleet Oiler along with RFA RUTHENIA at Singapore

25 February 1942 the cargo from the damaged RFA WAR SIRDAR was transferred to her

27 February 1942 sailed Tanjong Priok in the Dutch East Indies, along with RFA WAR SIRDAR in convoy with the Depot Ship HMS ANKING, carrying a full load of Australian troops, the minesweeper MMS.51 and escorted by the Australian sloop HMAS YARRA and the Indian sloop HMIS JUMNA

2 March 1942 sailed Tjilatjap with escorts

3 March 1942 while on passage to Fremantle, in position 11.00 S 109.00 E near Tjilatjap, 300 miles south of Java, the above convoy was attacked by the Japanese heavy cruisers ATAGO, TAKAO and MAYA together with the destroyers ARASHI and HOWAKI and in the ensuing battle, which lasted only 90 minutes, all 4 ships were sunk. There were only 13 survivors from FRANCOL all of whom became PoW’s. Those lost are remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, the Hong Kong Memorial and the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Francol_memorial

Those named on the Tower Hill Memorial, London

RFA Freshbrook

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168273

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X107 / A213

Laid down: 19 June 1941
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham

Launched: 5 November 1941
Into Service: 17 April 1942

Out of service: 2 January 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA

Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: There were 14 vessels in this Class, designed by H.M. Dockyard, Devonport to the order of the RFA. The design was based on that of the earlier BLOSSOM and FOUNTAIN CLASSES but with an additional salvage and fire-fighting capability. They were originally operated by the Director of Victualling and were maintained at RN bases in the U.K. and Mediterranean where they were employed principally in replenishing warships’ freshwater supplies and also, from time to time, in fire fighting and salvage work. A total of 236 tons of fresh water could be carried in 6 tanks. Most of them saw only limited service under the RFA ensign, manned by RFA crews working under Board of Trade (Home Trade) Agreements, before being transferred to the control of the Captains of the Dockyards on Yard Craft Agreements. In 1959 they were brought under the authority of the newly-formed Port Auxiliary Service which in turn became the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. Originally all coal-fired, 4 of the Class were converted to oil-burning in 1961

5 November 1941 Launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 868 named FRESHBROOK for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

12 March 1942 Mr W Leishman appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 March 1942 Captain E Owen appointed as Master

17 April 1942 completed at a cost of £29,330 and taken over by the RFA

24 April 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN274 arriving at Methil on 26 April 1942

28 May 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy UR26 under tow of tug Empire Larch to Reykjavik arriving on 2 June 1942

7 October 1942 Admiralty war diary for this day reports that when coming alongside vessel Drangley which was at anchor the Freshbrook damaged the vessel's starboard side 2 feet above the deck.

16 March 1943 Mr F Colyer appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 March 1943 at Hvaljordur, Iceland outboard of RFA Belgol which was moored alongside USS Vulcan. Belgol refuelling the US warship and Freshbrook supplying her with fresh water

24 January 1944 Captain A Campbell appointed as Master

17 September 1944 at Reykjavik, Iceland alongside USCGC Algonquin supplying fresh water

2 January 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Victualling

20 January 1949 at H.M. Dockyard, Sheerness alongside HMS CROSSBOW supplying fresh water

24 August 1951 at H.M. Dockyard, Sheerness alongside HMS MANXMAN supplying fresh water

10 January 1963 offered for sale in the Times of this day "as lying" at H.M. Dockyard, Chatham

March 1963 purchased by Park Stanton & Co Ltd, London name unchanged

21 October 1963 arrived in the New Waterway in tow of the British tug KESTREL for demolition by Dutch breakers

RFA Freshburn

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 169811

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X60

Laid down: 7 July 1943

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham

Launched: 29 October 1943
Into Service: 1 April 1944

Out of service: 5 November 1945 Ceased to be classed as an RFA
Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

29 October 1943 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 874 named FRESHBURN for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

February 1944 Captain T E Roberts appointed as Master

23 February 1944 Mr J Greenfield appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 April 1944 completed and taken over by the RFA

31 July 1944 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth alongside USS Bannock and supplied 2,688 gallons of fresh water to her

1945 to 1974 based at Devonport

5 November 1945 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Victualling

1974 to 1979 based at Chatham

March 1982 on the Disposal List at Chatham; sold to Davies & Newman Ltd, London

11 April 1982 left Chatham having been sold to Dutch breakers Rijsdijk-boss at Hendrik-ido-Ambacht for £6,125 and was subsequently broken up in Holland

RFA Freshener

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168298

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X109

Laid down: 6 November 1941
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham

Launched: 16 March 1942
Into Service: 22 July 1942
Out of service: 1971
Fate: Stricken

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

22 February 1942 Original launch date was delayed due to floating ice in Lytham Creek. Taken over from the Admiralty (Director of Stores) by the RFA

16 March 1942 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 869 named FRESHENER

22 July 1942 completed at a cost of £29,333

6 March 1943 Captain Percy A Barfoot appointed as Master

Captain Percy Barfoot

Captain Percy A Barfoot RFA

1943 - 1947 based at Kirwall and at Scapa Flow

7 March 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1950 to 1960 based at Gibraltar

1961 was converted to oil fuel burning

1963 based at Gibraltar

1971 on the Disposal List. Fate unknown but reported sunk as a target

RFA Freshet

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168228

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X102

Laid down: 26 March 1940

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 6 July 1940

Into Service: 10 December 1940
Out of service: 9 November 1945
Fate: Sold out of service

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

6 July 1940 Launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 863 named FRESHET for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

10 December 1940 completed at a cost of £24,162 and was taken over by the RFA

17 December 1940 sailed Fleetwood for Greenock

1941 to 1942 based at Londonderry

5 October 1941 Captain D Cook appointed as Master

19 November 1941 Mr H Newton appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 December 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in Convoy UR 4 in tow of HM tug FRISKY

2 January 1942 arrived at Reykjavik in convoy UR4

23 April 1942 at Hvalfjordur, Iceland made fast alongside USS Melville supplying her with fresh water

1943 to 1944 based Iceland

7 July 1943 Mr J Bethune appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 October 1943 Captain H T Sawyer appointed as Master

14 January 1944 Mr T H Brewster appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1945 to 1946 based at Plymouth

9 November 1945 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1946 based at Portsmouth where she replaced the earlier water boats EMPIRE BILLOW and PELTER

1961 converted to oil fuel burning

4 January 1963 offered for sale 'as lying' in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth in The Times of this day

1971 on the Disposal List. Fate unknown but reported sunk as a target

RFA Freshford

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 169906

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X63

Laid down: November 1943

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham
Launched: 23 March 1944
Into Service: 18 July 1944
Out of service: 16 August 1967
Fate: Broken Up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

23 March 1944 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 875 named FRESHFORD for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

18 July 1944 completed and was taken over by the RFA

1945 to 1946 based at Scapa Flow

17 January 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1946 to 1967 based at Portsmouth

13 December 1960 at Portsmouth Harbour alongside HMS KEPPEL supplying water

May 1967 on the Disposal List at Portsmouth

14 June 1967 offered for sale 'as lying' at H. M. Dockyard, Portsmouth of this day

16 August 1967 sold and broken up at Antwerp (Jos de Smedt)

RFA Freshlake

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168333

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X120

Laid down: 18 March 1942
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham

Launched: 15 July 1942
Into Service: 14 November 1942
Fate: Broken Up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

15 July 1942 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 870 named FRESHLAKE for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

19 October 1942 Captain W G Aubert appointed as Master

14 November 1942 completed at a cost of £29,333 and was taken over by the RFA

9 January 1943 Mr J B Hatcher appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 June 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN238 arriving at Loch Ewe two days later

8 August 1944 sailed Reykjavik in convoy RU130 arriving at Loch Ewe 12 August 1944

1944 to 1945 based at Iceland

1945 based at Scapa Flow

1945 to 1960 based at Devonport

22 February 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

7 February 1953 Assisted RFA Rippledyke and from the 17 February 1953 RFA Eddycliff in the supply of water to the area around Sheerness, Kent after serious flooding

1963 to 1979 based at Chatham and on the Clyde

1979 on the Disposal List at Chatham

18 December 1979 purchased by Gerassinos Phetouris, Piraeus for further service but …

9 August 1980 reported to be lying at the Queensborough Yard of Liguria Maritime Ltd for demolition

August 1980 Broken Up

Notes:

Was used in a film about the German invasion of the Channel Islands in which she appeared as a refugee boat

RFA Freshmere

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168407

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X117

Laid down: 16 July 1942
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 23 November 1942

Into Service: 22 March 1943

Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

23 November 1942 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 871 named FRESHMERE for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

11 March 1943 Captain E Herliby appointed as Master

22 March 1943 completed and was taken over by the RFA

16 August 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

21 August 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

23 August 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

13 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

16 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

18 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON supplying her with fresh water

1944 based at Scapa Flow

11 June 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1950 to 1960 based at Greenock

16 June 1961 at Rothesay alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supplying fresh water

17 June 1961 at Rothesay alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supplying fresh water

19 June 1961 at Rothesay alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supplying fresh water

21 June 1961 at Tail of Bank alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supplying fresh water at the same time as RFA Rowanol was alongside refuelling her

23 June 1961 at Rothesay alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supplying fresh water

1963 based at Rosyth where she replaced the earlier water boat FOUNTAIN

1964 to 1970 based on the Clyde

11 February 1967 in collision with HMS Gurkha in harbour (Portland?)

1970 to 1975 based at Rosyth where she was replaced by RMAS WATERCOURSE in 1974

1975 laid up in Kirkcaldy Harbour, Fife and offered for sale

December 1975 Purchased by J.T. Leavesley for breaking up

1976 Broken up

RFA Freshpond

Previous name:
Subsequent name: Dunkmous

Official Number: 180790

Class:

Pennant No: X76

Laid down:
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 28 August 1945
Into Service: 22 December 1945
Out of service: 1977
Fate: Sold out of service

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

28 August 1945 Launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 878 named FRESHPOND for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

22 December 1945 completed and was taken over by the RFA

16 September 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1954 to 1977 based at Plymouth

21 April 1959 at Devonport alongside HMS Centaur loading fresh water into her. When she slipped she caused slight damage to Centaur - no damage to Freshpond

21 January 1966 In collision with the frigate HMS RELENTLESS at Devonport

July 1977 sold for further service in Panama and was renamed DUNKMOUS.

RFA Freshpool

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 168463

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X99

Laid down: 26 November 1942

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 11 March 1943
Into Service: 3 July 1943
Out of service:
Fate: Sunk

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

11 March 1943 Launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 872 named FRESHPOOL for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

26 June 1943 Mr C Forbes appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 July 1943 completed and was taken over by the RFA

4 January 1944 Captain D Cook appointed as Master

5 May 1944 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

10 December 1944 sailed Southend in convoy TBC3 to Milford Haven arriving 13 December 1944

30 May 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Fuelling

1950 to 1971 based at Greenock

14 June 1955 used to test and commission a new slipway at Stornaway

14 January 1957 in refit at James Watt Dock, Greenock

August 1968 In collision with the British tug THUNDERER on the River Clyde after suffering a steering gear failure

1971 to 1975 based at Portland as a target

1975 sunk as a target off Portland

RFA Freshtarn

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number: 169994

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X47

Laid down: March 1944

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 22 August 1944
Into Service: 22 December 1944
Out of service:
Fate: 1969 sold

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

28 August 1944 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 876 named FRESHTARN for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

22 December 1944 completed and was taken over by the RFA

1945 to 1946 based at Scapa Flow

13 March 1946 Ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Victualling

1946 to 1948 based at Rosyth

20 August 1947 Donkeyman John Pimley discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

1950 to 1969 based at Portsmouth

9 December 1960 at Portsmouth alongside HMS BLACKWOOD supply fresh water

June 1967 on the Disposal List at Portsmouth.

12 July 1967 offered for sale 'as lying' at H M Dockyard, Portsmouth in the Times of this day

1969 sold

RFA Freshwater

No Image

Currently

Available

Previous name:
Subsequent name: Porto Grande

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: A 349

Laid down: 29 November 1939
Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 23 March 1940
Into Service: 10 September 1940

Out of service: 1946
Fate: 1968 sold out of service

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

23 March 1940 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 862 named FRESHWATER for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

10 September 1940 completed at a cost of £24,162 and was taken over by the RFA

11 September 1940 sailed sailed Fleetwood for Chatham

10 September 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FBC78 to Weymouth Bay arriving the next day

1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Victualling

1946 based at Chatham

29 January 1949 at Sheerness alongside HMS SUPERB supplying fresh water

1950 to 1960 based at Sheerness

17 March 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM

21 March 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM

28 March 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM - supplied 26 tons of water

24 April 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM - supplied 20 tons of water

29 April 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM - supplied 30 tons of water

6 May 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM - supplied 20 tons of water

8 May 1952 at Stangate Creek, Sheerness alongside HMS PLYM - supplied 14 tons of water

15 June 1953 took part in the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with 7 other RFA’s

27 April 1959 at Devonport alongside HMS CENTAUR supplying water

1961 converted to oil fuel burning

1963 to 1967 based at Gibraltar

May 1967 on the Disposal List at Gibraltar

14 June 1967 offered for sale 'as lying' at H M Dockyard, Gibraltar in the Times of this day

1968 purchased by Ferro & Cia Ltda, St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands and renamed PORTO GRANDE

2010 still in commercial service as the Porto Grande at Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands

RFA Freshwell

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Class: FRESH CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No: X121

Laid down: 18 March 1943

Builder: Lytham Shipbuilding, Lytham
Launched: 2 July 1943

Into Service: 30 October 1943
Out of service: 29 January 1968
Fate: Sold and broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: There were 14 vessels in this Class, designed by H.M. Dockyard, Devonport to the order of the RFA. The design was based on that of the earlier BLOSSOM and FOUNTAIN CLASSES but with an additional salvage and fire-fighting capability. They were originally operated by the Director of Victualling and were maintained at RN bases in the U.K. and Mediterranean where they were employed principally in replenishing warships’ freshwater supplies and also, from time to time, in fire fighting and salvage work. A total of 236 tons of fresh water could be carried in 6 tanks. Most of them saw only limited service under the RFA ensign, manned by RFA crews working under Board of Trade (Home Trade) Agreements, before being transferred to the control of the Captains of the Dockyards on Yard Craft Agreements. In 1959 they were brought under the authority of the newly-formed Port Auxiliary Service which in turn became the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. Originally all coal-fired, 4 of the Class were converted to oil-burning in 1961

2 July 1943 launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Lytham as Yard Nr 873 named FRESHWELL for the Admiralty (Director of Stores)

23 October 1943 Captain P Guy MBE appointed as Master

30 October 1943 completed and was taken over by the RFA

1944 - 1945 based at Scapa Flow

16 February 1944 Mr W Thomas appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1945 - 1946 based at Rosyth

1 February 1946 ceased to be classed as an RFA and was taken over by the Director of Victualling

1946 based at Gosport

1953 - 1967 based at Portland. Alternated with RMAS FRESHTARN from Portsmouth. Replaced the earlier water boats EMPIRE BARNABY and EMPIRE FULHAM and was in turn replaced by RMAS WATERSIDE and RMAS WATERMAN

14 December 1964 was alledged to have caused damage to ss CONDOVISITY at Portsmouth

November 1967 on the Disposal List at Pembroke Dock

25 November 1967 offered for sale in the Times of this day 'As lying' at Pembroke Dock by the Ministry of Transport

29 January 1968 sold and broken up at Passage West - Haubowline Industries

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