RFA Kharki

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                                                                          

Class:

Pennant No:                   P95, X31, X34

Laid down:
Builder:                           Irvine Shipbuilding & Engineering Company

Launched:                      22 December 1899
Into Service:                   20 March 1900 as a collier
Out of service:                26 July 1931
Fate:                                26 July 1931 sold to Chinese firm for use as a dry cargo carrier on the West River

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

7 August 1905 subject to the question of whether the ship was liable for the payment of pilotage dues being an Admiralty vessel in the case of Symons v Baker heard in the High Court of Justice, Kings Bench Division before the Lord Chief Justice, Mr Justice Lawrence and Mr Justice Ridley - reported in the Times of this day.

1906/7 converted to tanker. Early years based at Portland

10 November 1910 Leading Stoker Edwin Hawkins discharged dead. He is buried in Portland Naval Cemetery

16 November 1914 Able Seaman George Philip Picot discharged dead. He is buried in Osmondwall Cemetery, Orkney in the old ground between the gates

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

3 May 1915 Lieutenant John R Gorrie RNR appointed in Command

4 August 1915 Engineer Joseph S Harrison RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 September 1915 took on charge a J B Dent Chronometer No 9268 which had been purchased by the Admiralty in April 1895. Off charge on 28 May 1917 at Malta

28 February 1916 Mr Percy E Ogden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He signed off 13 September 1917 when discharged to England.

25 September 1916 took on charge an E Dent & Co Hack Watch No 51505 which had been purchased by the Admiralty in December 1906. The watch had only previously been used, on charge, by HMS Crusader.  The Watch was landed, off charge, on 18 May 1917 at Malta.

3 October 1916 Captain Alexander H. Hardy RFA (as Sub Lieutenant RNR)  appointed as Master. He remained as Master until 13 October 1917 when he took command of RFA Serbol

5 March 1918 Second Officer Ralph Davison RFA appeared before a court martial charged with  being found drunk on board. The charge was adjudged to be proved and he was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and to be dismissed his ship.

30 June 1918 Leading Stokers W Green MMR 861581 and J Reece MMR 497475 both discharged to HMS Europa for DQ's - no reason or duration shown. Leading Stoker J McCafferty discharged to HMS Europa at Malta for Prison. No reason or duration shown. All three had signed on the ship on the 13 October 1917.

1 July 1918 Lieutenant Thomas Sunley RNR appointed in command

29 January 1919 Engineer Lieutenant W McFee RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He was discharged on 21 August 1919 to RFA Sunhill.

21 April 1919 Lieutenant C Gattey RNR appointed in command

25 September 1919 Leading Seaman J S Harford sentenced to 60 days DQ's and disrated to Able Seaman and discharged.

From 1920 China Station in Hong Kong.

10 March 1920 Mr J H Collings RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 April 1921 Captain Thomas Drever RFA appointed as Master

19 August 1923 during a typhoon which had struck Hong Kong the ship broke adrift from her moorings in the harbour and was carried to the Naval Armament Depot where she smashed a corner off the sea wall dislodging huge blocks of masonry. She then swung round and came broadside on against the timber quay. The vessel, still broadside on, was bumped incessantly against the quay. Her bridge crashed against a steam crane which side-stepped about one yard under the impact. The ship started to take on water and she developed a list.

1 November 1924 Mr G C Dunning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 November 1924 Captain George E Thickett RFA appointed as Master

8 March 1928 Mr F E Langer RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 November 1928 Mr Charles M Morgan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 April 1928 Captain L Elford RFA appointed as Master

4 April 1929 Captain N Colbridge RFA appointed as Master

7 April 1930 Mr A B McIntyre RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 June 1933 ships bell offered for sale in the Times (London) of this day - the bell was listed as being in Hong Kong

1936 Broken up.

RFA Kimmerol

Previous name: 

Subsequent name:                Lanka Bahu, Tenena                                                              

Class:                                       Creosol Class

Pennant No:                             X47, X35

Laid down:
Builder:                                     Craig Taylor & Co, Stockton
Launched:                                4 April 1916
Into Service:                             1916

Out of service:                         1947 Sold out of service

Fate:                                          1952 Broken up in China

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

18 September 1916 took on charge a Dent Marine Chronometer No 1725 which had been bought by the Admiralty in October 1867 and had been previously used on charge on HMS Juno, HMS Seagull, HMS Algerine, HMS Duncan and HMS HMS Dido. Returned ashore off charge on 30 November 1920 at Malta

20 September 1916 Lieutenant Alfred Mills RNR appointed in command

7 November 1917 Lieutenant J H T Lewis RNR appointed in command. On 12 May 1918 he signed off and  transferred to RFA Petrobus in command.

2 February 1918 Able Seaman M Crawley sentenced to 60 days detention and discharged. He had signed on on 26 August 1917

9 May 1918 Lieutenant Sydney Jeffard RNR appointed in command

11 January 1919 Able Seaman A Gillies logged as deserted. He had signed on on 22 November 1917

3 February 1919 Engineer Sub Lieutenant Murdock Rose RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 October 1919 Cook Ernest Richards MMR 978982 sentenced to 30 days detention and discharged. He had signed on on 6 August 1919

16 October 1919 Able Seaman Cecil Thomas MMR 996788 sentenced to 30 days detention and discharged. He had signed on on 22 July 1919

1 January 1920  Fireman John McKenna MMR 1009646 logged as deserted. He had signed on on 23 October 1919.

January 1921 to November 1939 on YC agreement at Portsmouth

9 May 1940 sailed Southampton

October 1940 Captain W J Cairns RFA appointed as Master and  Mr R C Calderhead RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 March 1941 at Portmouth

5 September 1941 sailed Portland for Southampton arriving 7 September 1941

5 October 1943 at Falmouth for refit

2 September 1944 in Southampton for repairs - completed two days later

12 December 1944 Mr R A Higgie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 January 1945 sailed Milford Haven in convoy OS103KM which split to KMS77 to Gibraltar arriving on 15 January 1945

3 March 1945 sailed Aden independently arriving Colombo on 6 March 1945 (?)

25 April 1945 refit at Colombo

17 October 1945 sailed Colombo independently for Cochin arrived 29 October 1945

11 January 1946 sailed Bombay independently for Trincomalee arriving 18 January 1946

19 January 1946 sailed Trincomalee independently for Port Blair and Colombo arriving 8 February 1946

2 March 1946 Captain William F Curlett RFA appointed as Master

10 January 1947 laid up at Trincomalee

1949 sold to Ocean Freighters and renamed Lanka Bahu

1951 sold to Wallem & Co and renamed Tenena

RFA Kinbrace

Previous name:
Subsequent name:               Lady Saniya                                                       

Class:                                      KIN Class

Pennant No:                           A281

Laid down:                             20 April 1944
Builder:                                   A Hall, Aberdeen
Launched:                              17 January 1945
Into Service:                           1950

Out of service:                        1960

Fate:                                        01 April 1992 Sold Commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

6 May 1948 Mr J Marshall appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 March 1949 Captain R Souter appointed as Master

11 May 1951 Mr H C Shepherd (Lieutenant (E) RN (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1951/1952 raised HMS Foyebank (a naval flak ship) sunk during World War 2 in Portland Harbour from a depth of 90 feet.

1 June 1952 Captain W H Harrison appointed as Master

10 April 1953 Captain H J Perrett RD (Commander RNR (Ret)) appointed Master

June 1955 involved with RFA Swin in the raising of HMS/m Sidon at Portland Harbour when twelve members of the crew and a Naval Doctor from HMS Maidstone were killed.

13 April 1956 Mr A Butler appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 November 1956 Captain H M Campbell appointed as Master

December 1956 involved with other ships in opening up obstructions in the Suez Canal under the directions of the United Nations.

7 December 1957 Captain D M Gentle appointed as Master

12 February 1959 Captain J W Boyes appointed as Master

22 February 1959 Mr A E Daw appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

May 1968 to PAS Portland

15 December 1989 - laid up at Rosyth

April 1992 sold to SC Chambers, Liverpool

October 1994 at Malta to Somalia, UN support

20 September 2004 arrived Alang, India to be broken up