RFA Lambridge

 

 

HMS Botlea before being commissioned and under her former name of African Prince

 

 

True name:                                              HMS Botlea

Previous name:                                         Glennevis  African Prince  Pentridge Hill

Subsequent name: 

Official Number:                                        167659                                                                          

Class:                                                       Special Service Freighter - Q ship

Pennant No:                                             X15 - F113

Laid down:                             
Builder:                                                    Ayrshire Dockyard Company,  Irvine, Scotland
Launched:                                                1917
Into Service:                                             1939      
Out of service:                                          March 1941
Fate:                                                       Scuttled 30 December 1945

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

 

Background Data:  In 1939 Winston Churchill gave authority for a number of merchantmen to be requisitioned for service as Q-ships, although for security purposes they were referred to as Special Service Freighters. A fleet of 9 small mainly coal-burning vessels were acquired , 6 for deep-sea work and 3 for coastal work. All were commissioned as HM ships under their original names but were given RFA cover names and on entering harbour and while in harbour they wore the Blue Ensign, behaved as RFA’s and adopted the RFA commercial practices. None of them was really suitable for their intended roles and met with a complete lack of success. Their Q-ship service officially ended on 2 March 1941

 

1917 launched by Ayrshire Dockyard Co Ltd, Irvine as Yard Nr 445 named GLENNEVIS for African Steam Ship Co Ltd ( J. Gardiner & Co, Managers ) Glasgow . 

May 1917 completed for the Rio Cape Line ( Furness, Withy & Co, Managers) London

28 October 1920 sailed New York to Buenos Ayres

1922 renamed AFRICAN PRINCE by her owners

15 October 1922 berthed at New York having sailed from Dundee

5 November 1925 sailed Bahia for New Orleans

3 January 1927 sailed Newport News

8 November 1927 berthed Santos from Rio de Janerio

1930 laid up Rothesay Bay during the Depression

14 November 1935 arrived at Greenock from Rothesay Bay

28 January 1936 sailed East London for Durban

31 January 1936 sailed Durban for Lorenzo Marques

1 February 1936 arrived at Lorenzo Marques from Durban

5 February 1936 sailed Lorenzo Marques for Madagascar

13 February 1936 sailed Majunga for Diego Suarez

19 February 1936 sailed Tamatave for Reunion

26 March 1936 sailed Rangoon

18 April 1936 sailed Port Said

6 May 1936 sailed from the Keil Canal to Gdynia

11 May 1936 arrived at Gdynia from Rangoon

20 May 1936 sailed Gdynia for the Tyne

1936 purchased by Dorset Steamship Co Ltd, London and renamed PENTRIDGE HILL

1939 acquired by the Board of Trade (later MoS and MoWT) and renamed BOTLEA under management of Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd, Cardiff

14 September1939 Lieutenant Commander Thomas Bennett Bruton Royal Naval appointed in command.

16 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Botlea

14 December 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA LAMBRIDGE. Complement 84 under the  command of Commander. T.B. Brunton Royal Navy. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 depth charges

22 December 1939 sailed Chatham for Sheerness then to the Solent area for work-up

3 January 1940 sailed from the Solent area on her first cruise and operated in the North Atlantic for  the remainder of that year

8 January 1940 stopped off Dakar by HMS Neptune while in the Lambridge disguise - she was not detected as a 'Q' ship

19 February 1940 Able Seaman John Page C/J 22317 discharged dead. Drowned. Remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial

March 1940 at Gibraltar

April 1940 at Bermuda

28 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy HX69 to Methil arriving 13 September 1940 - on convoy papers listed as RFA Lambridge thus maintaing its cover as a Q ship

January 1941 at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa

5 March 1941 at Colombo she hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser  with Pennant Number F 113

20 May 1941 arrived at Bombay escorting HMS Capetown which was under tow of the tug TAIKOO for repairs

22 June 1941 sailed Aden under the command of Commander T I Scott-Bell DSC Royal Navy (Retd)

31 July 1941 berthed at Simonstown, South Africa from Aden

August 1941 A.M.C. service ended

1 September 1941 at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa reconditioning for return to commercial service

1 October 1941 transferred to MoWT control

16 January 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 23 January 1942

7 February 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Cape Town arriving 13 February 1942

29 August 1942 sailed from Liverpool to New York arriving on the 18 September 1942

24 December 1942 sailed from Liverpool in convoy ON(S)156 to New York arrived 17 January 1943

22 April 1943 arrived at Cape Henry

8 August 1943 sailed Liverpool to Freetown in convoy OS53 arrived on 27 August 1943

15 June 1944 sailed Cape Town to Durban in convoy CD43 arrived on the 19 June 1944

10 August 1944 sailed Durban independently to Mombassa arriving on 21 August 1944

29 August 1944 sailed Mombassa independently to Durban arriving on 9 September 1944

22 September 1944 sailed Durban independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 24 September 1944

4 October 1944 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Mombasa arriving 13 October 1944

23 May 1945 sailed Bone independently to Gibraltar arriving 26 May 1945

29 May 1945 sailed Gibraltar independently to Middlesborough arriving 7 June 1945

17 June 1945 sailed Middlesborough to the Tyne arriving the same day

30 December 1945 considered to have no further commercial use so was scuttled in position 55.30 N 11..00 W loaded with a cargo of poison gas shells as part of Phase 1 of Operation Sandcastle

 

Notes:

 

1. RFA Lambridge was a cover name for the 'Q' Ship HMS Botlea. The name Lambridge was used when the ship was in port so her true identity was not disclosed. She never sailed as an RFA.

 

RFA Larchol

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:         

Official Number:                       140323                                                                  

Class:                                      SECOND 1000 t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler

Pennant No:                            X23 / A154

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew
Launched:                                19 June 1917
Into Service:                             9 August 1917

Out of service:                          Laid up in reserve at Pembroke Dock 13 July 1954
Fate:                                       Broken Up

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a further programme of tanker construction for the newly-formed RFA Service. Eventually there were 18 ships in this Class, 12 of which were named after trees with the OL suffix, while the remainder had names connected with the oil industry also with the OL suffix. 4 of the Class were diesel engined and were sold after the Armistice but the rest, being triple expansion steamers, had long and successful lives

 

19 June 1917 Launched by Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew as Yard Nr 818 named LARCHOL

 24 June 1917 Engineer Lieutenant S Black RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 July 1917 Lieutenant William F Clay RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 11 May 1919 when he took command of RFA Birchol

Lieutenant William F Clay RNR

9 August 1917 Completed

18 September 1917 Fireman A Ayling signed on. He subsequently deserted - no date of his desertion traced at this time.

12 January 1918  Greaser J Kilcullen released from detention and signed off - to HMS Eaglet

19 April 1918 Engineer Lieutenant William H Doyle RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 May 1919 Lieutenant John H T Lewis RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 31 March 1920

Lieutenant John H T Lewis RNR

19 May 1919 Trimmer J S Warwick MMR 999130 discharged as incompetent. He had signed on on 13 May 1919

1 March 1920 Captain William T Williams RFA appointed as Master and Mr J H Manning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 March 1920 at Gibraltar alongside HMS CASTOR refuelling her with 620 tons of FFO

30 March 1921 at Sheerness alongside HMS Dunedin refuelling her

30 May 1921 arrived at Granton from Hull loaded with fuel oil

11 July 1921 sailed from Granton to Southampton in ballast

11 October 1921 Captain D Durrant RFA appointed as Master

January 1922 Mr William P Keohane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 January 1923 at Sheerness alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her

2 January 1923 at Sheerness alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her

3 January 1923 at Sheerness alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her

29 May 1923 at Sheerness alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her (twice)

30 May 1923 at Sheerness alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her

1924 to December 1939 on YC agreement at Sheerness

18 May 1936 refueled HMS Cumberland off Sheeness Dockyard with 800 tons FFO

3 September 1939 at Sheerness on the outbreak of WW2

11 September 1939 at Shereness alongside HMS GLASGOW on No 8 buoy refuelling her

12 September 1939 at Shereness alongside HMS GLASGOW on No 8 buoy refuelling her

29 December 1939 Captain John McAngus RFA appointed as Master

1 January 1940 sailed Harwich to Sheerness

19 January 1940 sailed Sheerness to Harwich

12 July 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 220 arriving Yarmouth 14 July 1940

3 August 1940 arrived Methil in convoy FN 241 and then sailed, same day, same convoy to Southend

20 August 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 258 arriving at Harwich on 22 August 1940

26 August 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 263 to Harwich arriving on 28 August 1940

4 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 272 to Harwich arriving on the next day

14 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 280 to Harwich arriving on 16 September 1940

17 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 283 to Harwich arriving on 19 September 1940

21 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 287 to Harwich arriving on 23 September 1940

26 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 291 to Harwich arriving on 28 September 1940

29 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 294 to Harwich arriving on 1 October 1940

2 October 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 297 to Harwich arriving on 4 October 1940

26 October 1940 Mr A W Symons RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 December 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN349 arriving at Harwich on 5 December 1940

27 December 1940 Engineer Lieutenant Commander James Wade-Thomas RNR (Retd) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer James Wade-Thomas RFA

28 January 1941 sailed Southend in convoy FN 394 to Harwich arriving on 30 January 1940

4 February 1941 sailed Southend in convoy FN400 arriving at Harwich on 6 February 1941

11 August 1941 Captain Robert H Venning RFA appointed as Master

26 October 1941 sailed Dover 

15 January 1942 sustained damage at Dover

4 January 1943 Mr J E Hawthorn RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 March 1943 Captain S P Sice RFA appointed as Master

3 December 1943 Mr Lionel  W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 December 1945 Mr R C Calderhead RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 April 1946 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

12 April 1946 Captain J H Phillips RFA appointed as Master

23 June 1947 Captain F A Shaw RD RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

2 June 1947 Mr Frederick O Brims RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer until 23 June 1947

24 June 1947 Engineer Lieutenant Commander H R Bullimore Royal Navy (Retd) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 December 1947 Captain Donovan J S Newton RFA appointed as Master

7 January 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour returning to her berth later the same day

26 March 1948 Captain Allistoun M Macquire-Samson RFA appointed as Master

30 September 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

5 January 1949 Mr R B Turner RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 January 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

12 March 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour and returned to her berth later the same day

4 July 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

24 February 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

1 March 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

8 March 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

17 March 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

12 November 1950 Captain F G Evans RFA appointed as Master

12 December 1950 Mr John Ismay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 December 1951 Mr A P Cox RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 December 1951 at Plymouth Fireman/Greaser John Nicholas Knight discharged dead after an accident ashore

10 March 1952 Captain Douglas G Cox OBE RFA appointed as Master

4 January 1954 Captain F S Samson RFA appointed as Master

13 July 1954 laid up at Pembroke Dock

June 1958 purchased by R.S. Hayes, Pembroke Dock for scrap but resold

19 August 1959 sailed Pembroke Dock in tow for Belgian breakers

23 August 1959 arrived Antwerp for breaking up by Van den Bosche & Co, Boom

 

RFA Largs Bay

 

 

 

Lower image - Largs Bay in the mist deploying to Haiti

 

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:               ADFS Choules   HMAS Choules  

Official Number:                    9240756                                                       

Class:                                     BAY CLASS Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)

Pennant No:                           L3006   L100

Laid down:                             1 October 2001
Builder:                                   Swan Hunter, Wallsend on Tyne.
Launched:                              18 July 2003
Into Service:                           17 December 2006
Out of service:                        19 October 2011
Fate:                                       Sold to the Royal Australian Navy

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:

 

In  April 2000 an Invitation to Tender was issued for the design and build of 2 Alternative Landing Ships Logistics to replace RFA’s SIR PERCIVALE and SIR GERAINT which were to enter service in 2004 and 2005. Options would be provided for up to a further 3 vessels to replace the remainder of the ageing LSL,s. 3 U.K. yards submitted bids - Appledore Shipbuilders Limited, BAE Systems and Swan Hunter (Tyneside) Ltd. On 26 October 2000 an official announcement was made that 4  new ships would be built in a £300 million deal and that subject to negotiation of satisfactory terms and conditions, Swan Hunter (Tyneside) Ltd would be selected as lead shipyard for the programme. Two ships would be built at Wallsend with the other two being built to the Swan Hunter design by BAE Systems Marine at Govan. The ships would be based on the very successful Dutch ROTTERDAM design, but enlarged to give greater payload carrying capacity

 

19 December 2000 ordered along with RFA LYME BAY

1 October 2001construction begun - being built in 15 x 12m sections

18 July 2003 floated out by Swan Hunter (Tyneside) Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Number 141

1 August 2003 Named LARGS BAY by Lady  Rosie West, wife of Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord. Named after Largs Bay on the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire

November 2004 while being built suffered an unexpected incident when two engines filled with sea water at Swan Hunters

June 2005 crankshaft damaged and required replacement during engine trials at the shipyard

2 March 2006 to 11 March 2006 conducted builders’ sea trials

10 April 2006 sailed from the Tyne

20 April 2006 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 April 2006 accepted by the RFA at Crombie

18 May 2006 arrived Portland

9 June 2006 arrived Portsmouth

18 June 2006 Captain Peter Farmer RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

5 August 2006 towed into Portland by the French tug ABEILLE LIBERTE after suffering a loss of  propulsion off Portland Bill

1 October 2006 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 October 2006 alongside at Falmouth

14 November 2006 at Milford Haven

17 December 2006 service of Dedication was held at Portsmouth

22 January 2007 conducted Merlin trials in the Plymouth Exercise Areas

3 March 2007 suffered an engine room fire whilst bound for Devonport and lost power and steering and was drifting 5 miles west of Eddystone Light. The MCA emergency towing vessel ANGLIAN PRINCESS stood by her

6 March 2007 arrived Delta Buoy in Plymouth Sound with the assistance of the harbour tugs ADEPT, CAREFUL and FORCEFUL

11 March 2007 arrived at Falmouth from Plymouth under tow of the Italian salvage tug Cabo Magno for repairs. The tugs Remo, St Piran, Ankorva and Percuil assisted in her berthing

11 September 2007 at Gibraltar

15 October 2007 Captain (E) E M Quigley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

December 2007 seized 1.125 tons of cocaine £45 million worth of cocaine during her first drugs counter drugs patrol.The ship encountered the Venezuela-registered boat carrying the illicit cargo about 390 miles north-east of Barbados

24 May 2008 involved in a collision while secured alongside at Curacoa. Holed forward on port side under the bridge. No injuries.

4 June 2008 anchored off Georgetown, Grand Cayman and entertained local Government members to lunch onboard

20 June 2008 entered Falmouth docks for steel work repairs 

18 July 2008 hosted the presentation of the Queens Colour by the Commodore in Chief the Earl of Wessex on Her Majesty’s behalf. at Portsmouth

28 July 2008 sailed Portsmouth

5 June 2009 off Grand Cayman

6 June 2009 while visiting Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands the ship's crew played football against the Cayman Brac Football Club. The ship's team was beaten 6 - 2.

21 June 2009 involved with training with Jamaican Defence Force Coast Guard and Grand Caymen joint customs, Immigration and Police Units to intercept suspect vessels and carry out search and rescue exercises 20 miles north of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

4 July 2009 visited George Town, Grand Cayman for two days R & R

17 July 2009 alongside HMC Dockyard, Halifax, Nova Scotia

4 December 2009 alongside the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood Military Port

3 February 2010 deployed from Marchwood Military Port with humanitarian aid for the island of Haiti which suffered two serious earthquakes - Operation Panlake

18 February 2010 arrived at Haiti with a cargo which contained 5,700 sheets of corrugated iron sheets, 40 vehicles and 15 containers of general stores of humanitarian aid

29 March 2010 berthed at Marchwood Military Port, Southampton Water on return from the Haiti deployment

21 June 2010 reported in the RFA Cascade Brief that RFA Largs Bay has been awarded the RFA Centenary Wedgwood Bowl for Humanitarian Aid and International Relations in recognition of the ships significant and notable contribution to Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in Haiti

21 June 2010 also reported in the RFA Cascade Brief that Med Tech Bob Beckwith of RFA Largs Bay has been awarded the Honourable Company of Master Mariners Award for exceptional performance, his outstanding and sustained contribution during the ships recent deployment to Haiti

27 August 2010 at Largs, Scotland

28 September 2010 at Oslofjorden Norway

29 September 2010 to 1 October 2010 at Horten and Moss Bastoy, Norway

5 October 2010 alongside at County Wharf, Falmouth 

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 FORT GEORGE

10 November 2010 on 'C' Buoy, Plymouth Sound

2 December 2010 entered Portland Harbour

6 April 2011 announced by the Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith that Largs Bay is to be purchased by the Royal Australian Navy and will enter the RAN service in 2012

21 April 2011 alongside at Falmouth

13 August 2011 the Australian Prime has announced to-day that on commissioning the ship will be renamed HMAS Choules after the last Great War veteran who died in May 2011 - Chief Petty Officer Claude Choules RAN

 

CPO Claude Choules RAN

It was further announced that her new pennant number will be L 100

19 October 2011 officially handed over to the RAN after her refit and upgrade at Falmouth and was temporarily renamed ADFS Choules until her arrival in Australia when she will formally be commissioned as HMAS Choules 

 

 

 

ADFS Choules

 

21 October 2011 arrived at Plymouth - her Commandering Officer is Commander John Cowan CSC RAN

Commander John Cowan CSC Royal Australian Navy

19 November 2011 berthed at Cape Town

21 November 2011 sailed Cape Town 

6 December 2011 berthed at Fleet Base West, Australia - HMAS Stirling - overcast and raining

 

 

7 December 2011 Firmin Sword of Peace for 2010 awarded to RFA Largs Bay - the award was presented to the Commander in Chief Fleet at Portland

13 December 2011 commissioned as HMAS Coules at Fremantle

14 December 2011 sailed Fremantle for Sydney and Fleet Base East.

21 December 2011 berthed at Garden Island, Sydney, NSW - Fleet Base East

24 February 2012 anchored off Townsville, Queensland to provide amphibious training to the 3rd Australian Brigade

24 April 2012 entered the River Derwent and berthed at Macquarie Wharf,  Hobart, Tasmania

13 June 2012 sailed Sydney, NSW for Queensland for Exercise Hamel in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. On 14 June 2012 suffered engine failure when a defect occured on one of the six transformers which form part of the ship's propulsion system. The propulsion power was reduced by 50%. The ship returned to Sydney, NSW for repairs.  

 

 December 2012 Commander Ashley Papp RAN appointed as Commanding Officer

Commander Ashley Papp Royal Australian Navy

 

12 April 2013 returned to sea following repairs to her propulsion system

 

Notes:

 

Was originally intended to be named QUIBERON BAY to commemorate the British victory  over the French on  23 June 1795 in the English Channel , but this was deemed to be not politically correct. There was also an ex-French ship which was used by Britain during WW2 which was renamed LARGS