Previous name: 
Subsequent name:

Official Number

Class:                               Naval Armaments Vessel  

Pennant No:                               

Laid down:                       
Builder:                             Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth
Launched:                         
Into Service:                     25 June 1946
Out of service:

Fate:                                  1973 Broken up at Briton Ferry    

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Information: - One of a group of coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships. They were ordered by the Admiralty just prior to, during or just after WW2

Career Data:

July 1944                       Ordered

1946                                Launched by Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth as Yard Nr 1129 named MATCHLOCK

25 June 1946                Completed at a cost of £27,705

1973                                Laid up at Pembroke Dock

1973                                Purchased by T.W. Ward Ltd for demolition at Briton Ferry

Notes:

1. Based at Fort WIlliam and at Chatham between 1949 and 1959

Previous name:
Subsequent name:   

Official Number            

                                                                       
Class:                               GATLING CLASS Armament Stores Carrier

Pennant No:                     A 377           

Laid down:                       
Builder:                             Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew
Launched:                        6 August 1945 
Into Service:                     14 November 1945 
Out of service:                

Fate:                                   Scrapped 15 November 1977

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Information: - One of a group of five coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships These five ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction to the requirements of the Naval Armament Department. They were designed for Pacific Operations to carry ammunition from larger ships offshore which were of too deep a draught to go close inshore to the coastal areas or small harbours and had their bottoms strengthened to permit grounding when loaded if required. This was a 1943 plan connected with a future invasion of Japan. As there was no requirement to carry large naval guns they were provided with two cargo holds. The order for them was placed in October 1944 and none of them was completed before the end of hostilities, which meant that only one of them (GATLING) was needed to proceed to the Far east to assist in the rehabilitation of Singapore. GATLING and NORDENFELT were completed to mercantile standards and were registered and classed with Lloyds Register and were run on National Maritime Board conditions, while the other three were on “Yard Craft” Dockyard agreements and were completed with naval style accommodation.

6 August 1945  launched by Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr 1086 named MAXIM

14 November 1945 completed with naval-type accommodation

15 June 1953 was part of the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead

13 March 1960 was anchored about two miles off Harwich, Essex when the ship's liberty boat got into difficulties and over turned. Eight crew members in the boat were thrown into the water. Six were rescued, albeit requiring hospital treatment for exposure and two others - a Stoker Harris and Ordinary Seaman G Crumpton both from Devonport were lost.

15 November 1977 arrived Briton Ferry for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd.

Notes:

1. Based at Naval Armaments Depots Milford Haven and Plymouth between 1945 to 1959

RFA Maine (1)

Previous name:                     Swansea
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                    94303

Class:                                      Hospital Ship

Laid down:
Builder:                                    William Gray & Company
Launched:                                8 June 1887

Into Service:                            1905
Out of service:                         17 June 1914
Fate:                                         Ran aground off the Isle of Mull and wrecked.

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

8 June 1887 launched by Wm Gray & Co, West Hartlepool as Yard Nr 322 named SWANSEA for Baltimore Storage & Lighterage Co Ltd, London

July 1887 completed as a cattle and cargo ship

1988 purchased by Maine Shipping Co (Williams, Torrey & Field Ltd, Managers) London and renamed MAINE

1892 registered owners now Atlantic Transport Co Ltd, London name unchanged

11 October 1899 the Boer War broke out in South Africa and the President of the Atlantic Transport  Co Ltd immediately offered the ship to the British Admiralty for use as a Hospital  Ship, but because of the high costs involved in altering and fitting her out, the offer ,  although eagerly accepted, was not acted upon promptly

1899 fitted out as a Hospital Ship by Fletcher, Son & Fearnall at Limehouse Reach on the Thames. Her conversion cost more than £41,000

4 December 1899 the Officers, Medical Staff and crew were presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle .

Members of the public were invited to purchase the above medal thus making funds to cover the ships operating costs

24 December 1899 sailed Gravesend for Cape Town, South Africa for service during the Boer War where she was chiefly used a the Base Hospital Ship at Durban

6 January 1900 arrived at Las Palmas on way to the Cape

23 January 1900 arrived at Cape Town

31 January 1900 arrived Durban. Winston Churchill’s mother served as a nurse aboard and at one stage even treated her youngest son Jack  Spencer Churchill there

Hospital Ship Maine at Cape Town, South Africa in 1900

donated by John Vitale. Photographer Charles F Austin

23 April 1900 returned to Southampton, via St Helena, with 12 Officers and 151 wounded men on board

3 May 1900 William Benjamin Toulman, a labourer, pleaded Guilty at Southampton Borough Police Court to the larcency of various items valued together at 9sh 8d from the Maine while at Southampton. Toulman was working on the ship at the time.and was stopped at the Dock gate with the items hidden on his person. He was sentenced to two months hard labour.

5 May 1900 sailed Southampton for a second trip to South Africa

29 May 1900 arrived at Table Bay

9 June 1900 sailed Table Bay for Southampton with 11 officers and 149 men

26 June 1900 arrived at Funchal, Maderia and sailed the same day for Southampton

12 July 1900 sailed Southampton for Taku (China) for service during the Boxer Rebellion under the command of Captain F S Stone, passing Gibraltar on 17 July 1900, passing Malta on 21 July 1900, reaching Port Said on 25 July 1900,  arrived at Hong Kong on 25 August 1900 - sailed to Wei-hai-wei on 31 August 1900

16 October 1900 was at Nagasaki shortly to sail to Yokohama with invalids from the Taku Forts

1 December 1900 sailed Hong Kong for Southampton with 108 sick and wounded onboard

January 1901 returned to the U.K. after China Station service to be laid up

29 June 1901 formally presented to the Admiralty and renamed HMHS MAINE.

February 1903 nine officers were awarded the Sea Transport Medal with either the South Africa 1899 - 1902 bar,  the China bar or both bars

Sea Transport Medal

Those who received the medal were -

Captain F Stone                               -     both bars

Chief Officer W Johnston               -     both bars

2nd Officer B W Griffiths                 -     both bars

3rd Officer A P Cooke                     -     both bars

Chief Engineer T G Richardson   -     both bars

2nd Engineer J Barrett                   -     both bars

3rd Engineer J N Cairns                -    both bars

3rd Engineer J W Anderson          -    South Africa bar only

Purser J G Whyman                        -    both bars

1905 taken over as an RFA when the service was formed and renamed RFA Maine (1)

15 August 1905 Fleet Surgeon Daniel J P McNabb Royal Navy appointed i/c of Royal Naval detachment onboard

5 October 1906 Staff Surgeon Ernest S Reid MB appointed to the ship

5 February 1907 Surgeon Charles T Baxter appointed to the ship

October 1907 Fleet Surgeon Frederick J A Dalton Royal Navy appointed i/c of Royal Naval detachment onboard

30 July 1909 Fleet Surgeon Herbert L Penny Royal Navy appointed i/c of Royal Naval detachment onboard

23 March 1910 sailed Sheerness to Malta

6 July 1910 in collision with the wooden topsail schooner Gordon in Portland Harbour. Both ships were damaged. At a subsequent hearing the Master of MAINE was held totally to blame

16 July 1910 received four injured sailors from HMS Sutlej which suffered an on board explosion off Berehaven

25 July 1910 Surgeon Richard Connell MB BA appointed to the ship

27 July 1910 participated in the Torbay Fleet Review by King George V as the Naval Hospital Ship of  the Grand Fleet

1 August 1910 berthed at Portsmouth

17 December 1910 arrived at Spithead from Gibraltar

14 January 1911 sailed Stokes Bay to join the Fleet

11 March 1911 in a hearing before the Admiralty Division of the High Court proceeding were taken against the Captain of the Maine (Commander Alfred C Dunn) by the owners of the schooner Gordon. The Captain of RFA Maine was held to be totally to blame

29 September 1911an explosion in a Portsmouth Dockyard work shed killed two workmen. The explosion was caused by a gas cylinder which came from the Maine which was under a gas pressure test. 

4 October 1911 at an inquest touching on the deaths of the two workmen (see above) held by the Portsmouth Borough Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death

10 October 1911 Staff Surgeon Charles G C Ross MB BA appointed to the ship

13 November 1911 Staff Surgeon Maurice T Male MB appointed to the ship

10 June 1912 Fleet Surgeon Ernest C Lomas MB FRCS Ed. DSO Royal Navy appointed i/c of Royal Naval detachment onboard

27 May 1913 anchored at Lamlash

6 March 1913 arrived at and berthed at Portsmouth

18 April 1913 Staff Surgeon Thomas W Myles appointed to the ship

1 August 1913 berthed at Portsmouth

September 1913  Captain A M Tarver RFA was Master

14 January 1914 Staff Surgeon Arthur R Thomas FRCS Ed appointed to the ship

17 June 1914 grounded in thick fog and was wrecked on the east of coast of the Isle of Mull on a small island named Eilean Straide Eun (Frank Lockwood's Island) about two miles north of the entrance to Loch Buie with serious damage forward. No casualties (From the Oban Times 20 June 1914)

20 June 1914 salvage attempts were abandoned due to her age and potential salvage bill

6 July 1914 wreck sold locally for scrap.

23 September 1969 vessel found in deep water broken up and spread over a wide area. Of interest to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland

Notes:

1. Members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade served as orderlies on the  MAINE. After being used on the run from England to South Africa, the ship was used on a single journey to China to bring home wounded from the campaign against the “Boxers”. This qualified the crew for the China Medal 1900 without clasp.

2. Only 11 members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade served on the MAINE as orderlies and received the China Medal.  All had previously qualified for the Queen’s South Africa Medal, whether aboard MAINE or elsewhere.

RFA Maine (2)

Previous name:                       Heliopolis, Mediator

Subsequent name:                 Heliopolis, Methven, Borden, Perseus

Official Number:                      120650

Class:                                       Hospital Ship

Pennant No:

Laid down:
Builder:                                     D & W Hendersen Ltd (Meadowside)
Launched:                                1 December 1905
Into Service:                             17 February 1913

Out of service:                          1 March 1916
Fate:                                           Broken Up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

1 December 1905 Launched by D & W Henderson & Co Ltd, Partick as Yard Nr 448 named  HELIOPOLIS for Alliance Steamship Co Ltd ( Harris & Dixon Ltd, Managers)   London

January 1906 completed

4 March 1908 registered owners now Century Shipping Co Ltd ( Harris & Dixon Ltd, Managers) London name unchanged

1911 / 1912 Navy Estimates made provision for an additional naval hospital ship to be registered under the Merchant Shipping Act 1906, Section 80 at an estimated cost of £68,838 and to be named MEDIATOR

17 February 1913 Purchased by the Admiralty for £60,000 for conversion into a Hospital Ship  To be taken in hand at Pembroke Dock for the necessary  work to be carried out at a cost of about  £48,000

18 February 1913 to 19 February 1913 inspected by RN Fleet Surgeon and Naval Construction and Engineering Staff for her suitability for conversion into a Hospital  Ship

15 May 1913 Admiralty records indicated that she should be renamed MEDIATOR

6 July 1914 the Admiralty decided that she should be renamed MAINE (2)

14 July 1914 Was renamed MAINE (2) after the loss of MAINE (1)

7 March 1916 Conversion never fully completed and ship was considered by some as totally unsuitable for this conversion and for service as a Hospital Ship. The Admiralty  auctioneers Fuller, Horsey, Sons and Casell offered her for sale by auction at the Baltic & Shipping Exchange, London on 01 March and she was resold to her former owners for £105,000. The cost of reconverting her to a cargo carrying steamer was £40,000 on completion of which her name reverted to HELIOPOLIS

15 May 1917 purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway Co, Liverpool name unchanged

24 June 1917 sailed Barry on her first sailing for Canadian Pacific

20 August 1917 renamed METHVEN by her owners

30 December 1918 sailed Liverpool for Vancouver via the Panama Canal for service in the Pacific

22 April 1919 arrived Hong Kong to commence her owners service from that port

20 November 1919 arrived Shanghai from Vancouver

March 1922 sailed Hong Kong via the Suez Canal to return to North Atlantic service

22 March 1922 renamed BORDEN by her owners

8 September 1923 arrived Barbados

3 October 1923 sailed Quebec for the West Indies

16 December 1923 sailed Barbados for St. Johns NB

30 December 1923 sailed St John NB for the West Indies

7 March 1924 arrived St. Johns NB from Demerara

15 March 1924 sailed St. Johns NB for Bermuda

26 October 1926 purchased by G.E. Kulukundis, Piraeus and renamed PERSEUS

1928 purchased by Culicids & Costomeni, Syra, Greece name unchanged

1930 purchased by Atlanticos Steamship Co, Syra, Greece name unchanged

24 August 1932 arrived for breaking up by F. Bertorelli, Genoa

Notes:

1.    The image above is as she was as the s.s. Heliopolis

RFA Maine (3)

Previous name:                       Panama
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                      115276

Class:                                       Hospital Ship

Pennant No:                             X24

Laid down:           
Builder:                                     Fairfield, Govan
Launched:                                8 March 1902

Into Service:                             August 1920

Out of service:                         21 February 1947

Fate:                                          Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  See explanatory notes.

8 March 1902 Launched by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan as Yard Nr 419 named PANAMA for Pacific Steam Navigation Co, Liverpool

May 1902 Completed. Carried 130 x 1^st Class passengers. Maiden voyage Liverpool - Montevideo - Valparaiso

29 May 1902 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Falkland Islands

4 September 1902 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Falkland Islands

9 September 1902 sailed Vigo

27 December 1902 sailed Pernambuco for Liverpool

19 March 1903 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Falkland Islands

27 May 1903 sailed Liverpool for Lisbon, Tangier, Palma, Algiers, Gibraltar, Oporto and Vigo

9 June 1903 sailed Vigo for Liverpool

28 June 1903 sailed La Pallice for Valparaiso

13 September 1903 sailed Vigo to Liverpool

1 October 1903 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Falkland Islands

25 October 1903 sailed Montevideo

17 December 1903 sailed Lisbon for Liverpool

22 December 1903 berthed at Liverpool

7 January 1904 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal and South America

14 January 1904 sailed Lison

1 February 1904 berthed at Montevideo

24 February 1904 sailed Coronel

28 March 1904 sailed La Pallice for Liverpool

14 April 1904 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal and South America

4 May 1904 sailed Valparaiso

8 May 1904 berthed at Montevideo

7 June 1904 sailed Punta Arenas

19 June 1904 sailed Pernambuco

30 June 1904 sailed Lisbon for Liverpool

4 July 1904 berthed at Liverpool

23 July 1904 sailed Liverpool to Spain, Portugal, South America and the Falkland Islands

27 July 1904 sailed Lisbon for South America

7 September 1904 sailed Coronel for Liverpool

27 October 1904 Liverpool to France, Spain, Portugal, South America and the Falkland Islands

30 October 1904 sailed La Pallice, France for La Coruna, Spain

14 November 1904 in collision with the Italian ss Orinone off Bahia. Struck on the port quarter. No apparent damage to the Panama, both vessels continued with their respective voyages

16 November 1904 sailed Rio de Janeiro for Valparaiso

11 January 1905 sailed Lisbon for Liverpool

2 February 1905 sailed Liverpool to France, Spain, Portugal and South America

11 May 1905 sailed Liverpool to France, Spain, Portugal and South America

1915 chartered by the Admiralty for service as a Hospital Ship name unchanged.

HMHS Panama before she was renamed RFA Maine (3)

16 October 1915 sailed the Dardenelles to Malta with wounded from Gallipoli

31 October 1915 sailed Malta to the UK 

27 January 1916 sailed Malta to Naples

4 February 1916 arrived at Naples and transfered 319 wounded to HMHS Britannic

1 November 1916 sailed Le Havre to Southampton with wounded

Christmas Day Menu 1916

7 September 1918 Private W J Ball, Royal Army Medical Corp discharged dead. He is buried at Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Harve in grave Div.62 V D 3

3 October 1918 sailed Southampton

9 May 1919 berthed at Southampton

January 1920 arrived at Malta from the Black Sea with refugees onboard - as some of the passengers were infected with typhus all the refugees were not permitted to land and the ship returned to the Black Sea

15 April 1920 Lance Corporal 393035 J G Robinson, Royal Army Medical Corp discharged dead. He is buried in West Pelton (St. Pauls) Churchyard, Durham

October 1920 purchased by the Admiralty and renamed MAINE (3). Taken in hand for conversion by Portsmouth Dockyard. Estimated cost of purchase and conversion was £225,435

14 February 1921 Mr Cecil E Harland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 March 1921 underwent inclining experiments at Portsmouth Dockyard

1 May 1921 Captain Richard Narramore Smardon RFA appointed as Master

31 March 1922 conversion work completed. Actual expenditure was £276,453

15 May 1922 sailed Portsmouth for service in the Mediterranean

24 May 1922 arrived Malta and took over the Hospital Ship duties from RFA BERBICE.  Her routine duties  were that of Base Hospital Ship for flotilla of submarines and destroyers at Marsamuscetto and accompanying the Fleet on routine cruises

1922 to 1924 was mainly in Turkish waters based on Constantinople

15 September 1922 arrived Grand Harbour, Malta carrying 407 refugees from Smyrna who had fled to escape the atrocities being committed by the Young Turks against all European races there after the outbreak of war between the Greeks and the Turks

8 March 1924 involved in Fleet Manoeuvers off the Balearic Islands

7 February 1925 entered Fleet service after refit at Malta

25 March 1925 went to the rescue of British registered steam trawler Roche Castle which radioed she was sinking at 40.45N 9.5W. She was 36 miles SW by W from the trawler when she received the radio message

20 June 1925 Lieutenant Ean C G Greenlees Royal Navy died of enteric fever on board while the ship was involved in the Mediterrean Fleet's summer manoeuvers at Rosas Bay

13 August 1925 Surgeon Captain W W Keir CMG MB appointed to lead the medical team onboard

8 December 1925 when in Chatham Dockyard broke her mooring in very rough weather and was blown into HMS Whirlwind, a destroyer, causing damage to both vessels

31 August 1926 the canteen fund onboard made a donation of  £3.0.0d to the National Memorial to Queen Alexandria

19 January 1927 sailed Malta in the company of the First Cruiser Squadron bound for Singapore

4 February 1927 in transit of the Suez Canal 

21 February 1927 arrived at Singapore bound for China - sailed 23 February 1927

4 March 1927 berthed at Hong Kong

15 November 1927 arrived at Singapore from Hong Kong, anchored in the roads and sailed the same day for Colombo

19 to 21 November 1927 at Colombo

20 February 1928 during a storm broke her mooring in Grand Harbour, Malta and ran aground

25 April 1928 under orders to sail Malta with RFA Perthshire, HMS Eagle and other RN ships to provide medical assistance to those injured in the Greek Earthquake of the 23 April 1928

7 September 1928 sailed Malta to Messina with the Mediterranean Fleet as part of it's summer cruise arriving on 8 September 1928 where she remained until 17 September 1928

29 October 1928 arrived back at Malta

26 July 1929 was involved in the treatment of several of the crew of HMS Devonshire when she suffered a turret explosion in the Aegean. Seventeen of the crew of HMS Devonshire were killed as a result of the explosion Most are buried in the Naval Reservation of the cemetery on the island of Volos

7 December 1929 at Chatham in refit broke away from her moorings dragged across the basin and hit HMS Whirlwind, a destroyer, causing damage to both ships

24 June 1930 Mr Charles A Smith RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 July 1930 Surgeon Captain Alexander McCloy Royal Navy appointed in command of the Royal Naval medical team onboard. For the previous three years he had been at Haslar Naval Hospital

7 January 1932 sailed Malta with the Mediterranean Fleet on it's Winter cruise

26 May 1932 Mr T Perrett RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 August 1932 off Corfu was inspected by HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince George who also inspected RFA Perthshire

17 June 1935 sailed Malta on passage to Portsmouth

16 July 1935 participated in the King George V Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead as the Host Ship for Government guests. Her Hospital Ship colours were removed for the occasion with the permission of the ICRC. She carried approximately 500  Government - invited guests including Winston Churchill.

18 October 1935 at Alexandria, Egypt as the Italian liner Ausonia entered port after a voyage from Haifa when two boiler explosions and a fire outbreak occurred on board her killed three and injured twenty three of the crew. The injured were taken to the Maine where three died on her

7 December 1935 Surgeon Lieutenant J L S Coulter Royal Navy part of the medical team onboard awarded Parkes Memorial Prize for 1935 with his essay 'Preparation for Tropical Service in the Royal Navy'

2 January 1936 with RN ships attended the site of the crash of an Imperial Airways flying boat off Alexandria. Twelve were killed, one saved who was transfered to RFA Maine.

March 1936 stationed at Alexandria engaged on duties as Fleet Hospital Ship to ships working in connection with the Abyssinian Troubles

30 April 1936 Captain W Whiteley RFA appointed as Master

24 June 1936 the Patients Welfare fund received a donation of £10/0/0d from HMS Queen Elizabeth's Canteen Welfare Fund

July 1936 to July 1938 was mainly employed on duties dealing with the care and evacuation of refugees as a result of the Spanish Civil War. During this time she steamed 20,996 miles and carried 6,574 refugees of 41 different nationalities

5 August 1936 sailed Valencia with 150 refugees

September 1936 on loan to the War Office during the Palestinian Troubles and was based at Haifa

28 January 1937 at Corfu with HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Aberdeen

30 March 1937 Three hundred refugees, mostly from the Chilean Embassy at Madrid, were evacuated from Valencia to Marseilles

16 May 1937 arrived at Gibraltar with fourteen injured crew members from HMS Hunter

25 May 1937 sailed Gibraltar with 450 loyalist refugees who had been ordered to leave the colony by the authorities. They were taken to Valencia, the loyalist war time capital

10 June 1937 Mr F C Reynolds RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 July 1937 arrived at Marseilles from Spain with 345 refugees 

27 July 1937 sailed from Valencia, Spain for  Marseilles with 400 Spanish refugees of the Civil War. Prior to sailing was bombed by rebel aircraft - the bombs missed

8 August 1937 at Grand Harbour, Malta during the RFA Aquatic Sports RFA Cherryleaf (1) won the Valenzia Cup for the boat race, a trophy that the crew of RFA Maine (3) had held for the previous two years.

20 September 1937 humanitarian aid - sailed from Malta to Valencia to evacuate refugees during the  Spanish Civil War. She embarked 2016 persons of 11 different nationalities and took  them to safety in Marseilles

29 September 1937 Surgeon Captain F C Wright Royal Navy took over command of the Royal Naval medical team on the ship

20 October 1937 arrived Marseilles after a fire had occurred on her upper bridge which caused considerable damage

24 November 1937 the outline of requirements for a new Naval Hospital Ship were submitted to the Third Sea Lord

RFA Maine's Christmas Card for 1937

March 1938 during a storm in Malta broke her moorings and ran aground - no damage was caused and no danger to the crew existed. Tugs quick managed to get lines on board

21 July 1938 sailed Navarin for Split

26 February 1939 sailed Malta for Gibraltar arriving 2 March 1939

March 1939 a replacement for RFA Maine (3) was provided for in the Naval Estimates as it was considered that Maine (3) was past her economical life - as reported in the Glasgow Herald of 1 March 1939 - page 8

22 March 1939 sailed Gibraltar for Bordighera arriving 26 March 1939

1 April 1939 sailed Bordighera to Malta arriving 3 April 1939

3 May 1939 sailed from Malta and 31 RN warships of the Mediterranean Fleet for the East Mediterranean cruise 

15 July 1939 Surgeon Captain M S Moore Royal Navy took over command of the Royal Naval medical team on the ship

5 August 1939 arrived at Alexandria

21 July 1941 Fireman Samuel Farrugia discharged dead. He is buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery.

The grave of Samuel Farrugia

Image courtesy of British War Graves - with thanks

3 September 1941 Assistant Steward E Sammut discharged dead. He is buried in the Alexandra (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery

The grave of E Sammut

Image courtesy of British War Graves - with thanks

6 September 1941 bombed while in Alexandria Harbour - Able Seaman Emanuel Mamo, Steward Antonio Soldato and Assistant Steward George Montebello were killed. All are buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery. 15 were injured by a near miss.

The grave of George Montebello                             The grave of Emanuel Mamo

The grave of Antonio Soldato

Images courtesy of British War Graves - with thanks

12 September 1942 her Chief Engineer, whilst being repatriated to the U.K. on the Cunard liner  LACONIA  was killed when the latter was torpedoed and sunk by U-156 in the South Atlantic approx 360 miles NE of Ascension Island in position 05.10 S 11.25 W whilst sailing independently from Suez to the U.K

November 1942 berthed at Alexandria

December 1942 to early January 1943 dry docked and fitted with a de-gaussing coil

January 1943 tasking and movements taken under Army control  with an Army medical crew on the ship

13 January 1943 sailed Alexandria to Benghasi 

19 January 1943 sailed Benghasi to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

10 February 1943 sailed Alexandria to Benghasi

17 February 1943 sailed Benghasi to Alexandria carrying 302 casualties

27 February 1943 sailed Alexandria to Benghasi

4 March 1943 sailed Benghasi to Alexandria carrying 299 casualties

9 March 1943 sailed Alexandria to Benghasi

12 March 1943 sailed Benghasi to Alexandria carrying 301 casualties

23 March 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L) 

27 March 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Benghasi carrying 300 casualties

29 March 1943 sailed Benghasi to Tripoli (L)

31 March 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

11 April 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L)

15 April 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Benghasi carrying 300 casualties

17 April 1943 sailed Benghasi to Tripoli (L)

19 April 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

25 April 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L)

29 April 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

21 May 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L)

25 May 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

11 June 1943 sailed Alexandria to Malta

30 June 1943 sailed Malta to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

6 July 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L)

4 August 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Syracuse

6 August 1943 sailed Syracuse to Tripoli (L) carrying 300 casualties

9 August 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Syracuse

11 August 1943 sailed Syracuse to Tripoli (L) carrying 307 casualties

14 August 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 295 casualties

29 August 1943 sailed Alexandria to Tripoli (L)

3 September 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Augusta

5 September 1943 sailed Augusta-Syracuse to Philippeville carrying 300 casualties

10 September 1943 sailed Philippevile to Augusta

15 September 1943 sailed Augusta to Vibo Valentia

19 September 1943 sailed Vibo Valentia to Reggio

19 September 1943 sailed Reggio to Catania

20 September 1943 sailed Catania to Algiers carrying 300 casualties

1 October 1943 sailed Algiers to Catania

5 October 1943 sailed Catania to Tripoli (L) carrying 309 casualties

8 October 1943 sailed Tripoli (L) to Alexandria carrying 300 casualties

During the period 13 January 1943 to 12 October 1943 sailed a total of 23,009 nm and carried 5,413 casualties. The Master commended the following officers to the Admiralty - Chief Officer Maddock RFA, 2nd Officer Townsend RFA, Radio Officer Fremaux RFA, Chief Engineer Officer Blacklock RFA, 2nd Engineer Officer Bright RFA, Acting 3rd Engineer Officer McVey RFA and Electrical Officer Paul RFA

12 October 1943 reverted to Naval tasking and medical staff onboard

Between October 1944 to February 1945 served in Greek waters

15 November 1945 Captain G F Cunningham RFA appointed as Master

22 October 1946 grounded and damage when attending to support HMS Saumarez and HMS Volage when the two RN ships were mined in the Corfu Channel. She sustained extensive damage to her keel. Returned home to the River Forth

21 February 1947 paid off at Malta

6 June 1947 sailed for the last time from Malta to Rosyth for destoring. The ship had to return having found a stowaway who was landed and arrested by the Police. She sailed again reaching some 17 miles off land when a second stowaway was found in the galley asking the cook for food. Maine returned to Grand Harbour and landed this second stowaway who also was also arrested by the Police. 

8 July 1948 arrived at Bo'ness for breaking up by P & W McClellan  & Sons

Notes:

During WW2, carrying the international identification number 1, she was the oldest hospital ship afloat. In spite of this she carried out valuable work in the Mediterranean, handling some 13,514 patients. She evacuated Army wounded from Crete and served at Alexandria assisting with 8th Army casualties where she was extensively damaged although none of her patients was harmed. At the end of the War she was at Piraeus tending Army casualties from the Greek Civil War.

RFA Maine (4)

Previous names:                 Leonardo da Vinci, Ship 289, Empire Clyde

Subsequent name:

Official Number:                   159356   

Class:                                    Hospital Ship

Pennant No:                          -

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Ansaldo San Giorgio - Muggiano

Launched:                             28 December 1924
Into Service:                          1945
Out of service:                       25 May 1954

Fate:                                       Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

1919 ordered as one of six sister ships, originally designed as cargo steamers but completed with extensive passenger accommodation

28 December 1924 launched by Ansalso San Giorgio, La Spezia as Yard Nr 192 named LEONARDO DA VINCI for Transatlantica Italiana Societe Anonima di Navigazione, Genoa.

May 1925 completed for her owners‘ South American service

24 May 1925 maiden voyage Naples - Palermo - Boston - New York as there was little or no immediate demand for her services to the South Atlantic. Completed two round voyages, the results of the second one being extremely disappointing

September 1925 the Ansaldo Group’s bankers  went bankrupt, resulting in the collapse of the whole Group, of which the owners were a part

November 1925 her first South American sailing took place

22 December 1925 shares were taken over by Credito Italiano and a new Company was formed - Compagnia Italiana Transatlantica (CITRA) which took over ownership

1926 - 1929 laid up

1934 the Company was again in financial difficulties and the ship was sold to Tirrenia Line, another CITRA company, after having been on charter to them for some time  previously. Her name remained unchanged

1936 suffered a serious fire and had to be reconstructed

17 December 1936 the structure of Italian Government subsidised lines was reorganised on a regional basis and resulted in the 4 remaining sister ships ( 2 having been previously sold off ) being transferred to the ownerships of Lloyd Triestino, names unchanged. This ship  was employed on carrying Italian art treasures to the USA and UK and as a troopship.  She carried the Viceroy of Abbysinia and his Staff

18 May 1940 sailed Genoa independently

24 May 1940 arrived Port Said for Suez Canal transit

25 May 1940 sailed Suez independently

31 May 1940 arrived Aden

31 May 1940 sailed Aden

11 February 1941 Captured by the  cruiser HMS HAWKINS at Kismayu during the Somaliland Campaign. She had put to sea but was intercepted and put back to port where her crew sabotaged her engines

14 February 1941 handed over to Ellerman Lines, London for management and sailed for temporary repairs at Mombasa

21 April 1941 at Mombasa 

7 October 1941 temporary repairs completed - sailed Mombasa to Bombay arriving 22 October 1941

Between 22 October 1941 and 21 September 1942 undergoing further repairs at Bombay

1942 Captain William J Merchant (of Ellerman Lines) appointed as Master

21 September 1942 sailed Bombay to Durbam and remained there until 23 November 1942 undergoing more repairs

23 November 1942 sailed Durban independently to Cape Town arriving 27 November 1942 where further repairs were undertaken

3 December 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Pemambuco arriving 19 December 1942

31 December 1942 sailed Pemambuco independently to Trinidad arriving 10 January 43

January 1943 her name was cancelled and she was simply known as Ship 289

24 January 1943 sailed Trinidad in Convoy TAG38 to Guantanamo arriving on 29 January 1943

29 January 1943 sailed Guantanamo in Convoy GN 38 to New York arriving 4 February 1943. While in New York more repairs were undertaken

17 February 1943 sailed New York to Hampton Roads arriving the next day

February 1943 to March 1943 her engines were removed at Newport News

5 March 1943 sailed Hampton Roads in tow

7 March 1943 arrived Baltimore for conversion into a Hospital Ship after which she was taken over by the MoWT and renamed EMPIRE CLYDE under management of City Line,  London as an Army Hospital Ship

27 August 1943 sailed Baltimore to New York arriving the next day

2 September 1943 sailed New York in Convoy HX 255 to the Clyde arriving 15 September 1943 having detached from the Convoy

4 April 1944 sailed the Clyde independently to Algiers arriving 11 April 1944

16 April 1944 sailed Naples independently to Barry arriving 25 April 1944

30 April 1944 sailed Avonmouth independently to Gibraltar arriving 8 May 1944

2 June 1944 sailed Naples independently to Glasgow arriving 11 June 1944

19 October 1944 sailed the Clyde 19 October 1944 independently to Gibraltar arriving 25 October 1944

1 November 1944 sailed Gibraltar independently to Bone arriving 3 November 1944

3 November 1944 sailed Bone independently to Naples arriving 5 November 1944

7 November 1944 sailed Naples independently to Liverpool arriving 15 November 1944

19 November 1944 sailed Liverpool independently to Naples arriving 27 November 1944

28 November 1944 sailed Naples independently to Taranto arriving 29 November 1944

30 November 1944 sailed Taranto passing Gibraltar on 4 December 1944 and arriving at Falmouth 9 December 1944

9 December 1944 sailed Falmouth independently to Southampton arriving the next day

16 December 1944 sailed Southampton independently to Falmouth arriving the next day

17 December 1944 sailed Falmouth independently to Gibraltar

21 December 1944 sailed Gibraltar independently to Naples arriving 24 December 1944

26 December 1944 sailed Naples independently to Algiers arriving 28 December 1944

28 December 1944 sailed Algiers independently to the Clyde arriving 3 January 1945 

6 January 1945 sailed the Clyde independently passing Gibraltar on 11 January 1945 and arrived Algiers on 12 January 1945

12 January 1945 sailed Algiers independently to Palermo arriving 14 January 1945

14 January 1945 sailed Palermo independently to Catania arriving the next day

15 January 1945 sailed Catania independently to Taranto arriving 16 January 1945

2 February 1945 sailed Taranto independently to Salonika arriving 5 February 1945

7 February 1945 sailed Salonika independently to Piraeus arriving the next day

10 February 1945 sailed Piraeus independently to Taranto arriving 12 February 1945

15 February 1945 sailed Catania independently to Naples arriving 16 February 1945

19 February 1945 sailed Naples independently to the Clyde arriving 26 February 1945

May 1945 taken over for use as a Naval Hospital Ship, name unchanged for service with the British Pacific Fleet

27 July 1945 sailed the Clyde, to Gibraltar 1 August 1945 to Taranto arriving 6 August 1945

6 August 1945 sailed Taranto independently to Port Said arriving 10 August 1945

11 August 1945 sailed Suez having embarked approximately 200 New Zealand troops (both injured and just being repatriated)  independently to Aden arriving 16 August 1945

16 August 1945 sailed Aden independently to Colombo arriving on 23 August 1945

25 August 1945 sailed Colombo independently to Freemantle arriving 5 September 1945

7 September 1945 sailed Freemantle independently to Wellington, New Zealand arriving 18 September 1945

18 September 1945 berthed at Aotea Quay Wharf, Wellington, New Zealand to discharged 55 patients - New Zealand forces wounded

29 September 1945 sailed Wellington, New Zealand independently to Manus arriving 9 October 1945

10 October 1945 sailed Manus independently to Shanghai

22 October 1945 sailed Shanghai independently to Hong Kong arriving 27 October 1945

October 1945 became Base Hospital Ship at Hong Kong

22 May 1946 arrived at Hong Kong with 576 repatriated Chinese from Hainan, including 65 stretcher cases and 511 who were ill. The majority of the repatriates were Hong Kong Chinese who had been taken to Hainan during the war and used as forced labour

9 July 1946 arrived Kure, Japan and sailed two days later

21 July 1946 arrived Singapore. Undergoing repairs from 26 July 1946. Sailed 30 August 1946 for Hong Kong but returned to Singapore on 11 September 1946

1 November 1946 sailed Singapore

5 December 1946 arrived Sydney, NSW from Hong Kong

12 December 1946 sailed Sydney with sick British soldiers and Italian sick prisoners of war

14 December 1946 arrived at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from Sydney, NSW. Sailed 17 December 1946 to Freemantle with repatriated Italian prisoners of  war

23 December 1946 at Perth, Western Australia - members of the Australian Red Cross boarded the vessel leaving extra food for the patients and crew

January 1947  taken over as a Royal Navy Hospital Ship as RFA Empire Clyde. Some of her Royal Naval medical team had been appointed to her as early as 1945

2 January 1947 arrived Trincomalee and sailed the next day to Colombo

6 January 1947 sailed Colombo to Suez arriving 16 January 1947

17 January 1947 sailed Port Said  to Naples

23 January 1947 berthed at Malta from Naples and the Far East

14 April 1947 transferred to Admiralty ownership

25 April 1947 formally transferred 'by bill of sale' to the Admiralty

6 September 1947 Captain Stanley G Kent OBE RFA appointed as Master while the ship was RFA Empire Clyde

18 December 1947 Mr Edward B Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer Edward B Morton RFA

1 January 1948 renamed RFA Maine (4).

17 August 1948 Mr Charles Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 March 1949 Mr Harold Ringshaw RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1949 was reduced to reserve Status at Malta

16 July 1949 Surgeon Captain J C Souter Royal Navy took over command of the Royal Naval medical team on the ship

19 September 1949 after a refit she again proceeded East to Hong Kong for Far East Station duties

30 October 1949 supported with medical supplies and water HMS Belfast which was saving lives from a Chinese vessel which was stranded on the Pratas Islands with about 600 passengers onboard.

25 June 1950 on the outbreak of the Korean War she was at Kobe as the only Hospital Ship in the area. She was placed at the disposal of United Nations Forces and dealt with the initial evacuation of US casualties from Pusan. Throughout 1951 - 52 she operated from Hong Kong, Sasebo and sometimes Kure and handled large numbers of British and Commonwealth personnel. She was awarded the Korea 1950 Battle Honour.

14 July 1950 arrived at Pusan, Korea.  Over the months carried 1,849 casualties to Fukuoka. The medical staff also treated 2,115 US personnel and up to 1,006 cases of surgery were performed

RFA Maine (4) Christmas Card for 1950

kindly donated by Andrew Gourlay

12 January 1951 Captain William W Peddle RFA appointed as Master

7 March 1951 Mr D L Walls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 October 1951 lost a propeller while on a westward passage through the Shimonoseki Straits. Taken under tow by USS Reclaimer [ARS-42] and USS Yuma [ATF-94]

1 December 1952 USS Ashtabuka on fire in Sasebo Harbour. 2 killed, one missing and 9 injured and damaged a repair ship Ajax moored alongside. Doctors and nurses from the Maine boarded USS Ashtabula to treat the injured.

9 December 1952 Mr A Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 February 1953 Captain Russell G Edmonds RFA appointed as Master

22 May 1953 The President of South Korea awarded the Presidential Unit Citation of the Republic of Korea to RFA Maine for meritorious service in the Korean War theatre from February 1951 to July 1952

6 March 1954 the Government announced that RFA Maine was to be sold

26 April 1954 her operational Service ended at Hong Kong

25 May 1954 sold for demolition by local Hong Kong breakers

June 1954 broken up at Hong Kong.

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                    Huntball,  Phorus

Class:                                           Kite Balloon ship

Official Number:                         1112782

Pennant No:                                 4.17

Laid down:                             
Builder:                                         Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Deptford Yard
Launched:                                    25 September 1900

Into Service:                                 20 August 1917

Out of service:                              1920
Fate:                                              Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

28 October 1904 berthed at Singapore from London

30 December 1904 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong

16 May 1905 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong

12 July 1905 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong

2 November 1905 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong and Japan

17 April 1906 arrived Singapore from London

31 December 1906 sailed South Africa (port not listed) to Port Pirie, Australia to load

22 February 1907 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Dunkirk and London

17 April 1907 berthed at Dunkirk

19 April 1907 berthed at the Port of London to discharge

9 February 1908 sailed Singapore for Taku, Muroran and Otora

28 August 1910 berthed at Port Adelaide, Australia

3 September 1910 prior to sailing from Port Adelaide a crew muster revealed two of the crew were missing - one from Colombo, Ceylon and the other an African American who had jumped ship

13 September 1910 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for other Australian and South African ports

22 September 1910 the Master, Francis O Potts appeared before Port Adelaide Police Court charged with having allowed the two missing crew members - prohibited immigrants - to enter Australia. He was fined £100 in respect of each prohibited immigrant and 20/- costs

22, 23 and 24 September 1910 the details of the two crew members who had jumpted ship were advertised with the offer of a reward of £10 each in both The Register and The Advertiser - two newspapers in circulation in Adelaide, South Australian over three days

24 September 1910 both former crew members and as such probibited immigrants arrested some distance from Adelaide on a farm.  

26 September 1910 the two former crew members who had jumped ship - Frank Dean and Pitchary Kandiah appeared before Port Adelaide Police Court charged with desertion - they both pleaded guilty and were sent to prison for seven days

12 February 1915 arrived at Port of London from Port Natal, South Africa

11 March 1915 hired as a Kite Ballon ship by the Admiralty  - at a time she was unloading a cargo of manure from Australia

22 March 1915 commissioned as HMS Manica with RNR Officers and MMR crew

25 March 1915 Chief Steward J C Dent discharged dead. He is buried in Birkenhead (Flaybrick Hill) Cemetery and remembered on a screen wall

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

28 March 1915 sailed the UK for the Eastern Mediterranean

13 April 1915 arrived off Lemnos

14 April 1915 ballon raised in an trial ascent to 2,000 feet

A 'Drachen' type balloon is held steady aboard while its observer waits to climb into the basket, off the Gallipoli coast, summer 1915.

19 April 1915 spotters from Manica's ballon directed shelling onto a Turkish encampment

24 April 1915 spotters directed fire onto Gaba Tepe, where the Turkish Barracks were destroyed

25 April 1915 the balloon, with its two observers, was in the air from 0521 to 1405 hours on constantly reporting on the activities associated with Anzac Cove for almost nine hours, while the ANZAC troops were scrambling up the cliffs, one of the observers sighted the Turkish battleship TURGUD REIS (ex-German SMS WEISSENBURG) in the Narrows. HMS TRIUMPH was contacted by wireless, and its balloon-directed fire forced the Turkish warship to withdraw

26 April 1915 the ships balloon made seven ascents  in support of the ANZAC operations 

27 April 1915 the observers was also spotting for HMS TRIUMPH and HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH the Royal Navy's newest and most powerful battleship, and the first in the world to mount 381 millimetre (15 inch) guns - during the afternoon QUEEN ELIZABETH blew up an armament store at Kojadere. The same day  the balloon crew sighted Turkish transport ships near Najara, apparently heading for Maidos or Kilia Liman. QUEEN ELIZABETH was put on to the largest ship, the SCUTARI which was hit and sunk after three shots, at a range of 11.3 kilometres (7 miles)

28 April 1915 while spotting for British battleships - Two field batteries silenced and several guns destroyed 

30 April 1915 while spotting for British battleships - Chanak shelled which burnt for two hours

2 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships - battery of 8" guns shelled - three direct hits

8 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships - four batteries silenced

12 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships - a house reported to be the Turkish headquarters destroyed

12 August 1915 while supporting the landings at Suvla was torpedoed and missed by UB 8, the torpedo was fired from 500 yards and passed under the ship, two days later a similar attack also failed

27 November 1915 with the ship in refit the First Sea Lord was planning for her deployment off German East Africa - this was at the request of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien GCB etc who had been chosen to lead an expedition against German East Africa and did not have sufficient equipment. 

23 February 1916 at Birkenhead under repair in shipyard basin

6 March 1916 moved by 3 tugs from the basin. Anchored mid stream

10 March 1916 sailed Birkenhead to Gibraltar carrying a small seaplane in addition to her kite balloon arriving 16 March 1916

19 March 1916 sailed Gibraltar with RFA Lady Cory Wright and RN escort to Port Said arriving 27 March 1916

28 March 1916 at Port Said commenced coaling - 411 tons received. At 14:00hrs commencing unmooring ship - port anchor fouled another ships anchor - 17:20hrs cleared port anchor - starboard anchor weighed - entered Suez Canal - transitted the Canal

30 March 1916 at Suez

31 March 1916 sailed Suez for Mombasa arriving 11 April 1916 when she took on a local 'Native' crew.(to quote the wording of the ships Official Log for the period)

14 April 1916 sailed Mombasa to Zanzibar

15 April 1916 at Zanzibar - collier 'Anglier'  came alongside to commence bunkering

21 April 1916 sailed Zanzabar on operation duties to deploy balloon off German East Africa

1 May 1916 at  Zanzibar 

20 May 1916 while on patrol off German East Africa ran aground. On being towed off by RN ships the towing cable fouled the propellor - cleared in 32 minutes.

11 July 1916 at Zanzibar moved alongside collier 'August Belmont' to coal ship. Cast off to anchorage the next day

6 August 1916 Fireman Hugh Patrick  Foy. MMR discharged dead. On returning to the ship via the liberty boat  he fell between the boat and the ship and was drowned.  He is buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

26 August 1916 collier "Queen Alexandria" alongside at Zanzibar to re-coal ship all day

29 August 1916 water boat alongside at Zanzibar received 40 tons of water

27 September 1916 while berthed at Zanzibar a court of enquiry held onboard into the death of Fireman Hugh Patrick Foy (see above)

17 October 1916 a member of the native crew died of typhoid malaria - buried at sea at 7° 50S. 39° 40E.

23 October 1916 a member of the native crew died of typhoid malaria - buried at sea off Mafia Island, German East Africa

4 November 1916 off Rufugi - diver from Flagship employed to clear obstructions to hull

13 Movember 1916 off Rufugi - seaplane propeller damaged through rough water - seaplane recovered and housed.

14 November 1916 off Rufugi - received stores and water from collier

20 November 1916 at Zanzibar - received 263 tons of water from a water boat

21 November and 22 November 1916 at Zanzibar - collier alongside re-coaled ship

December 1916 the ships company produced a sods opera -

21 March 1917 Air Mechanic 1st Class J D Woolger RNAS discharged dead. He is buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery

13 May 1917 General Servant Edward Hewitt Buckley MMR 489728 discharged dead - having died from heat stroke. General Servant James Barton MMR 384357 discharged dead - having died from typhoid fever. Both are remembered with pride on the Plymouth Naval Memorial

August 1917 converted into a tanker and renamed Huntball at Bombay

15 April 1918 purchased by the Admiralty and placed under commercial management.

1919 sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd 

5 May 1920 in Kings Dock (Dry Dock) at Singapore

14 May 1920 alongside at Singapore

1920 renamed by Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd as Phorus

ss Phorus

2 April 1921 berthed at Singapore from Bombay

16 November 1922 in dry dock at Singapore

31 July 1925 in dry dock at Singapore

19 July 1927 berthed at Singapore with a cargo of 'liquid fuel' from Tarakan - information from the Singapore Free Press

14 June 1928 arrived at Wellington, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol - Captain V R Trigg in command

30 December 1928 sailed Melbourne for Tarakan to load

14 March 1929 sailed Port Freemantle to Tarakan to load

24 April 1929 sailed Singapore for Auckland New Zealand  - due 13 May 1929

14 May 1929 berthed Wellington from Auckland, New Zealand

16 May 1929 sailed Wellington, New Zealand for Borneo

27 May 1929 passed Thursday Island while on passage from New Zealand to Balik Papan

5 June 1929 berthed at Balik Papan

3 September 1929 berthed at Port Freemantle from Tarakan to discharge crude oil

5 September 1929 sailed Port Freemantle to Tarakan to load

8 January 1930 berthed at Port Adelaide from Tarakan and discharged 3,000 tons of crude oil

12 January 1930 berthed at Melbourne from Port Adelaide

5 May 1930 passed Thursday Island while on passage to Sydney, NSW

10 May 1930 berthed at Sydney, NSW from Tarakan

13 May 1930 sailed Sydney, NSW to Balik Papan

24 May 1930 while on passage from Sydney, NSW to Balik Papan stood by midway between Atamboea and Darwin on the route that Miss Amy Johnson's flight from the UK to Australia was taking - the aircraft passed the ship at 11am South Austrlian time.

3 July 1931 arrived Osaka to be broken up.

Previous name:                          Mount Royal, HMS Marlborough, RFA Rangol

Subsequent name:                    British Maple

Official Number:                         109498

Class:                                           Emergency Wartime Purchase LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                                Y7.174

Laid down:
Builder:                                         C S Swan & Hunter Ltd., Wallsend
Launched:                                   17 August 1898
Into Service:                                 6 July 1915 (as RFA Rangol)
Out of service:                             4 October 1919 sold to Commercial interests and renamed

Fate:                                              Arrived for breaking up on 25 January 1933

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 into 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

17 August 1898 launched by C.S. Swan & Hunter Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 230 named for the Beaver Line service of Elder Dempster & Co Ltd, Liverpool as Mount Royal

November 1898 completed as a cargo liner

30 November 1898 sailed on her maiden voyage from the Tyne to New Orleans

May 1899 first voyage from the Tyne to Montreal

3 July 1899 first voyage from London to Quebec. Completed 2 round trips

5 November 1899 first voyage from Naples to Cape Town as a Boer War Transport. Only 1 trip

1 December 1899 arrived at Cape Town with 345 mules from Gibraltar and 1,902 mules from Naples

12 February 1900 first voyage from Liverpool to Cape as a Boer War Transport. Only 1 trip

23 July 1900 first voyage from New Orleans to Cape Town as a Boer War transport. Completed six round voyages in all

3 March 1903 reported has having turned round due to severe weather while on passage from the UK to the US

6 April 1903 acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway Co, Liverpool name unchanged

9 November 1903 entered dry dock at Cardiff with damage to the keel which occurred in September 1903.

1907 converted to carry 1500 x 3rd Class passengers in just 10 days

May 1907 sailed on her first voyage from London to Canada.

7 December 1907 sailed Antwerp for St. John's Novia Scotia with 303 hundred passengers. Reported as missing while crossing the North Atlantic. Arrived at Queenstown, Southern Ireland on 7 January 1908 after suffering machinery breakdown while about 250 miles west of Fastnet. Passengers transfered to ss Montrose which sailed Queenstown on the 11 January 1908. The ss Montrose was reported as missing when it failed to arrive at St. John's on the  21 January 1908. Arrived late

20 July 1908 arrived at Quebec from London

2 September 1908 arrived at Quebec on passage from Antwerp to Montreal

2 October 1908 passed North Foreland while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal

11 July 1909 while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal passed Cape Ray

31 August 1909 while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal passed Heath Point

1 October 1909 while on passage from London to Montreal radioed giving her position as 125 miles west of the Lizard

29 October 1909 while on passage from Montreal to London radioed giving her position as 100 miles west of Brow Head

18 May 1910 sailed Antwerp for Montreal

28 October 1914 was hired by the Admiralty for conversion into the Dummy Battleship HMS MARLBOROUGH, on completion of which she was based at Loch Ewe.

06 July 1915, with the disbandment of the DBS Squadron she had cylindrical tanks inserted into her holds and served as the oiler RFA RANGOL,

10 July 1916 purchased by the Admiralty 

17 November 1916 her management was transferred to Lane and MacAndrew and she became the oiler transport renamed MAPLELEAF

4 May 1917 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas

11 June 1917 arrived at Greenock

21 October 1917 she was narrowly missed by a torpedo in the Atlantic.

07 November 1917 she was transferred to the Shipping Controller

4 October 1919 purchased by the British Tanker Co

19 October 1919 renamed BRITISH MAPLE

13 December 1919 arrived at Plymouth Sound towing s.s. War Zephyr. The tow had lasted over one week from a position 1,000 miles west of The Lizard after the War Zepgyr's main shaft had broken. The tow had parted once during the week in very heavy weather.

15 November 1920 the Master and crew of Mapleleaf took proceedings against the Master and crew of the War Zephyr (see above) in the Admiralty Division of the High Court

06 June 1922 arrived at Hamble in Southampton Water  to act as a bunker depot ship 

10 December 1932 sold for £3,500 for demolition at Rosyth by Metal Industries Ltd

27 December 1932.arrived Rosyth

 25 January 1933 breaking up commenced

12 May 1933 the remaining hulk was transferred to Charlestown to hold oil residues.

1934 was transferred back to Rosyth

06 March 1935 demolition was finally completed

Notes:

When Elder Dempster sold their Canadian interests (Beaver Line) to the Canadian Pacific Railway Co for the sum of £1,417,500, a total of 14 ships plus 3 tugs were involved in the deal and these were as follows: LAKE CHAMPLAIN (RFA RUTHENIA), LAKE ERIE(RFA SAXOL), LAKE MANITOBA, LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE, MONTCALM (RFA CRENELLA), MONTEAGLE, MONTEREY, MONTEZUMA (RFA ABADOL), MONTORT, MONTREAL, MOUNT ROYAL(RANGOL), MOUNT TEMPLE & MONTROSE and the 3 Liverpool tugs AFRICAN, BEAVER & OTTER

RFA Mariner

Previous name:                      HMS Mariner
Subsequent name:

Class:                                       MARINER CLASS Sloop (originally)

Pennant No:                            W35

Laid down:                              8 January 1883
Builder:                                    Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth
Launched:                               23 June 1884

Into Service:                            1916
Out of service:                        19 February 1929
Fate:                                         Sold for breaking up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   She was one of a Class of 6 gun vessels designed by Nathaniel Barnaby, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction, which were all re-rated as sloops before they entered service. The Class consisted of: HM ships ACORN, ICARUS, MARINER, MELITA, RACER and REINDEER, three of which were converted into Salvage Vessels. They were originally powered by a two cylinder horizontal compound  expansion steam engine produced by Hawthorn Leslie

23 June 1884 launched by HM Dockyard, Devonport as Yard Nr        as a gun vessel named HMS  MARINER

26 November 1884 re-rated as a sloop

19 March 1885 commissioned for Particular Service. Hull cost £37,156 and her machinery £12,841

10 June 1885 Joined the British Evolutionary Squadron formed to test the practical efficiency of the material of the Fleet

1 September 1885 proceeded to the Mediterranean then to the East Indies

1 May 1888 sailed Zanzibar for Aden

10 January 1889 recommissioned at Trincomalee and employed in the blockade of the East African coast

1891 at the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa

1892 to 1894 in reserve at Devonport

1902 Along with REINDEER she became a Boom Defence vessel at Devonport

November 1915 taken in hand by Hawthorn Leslie for conversion into a Salvage Vessel

 28 August 1917 Chief Stoker William Merritt discharged dead. He is buried in Portsmouth's Kingston Cemetery in grave 10.13 1/2

1 November 1917 Lieutenant John William Miskin RNR appointed in command. Discharged 4 December 1918 to HMS Victory

12 September 1918 Engineer Lieutenant Charles A Munro RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 March 1919 Assistant Steward Elliott Egerton Whitehead MMR 976082 discharged dead. Buried at Birkinhead (Flaybrick Hill) Cemetery.

1919 to 1921 under management of Liverpool Salvage Association

1922 to 1929 laid up at Southampton

1928 placed on the disposal list

19 February 1929 purchased by Hughes Bolckow & Co Ltd for demolition at Blyth

Ships of the same name

Mariner. A gun brig of 180 bm, 80 x 23 feet by Pitcher of Northfleet launched on the 4 April 1801.  Armed with 2 x 23 pdr carronade, 10 x 18 pdr.  Sold out of service on the 29 September 1814.

Mariner. A brig of 481 bm built by Pembroke Dock and launched on the 19 October 1846.  105 x 33.5 feet, armed with 4 x 32 pdr carronade, 12 x 32 pdr.  Sold on the 12 June 1865.

Mariner. An Algerine class minesweeper built at Port Arthur and launched on the 9 May 1944, she was sold to the Burmese Navy on the 18 April 1958 and renamed Yan Myo Aung.  Laid up and deleted in 1982.

True Name                                          HMS King Gruffydd

Previous name:                                  AMBATIELOS   War Trooper

Official Number:                                 167645                                                                  

Class:                                                   Special Service Freighter - Q ship          

Pennant No:                                         X28  F116

Laid down:                             
Builder:                                                  HK & Whampoa, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Launched:                                            11 October 1919
Into Service:                                         1939
Out of service:                                      17 March 1943
Fate:                                                       Torpedoed and Sunk

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

11 October 1919 Launched by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Hong Kong as Yard Nr 564   named WAR TROOPER for the Shipping Controller and was purchased by Nicolas E. Ambatielos, Argostoli while fitting out

December 1919 completed as AMBATIELOS for the above owners

June 1923 auctioned by order of the Admiralty Marshall following a dispute with the owners who had failed to take delivery; purchased by King Line Ltd ( Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, Managers) London and renamed KING GRUFFYDD

1930's laid up at Liverpool during the Depression

16 November 1933 sailed from Barry Roads but had to put back when the main stop valve stop chest burst

22 March 1935 berthed at Adelaide

18 August 1935 ship signalled her owners that the port bunkers were on fire but the Master considered he could secure control. The ship was 250 miles NE Singapore

21 August 1935 the ship further reported that the fire was not extinguished but was being subdued. The ship was 215 miles from Sabang, Sumatra

22 August 1935 arrived at Sabang. Hull not damaged by the fire

23 August 1935 sailed from Sabang for Aden

14 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Chatham Dockyard

21 October 1939 commissioned as HMS KING GRUFFYDD

17 November 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA MAUNDER. Complement 99 under   command of Cdr. E.M. Loly R.N. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 x depth charges

26 November 1939 sailed Sheerness for work-up in the Solent area

2 December 1939 on completion of work-up sailed from the Solent. 

19 December 1939 arrived Gibraltar

1 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar

11 January 1940 arrived in the Solent area and to Southampton arriving 14 January 1940

3 March 1940 sailed Southampton arriving Gibraltar 26 March 1940

5 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar returning 16 April 1940

17 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar to Freetown arrviing 7 May 1940

12 May 1940 sailed Freetown to Simonstown arrving 7 June 1940

15 June 1940 sailed Simonstown to Durban arrving 20 June 1940

21 June 1940 sailed Durban to Mauritius 15 July 1940

22 July 1940 sailed Mauritius returning 14 August 1940

20 August 1940 sailed Mauritius to Durban arrving 30 August 1940

4 September 1940 sailed Durban returning 24 September 1940

2 October 1940 sailed Durban returning 23 October 1940

22 November 1940 sailed Durban to Colombo arriving 11 December 1940

16 December 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940

16 January 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940

16 January 1940 sailed Colombo to Durban arriving 9 February 1940 

12 March 1941 openly hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant  Nr F 116 then served in the East Indies

1 May 1941 East Indies Service ended

13 May 1941 with HMIS Clive took part in Operation Chapter - Cape Guardafui Channel the most easterly point of Africa. In order to facilitate the passage in this channel it was decided to undertake a combind operation to captrure and operate the Cape Guardafui lighthouse and to clear the north east corner of Italian Somaliland. This was done and the Italian troops there had immediately surrendered

20 May 1941 sailed with 23 officers and 96 prisoners of war and landed them at Aden on 24 May 1941

4 June 1941 joined the Red Sea Force

1 September 1941 at Port Elizabeth reconditioning for return to commercial service

22 September 1941 transferred to MoWT control as KING GRUFFYDD

8 January 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Cape Town arriving 12 January 1942

13 March 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Rio de Janeiro arriving 28 March 1942

5 April 1942 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Freetown arriving 18 April 1942

4 May 1942 sailed Freetown in convoy SL109 to Loch Ewe arriving 28 May 1942

31 May 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN290 to Kirkwall arriving the next day

3 June 1942 sailed Kirkwall in convoy WN291 to Methil arriving the next day

6 June 1942 sailed Methil in convoy FS822 to Hull arriving the next day

15 July 1942 sailed Hull in convoy FN761 to Methil arriving 17 July 1942

17 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN112 to Loch Ewe arriving 19 July 1942

19 July 1942 sailed Loch Ewe and joined convoy ON114 until it dispersed on 4 August 1942. Then sailed independently to New York arriving the next day

6 August 1942 sailed New York independently to Norfolk arriving 8 August 1942

23 August 1942 sailed Norfolk independently to New York arriving 26 August 1942

29 August 1942 sailed New York for Cape Cod Bay

2 September 1942 at Cape Cod Bay joined convoy BX36 to Halifax arriving on 4 September 1942

5 September 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC99 to the Clyde arriving 20 September 1942

4 October 1942 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON136 to New York arriving on 26 October 1942

28 October 1942 sailed New York independently to Philadelphia arriving the same day

15 November 1942 sailed Philadelphia independently to New York arriving the next day

25 November 1942 sailed New York in convoy SC111 but returned to Sydney, Cape Breton Island with collision damage on 3 December 1942

10 December 1942 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton Island in convoy SH68 to Halifax arriving 13 December 1942

16 December 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC113 to Liverpool arriving 2 January 1943

24 January 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON163 to New York arriving 17 February 1943

5 March 1943 sailed New York in convoy SC122 to the UK

17 March 1943 while en route in convoy SC 122 from  New York to Loch Ewe she was torpedoed by U338 (Kapitänleutnant Manfred Kinzel) and sunk with 24 of the crew being killed at 51.55N 32.41W. 20 They are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial. The ship was carrying a cargo of steel, tobacco and explosives

The German U-Boat arm referred to attack on convoy SC122 and HX 229 as "Geleitzug Nummer 19". Of the fifty ships in convoy SC122 nine were sunk with a total weight of 53,094 tons. Those rescued from King Gruffydd were taken on board the Convoy Rescue Ship Zamalek. With a total of 165 survivors rescued from ships in this convoy the Zamalek sailed under escort directly to Gourock where they were landed on 22 March 1943.

Notes:

1. This ship was a Q ship - a commissioned Naval vessel which would assume its RFA name on entering harbour to hide its genuine identity. She never served as an RFA.

RFA Mediator

For details of this ship please see RFA Maine (2)

Previous name:                       HMS Ringdove
Subsequent name:                Telima

Official Number:                      132764

Class:                                        REDBREAST CLASS Gunboat (originally)

Pennant No:                             X37 /  X40

Laid down:                               1 June 1888

Builder:                                     HM Dockyard, Devonport
Launched:                                30 April 1889
Into Service:                             7 December 1915
Out of service:                         22 January 1920
Fate:                                          Sold out of service commerically

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  She was one of a Class of 9 gunboats  2 of which were converted into Salvage Ships, designed by Sir William Henry White, the Royal Navy Director of  Naval Construction in 1888, which were the last of the composite-hulled gunboats built for the Royal Navy. The Class consisted of HM ships GOLDFINCH, LAPWING, MAGPIE, REDBREAST, REDPOLE, RINGDOVE, SPARROW, THRUSH and WIDGEON

30 April 1889 launched by HM Dockyard, Devonport as the composite gunboat HMS RINGDOVE

November 1889 conducted trils off Malta - reached 11 knots in a 'choppy sea'

16 September 1890 commissioned for service in Australian waters with Commander King Hall, Royal Navy in command

20 January 1891 berthed at Famagusta, Cyprus

7 February 1891 sailed Larnaca for Malta with ancient artifacts destined for the British Museum

27 April 1891 with HMS Undaunted rescused the French Cruiser Seignelay which had run aground in heavy weather off the port of Jaffa

4 July 1897 returned to Devonport and was paid off into refit

9 November 1897 recommissioned for a further 4 years service

27 February 1899 arrived at Malta

9 September 1899 made an official visit to Odessa - the first British Warship since the Crimean War

27 September 1899 in the Black Sea a gun burst during gun practice and one seaman - Able Seaman Walker - was killed and others injured

21 January 1900 sailed Constantinople for Alexandria

25 May 1901 returned to Devonport

7 June 1901 paid off for a refit but was placed in reserve

April to September 1905 saw service with Newfoundland Fisheries

1906 to 1913 transferred to the coastguard for Fishery Protection duties off Scotland

20 May 1907 Lieutenant W W Wilson Royal Navy appointed in command

18 December 1912 Lieutenant L M Darbyshire Royal Navy in command

1914 to 1915 on the Examination Service at Queenstown, Ireland

November 1915 taken in hand for conversion into a Salvage Vessel

7 December 1915 Was renamed MELITA

 3 January 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Walter M Murdoch RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He signed off on 1 October 1917

29 January 1916 Lieutenant  Horace A Gauld RNR appointed in command. He was transferred on 17 April 1917 to RFA Racer

4 July 1916 Stoker Petty Officer Hugh Rooney discharged dead - drowned. He was cremated at Edinburgh (Seafield) Crematorium

1917 re-entered service as a Salvage Vessel

17 April 1917 Lieutenant John W Miskin RNR appointed in command. Had previously been Chief Officer.

2 July 1917 Rigger Albert Seager logged as deserting. He had signed on on 27 May 1916

1 October 1917 Engineer Lieutenant William H Reynolds RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 October 1917 Lieutenant W Thomas-Pryce RNR appointed in command

29 November 1917 Rigger John F Harwood discharged dead. He had signed on on the 26 May 1916. He drowned at Leith, Scotland and is buried in an unmarked grave in Edinburgh (Seafield) Cemetery.

Panel 6 remembers Rigger Harwood

12 January 1918 HMS Opal and HMS Narborough, both destroyers reported missing while enroute to Scapa Flow in heavy snow. RFA Melita advised not required for the search as the destroyers must be assumed to have foundered.

14 January 1918 wreckage of two destroyers found at Windwick Bay at 58 46N 2 0W RFA Melita directed to sail to Aberdeen. One survivor (AB William Sissons) from HMS Opal found. Court of Enquiry set up.

6 July 1918 Rigger George Metcalf logged as deserting. He had signed on 6 May 1918.

4 September 1918 Fireman John A Gordon logged as deserting. He had signed on on 5 September 1917

18 September 1918 Lieutenant James Ellias RNR appointed in command

27 June 1919 offered for sale by the Admiralty - advertised in the Times - the ship was lying at Liverpool

22 January 1920 sold to Ship Salvage Corporation (J.R. Delanet, Manager) Plymouth and was renamed TELIMA

13 March 1920 involved with other ships in the salvage of a Norwegian ship Morgana which lost her propeller off the Yorkshire coast. Awarded £300 in a subsequernt claim in the Admiralty division of the High Court and reported in the Times on the 23 June 1920

21 December 1920 at Gravesend brought in by tow the steamer Limehouse to anchor after being salvaged

1926 reported broken up during the 2nd quarter of this year

Ships of the same name

Melita. An Algerine class minesweeper built by Redfern, Toronto and launched on the 8 December 1942, she was reduced to a drill ship in April 1947 and renamed Satellite.  Arrived at Rees, Llanelli for breaking up on the 25 February 1959.

Battle Honours for this Vessel: NORMANDY 1944, ATLANTIC 1945, EAST INDIES 1945.

Previous name:
Subsequent name:             Juan Olavarriaga,  Iberia,  Virgen de Begona,, Euzkera,  Elanchove

Official Number:                  114846

Class:                                    Collier 

Pennant No:                         P92 / X28 / Y3.1928

Laid down:                           1902

Builder:                                  Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne

Launched:                            27 November 1901
Into Service:                          1908
Out of service:                      1920

Fate:                                       Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  Soon after the turn of the 20th Century, the Admiralty acquired a number of small tankers and store ships and from the experiments conducted with these tankers was obtained  the experience which resulted in the building of a large number of tankers of various sizes which were especially designed for their task of refuelling warships. None of these early ships were sister ships, and they became the first Admiralty vessels to fall into the new RFA category on its inception in 1905

27 November 1901 launched by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne as Yard Nr 97 named MERCEDES for Christie & Co Ltd, Cardiff

11 February 1902 ran trials on completion. She was designed for the carriage of coal and other goods from Australia and New Zealand to the West Coast of North America, Hong Kong  and Japan then back to New Zealand

16 February 1902 berthed at Westport, New Zealand

13 July 1902 berthed at Westport, New Zealand to load coal for Hong Kong

19 July 1902 Wah Chin, a native of Canton was found smothered and dead in the stoke hold, discharged dead. He was buried at sea while the ship was on passage to Hong Kong from Westport, New Zealand

31 July 1902 the Master reported to the authorities at Wellington, New Zealand he had been diverted to Wei-Hai-Wei to refuel 11 British warships. He also reported that plague was prevelant in Hong Kong and those who had succumbed could be seen floating in the harbour - he estimated that 30 - 40 deaths a day were occuring in the Colony

13 September 1902 passed Thursday Island while on passage from Hong Kong to Westport, New Zealand

30 September 1902 a member of the public in Westport, New Zealand was found in possession of uncustomed tobacco which he had obtained from a member of the crew. The member of the public was charged £6.00 triple the customs duty evaded in the local Magistrates' Court

11 October 1902 Captain Richard J Carter, the Master, appeared before Wellington Magistrates' Court, New Zealand charged with four breaches of the Shipping and Seaman's Act in that he left four member of the crew at Hong Kong with discharge certificates. He was fined £25 and costs of £3.17sh

20 December 1902 sailed Westport, New Zealand for Homg Kong

14 February 1903 berthed at Brisbane, Australia to replenish bunkers while on passage from Hong Kong to New Zealand to load cargo

5 March 1903 sailed Westport, New Zealand to Hong Kong with 3,000 tons of coal

4 May 1903 at the Magistrates' Court at Westport two Chinese crew members were fined £25 and £3 15sh respectively in default 6 months imprisonment for being in possession and attempting to sell uncustomed tobacco, cigars and cigarettes 

28 July 1903 berthed at Westport, New Zealand from Hong Kong

26 October 1903 while on passage from Hong Kong to Westport, New Zealand passed Goode Island this day

January 1904 vessel detained at Westport by the authorites for over one month - reason not known

31 January 1904 sailed Westport, New Zealand for Hong Kong

19 May 1904 passed Thursday Island while on passage to Hong Kong from New Zealand

31 May 1904 berthed at Hong Kong from New Zealand laden with 7,000 tons of coal to be discharged at Kowloon for the Admiralty - information from the China Mail

1 June 1905 at Mirs Bay with HMS Hogue - information from The Straits Times

27 November 1905 arrived at Hong Kong from Wei Hai Wei

1906 chartered by the Admiralty for  £ 23,336 for service as an MFA based on the China Station

23 May 1906 sailed from Woosung with the British China Squadron on its annual cruise ending at Wei Hai Wei on 17 August 1906

6 January 1907 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong with coal for the British China Squadron  - Captain J S McGregor was Master

16 January 1907 at Singapore HMS Encounter alongside for coaling

20 October 1907 charter expired but was extended until 19/01/08

1908 purchased by the Admiralty for £ 37,250. She was based at Devonport, basically on  coal  freighting duties between Bristol, the Channel Area and Portland

17 March 1910 arrangements were made for the Crew to be paid weekly instead of monthly and the Master was instructed to cater into the bond for the safe custody of the money

September 1910 Fitted with a modified Metcalfe Rig ex TORRIDGE, a steam collier chartered from the Torridge Steamship Co Ltd (W.J. Tatem & Co, Managers) Cardiff  which operated  under Admiralty Orders an a Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary, for coaling-at-sea  experiments

2 October 1911 her Master queried whether or not he could issue railway passes to men proceeding  on leave but was informed that arrangements with the Railway Companies did not permit this

1912 conducted inconclusive coaling-at-sea trials with the battleship HMS DOMINION

April 1913 was fitted with W/T

September 1913 Captain John E Edwards RFA (Commander RD RNR) was Master

June 1914 Sailed to Birka Sound in the Baltic with part of the Grand Fleet. Her crew were entertained by Russians at Kronstadt. She then returned to the U.K. to take part in a  Naval Review.

15 January 1915 Stoker Frederick J Strickland discharged dead. He is buried in Osmondwall Cemetery, Island of Hoy

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

1915 during a refit at Cardiff, ballast tanks were fitted for carrying fuel oil and she then proceeded  to Loch Ewe where she acted as W/T ship

15 June 1915 Lieutenant  James D Ashworth RNR appointed in command

14 November 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Tom Perrett RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He remained in this appointment until 14 November 1917

19 February 1917 Lieutenant  W Watson RNR appointed in command until 18 December 1917

6 October 1917 Stoker J Stanley logged as deserted. He had signed on on the 15 July 1917 also Stoker James Murphy logged as deserted. He had signed on on 6 September 1916

October 1917 docked at Birkenhead to discharge mercantile Ratings then proceeded to Cardiff to be handed over to commercial managers

November 1917 placed under commercial management of H. Rees Jones & Co, Cardiff

15 August 1918 served as the Expeditionary Force Transport D 2618

2 December 1918 Expeditionary Force Transport duties ended

28 July 1920 purchased for £27,500 by Harris & Dixon Ltd, London., name unchanged

1921 sold to J.Olavarriaga and registered at Bilbao, Spain and renamed JUAN OLAVARRIAGA

1923 sold to F Sainz & Inchaustegui, same port of registry and renamed IBERIA

1925 sold to F Zugadi y Cia S en C, same port of registry and renamed VIRGEN DE BEGONA

1926 owners became Compania Naviera Euzkera, Bilbao with her previous owners as Managers and renamed EUZKERA. Later that year management was passed to Jesus de Azcarreta, Bilbao

7 September 1928 while on passage from Huelva to Bordeaux broke adrift and went ashore at Quoyrice Bank. 5 tugs failed to get the ship off the Bank and steps were taken to lighten the vessel and she was finally re-floated.

1934 sold to Cia Maritima Elanchove, same port of registry and renamed ELANCHOVE

25 October 1936 foundered in a storm 150 miles off Bilbao while on passage from Bilbao to Cardiff with a cargo of iron-ore, she broke in two. Only one member of the crew was rescued.

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Class:                                      TRINCULO Class Dockyard Mooring Vessel

Pennant No:                            X41 /  X42

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Bow, McLchan & Co, Paisley
Launched:                               22 February 1916    
Into Service:                            May 1916
Out of service:                        1950
Fate:                                         Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control

22 February 1916 launched by Bow, Mclachan & Co Ltd, Paisley as Yard Nr 321 named  MESSENGER

18 March 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Thomas Dobbie RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

29 March 1916 Lieutenant John W B Turner RNR appointed in command

May 1916 completed. On Boom Defence duties at Granton

31 January 1917 Lieutenant Frank J Delamotte RNR appointed in command

23 October 1917 Able Seaman Arthur Ross MMR 516610 discharged dead after being drowned. He is buried in the Methilmill Cemetery, Wemyss, Fife

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

14 January 1918 Lieutenant John W Pegden RNR appointed in command

28 February 1918 Assistant Steward Harry James Brooks MMR 786928 discharged dead. Remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial

1918 Boom Defence duties ended and reverted to a Mooring Vessel

June 1959 Sold out of service at Malta

Notes:

1. Final Fate Unknown

Ships of the same name

Messenger. A dogger of 6 guns captured from the Dutch in 1672.  Sold in 1673.

Messenger. An advice boat of 73 bm built at Plymouth in 1694.  The ship foundered in the Atlantic in November 1701.

Messenger. (ex Duke of York) wood paddle vessel of 733 bm, 156 x 32.5 feet, purchased on the 28 August 1830.  Sold on the 22 November 1861.

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                Whitebrook.  Irene M

Official Number:                      139159

Class:                                       FIRST 2000t CLASS Harbour Tanker

Pennant No:                             X 02  /  X43  /  A143

Laid down:
Builder:                                     Caledon Ship Building & Eng Co., Dundee

Launched:                                17 June 1916
Into Service:                             October 1916 
Out of service:                         1948
Fate:                                          Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  The 5 ships in this Class, although not sisterships, were similar and were all Admiralty-designed. RFA MIXOL and RFA THERMOL were both unsatisfactory as far as their stability went, and 200 tons of permanent ballast was always carried in nos 1 and 3 tanks, which were never pumped out. RFA TREFOIL and RFA TURMOIL (1) were experimental ships which were mechanically unsatisfactory and they were little used

6 March 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ripley RD RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 June 1916 launched by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Dundee as Yard Nr 250 named MIXOL

1 September 1916 Lieutenant William H Harvey RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 17 August 1917 to take command of RFA Vitol and subsequently RFA Dredgol. He was demobilised on 28 January 1920

19 September 1916 4th Engineer Albert T Warne RFA was appointed to RFA Mixol. He was appointed as 3rd Engineer on 31 January 1917 and 2nd Engineer on the 27 July 1917. He was also appointed Engineer Sub-Lieutenant RNR

Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR

Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR's discharge book

Note the ship's rubber stamp shows it's name as HMS Mixol Royal Fleet Auxiliary

October 1916 completed

17 May 1917 Fireman P Shinnock logged as deserted while the ship was at Glasgow

12 June 1917 Engineer Lieutenant John W Younger RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 August 1917 Lieutenant William J D Read RNR appointed in command He signed off on 16 May 1918 to take command of RFA Thermol where he signed off on 31 December 1919

23 August 1917 at Lough Swilly HMS Attack alongside to be refuelled - 63 tons of FFO supplied

20 September 1917 Ship's Cook  H Humphreys logged as deserted.

18 March 1918 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR discharged at Scapa Flow to RFA Burma

16 May 1918 Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 23 January 1919 when he took command of RFA Black Dragon in Gibraltar.

Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR

1 November 1919 Captain H Young Third RFA appointed Master until 31 March 1920. He then took command of RFA Philol

1 November 1919 crew transfered to B of T articles

15 and 16 December 1919 alongside HMS Dauntless at Liban, in the Baltic refuelling her with 390 tons of FFO

1 April 1920 Chief Officer W Seymour Biggs RFA appointed as Acting Master until 16 April 1920

18 April 1920 Captain W Watson RFA appointed as Master - resigned from Admiralty Service 28 April 1920

28 April 1920 Captain R D Williams RFA appointed as Master previously on RFA Appleleaf.

7 August 1920 Master, Officers and crew signed a Home Trade Agreement

30 October 1920 on Yard Craft Agreement

1922 to 1935 As her stability was unsatisfactory, she was laid up with RFA THERMOL in the large drydock at Gibraltar

1935 Reactivated during the Italo-Abyssinian Conflict, but was found to be unsuitable so she returned to the UK and was placed in reserve

1939 300 tons of steel was removed to improve her stability

3 September 1939 in reserve at Devonport

13 September 1939 sailed Rosyth for Scapa Flow under the escort of HMS Matabele - arrived on 14 September 1939

19 September 1939 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS Royal Oak to refuel her

27 September 1939 at 0715hrs at Scapa Flow alongside HMS Hood on her port side to refuel her - slipped at 1300hrs

7 October 1939 at 1315hrs at Scapa Flow alongside HMS Hood to refuel her - slipped at 1550hrs

1 January 1940 to 21 February 1940 at Scapa Flow

8 April 1940 sailed Leith to Rosyth

7 May 1940 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master

26 May 1940 Mr F Easey, RFA, Chief Engineer Officer discharged dead. He is buried in the New MacHar Cemetery, Aberdeenshire

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

9 June 1940 to 4 December 1940 at Scapa Flow

1 September 1940 refuelling HMS Hood alongside at Scapa Flow

11 November 1940 Mr L Cowell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 December 1940 sailed Methil in convoy EN35 to Oban - arrived on 6 December 1940

7 December 1940 arrived  the Clyde

10 March 1941 under repair at the Clyde

November 1941 Captain Edward E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master

13 November 1941 Captain E W J Rousell RFA appointed as Master

11 December 1941 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS DUKE OF YORK refuelling her with 835 tons of FFO

25 February 1942 Mr R B Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 July 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

8 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

22 Agust 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

30 August 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

9 September 1942 Captain E M Rae RFA appointed as Master

24 September 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

23 October 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V refuelling her

31 October 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

19 November 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her. RFA PETRONEL was also alongside her at the same time supplying fresh water

3 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her. Cast off 4 December 1942

5 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her. RFA SPA was alongside her at the same time supplying fresh water

11 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

17 December 1942 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS KING GEORGE V  refuelling her

2 January 1943 Mr J Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 January 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

27 January 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

4 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 84 tons of FFO transferred

20 February 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 446 tons of FFO transferred

6 March 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN401 to Methil  - arrived on 7 March 1943

6 May 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN225 to Scapa Flow  - arrived on 7 May 1943

20 May 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her. RFA Petronel was alongside at the same time supply fresh water

29 July 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 1,266 tons of FFO transferred

10 August 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 512 tons of FFO transferred

12 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her

17 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her - 260 tons of FFO transferred

24 September 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her - 443 tons of FFO transferred. RFA Spa was also alongside at the same time supplying fresh water

19 February 1944 Mr Clifford N Ansell OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1944 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN572 to Methil  - arrived 20 April 1944

28 December 1945 HM King George VI inspected the Master, Officers and men of the Mixol and the Black Ranger on the quarter deck of HMS Rodney while reviewing the Home Fleet in the Firth of Forth off Rosyth.

14 February 1946 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master

16 April 1946 Mr J Hall RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 August 1947 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 September 1947 Captain Douglas S Norrington RD RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1948 sold to Whitebrook Shipping Co Ltd (Counties Ship Management Co Ltd,  Managers) London

20 February 1948 renamed WHITEBROOK by her owners

1951 Purchased by Nolido Compania de Navegacion S.A. (Marcou & Sons (Shipbrokers) Ltd, Managers) Panama and renamed IRENE M

1953 appeared in the casualty lists when her boilers failed completely in the English Channel near the Royal Sovereign Lightship, she sent out an SOS and was towed into the Thames by Dover tugs

27 December 1953 arrived at Antwerp for breaking up

RFA Moiler

Moiler on 25 November 1973 at King George V Dock, London

X craft general Class plan 

Courtesy and © of Dave Mallard

Previous name:                       X75  
Subsequent name:    

Official Number:                     167940          

Class:                                       X Class Lighter

Pennant No:                            X75     

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Short Bros, Pallion

Launched:                               1915
Into Service:                            August 1915    
Out of service:                        
Fate:                                         

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

November 1916 based at Cromarty

August 1917 Skipper John Campbell RNR appointed in command

9 March 1918 Skipper John M Flak RNR appointed in command

1 March 1941 alongside HMS Hood at Rosyth supplying water

1967 owned by Ham River Grit Co. Ltd., London Later Hall Dredging Ltd.

RFA Mollusc after her sale to the PLA and renamed PLA Yantlet

Copyright PLA/Museum of London

RFA Mollusc salavges a steam picket boat

Puplished with the permission of  'Woody'

Previous name:                       Trinculo
Subsequent name:                 Yantlet

Class:                                        Mooring Vessel

Official Number:                      147478

Pennant No:                             X.34 / X.44

Laid down:
Builder:                                      Fleming & Ferguson, Clyde
Launched:                                20 November 1915
Into Service:                             1916
Out of service:                          December 1922
Fate:                                          Sold to commercial interests

Background Data:

Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control.

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

January 1916 renamed Mollusc

11 February 1916 Lieutenant William O Jones RNR appointed in command

25 February 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Cecil A Wade RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 January 1917 Lieutenant Arthur C Horne RNR appointed in command

16 November 1918 Deck Hand John Samuel Corringham Dennis discharged dead. He was buried at Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery.

21 November 1918 Able Seaman Arthur Samuels discharged dead. He was buried at Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery.

30 November 1918 Able Seaman Patrick Glanville MMR 500659 discharged dead. He was buried at Hull Western Cemetery.

7 December 1918 Fireman Henry Pawsey MMR discharged dead. He was buried at Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery.

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

10 December 1918 Linesman (Divers Mate) John Brymner discharged dead. He was buried at Glasgow Eastern Necropolis.

December 1922 sold to the Port of London Authority, London EC3 and renamed Yantlet

1941 the uppermost image above of PLA Yantlet involved in salvage work

June 1955 broken up at Grays, Essex

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                   140408

Class:                                    SECOND 2000t BELGOL CLASS Tanker

Pennant No:                          X 66  /  X 45

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Central Yard, William Gray, West Hartlepool
Launched:                             5 July 1917
Into Service:                          20 November 1917
Out of service:                       21 May 1942   
Fate:                                       Sunk

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.

5 July 1917 Launched by Wm Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool as Yard Nr 887 named  MONTENOL

 1 June 1917 Engineer Lieutenant John Burnie RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. Signed off on

11 July 1917 on being transferred to RFA Rapidol as Chief Engineer Officer.

7 August 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Richard G Sibun RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 October 1917 Lieutenant George P Wilkinson RNR appointed in command

20 November 1917 completed

20 November 1917 Greaser Arthur Nevin logged as deserted. He had signed on on 13 November 1917. Having had previously served on RFA Fernleaf

26 December 1917 Signalman & Able Seaman J Leggett logged as deserted. He had signed on on the 11 October 1917

15 February 1918 Stoker J Sewell logged as deserted. He had signed on on the 13 November 1917.

21 October 1918 Stoker A Green, MMR 774816, discharged dead. He was buried in and remembered on the Screen Wall of the City of London & Tower Hamlets Cemetery. He had signed on on the 13 November 1917.

17 December 1918 Third Officer Stewart M Evans RFA appeared before a court martial charged with being drunk on board. The charged was not proved and he was acquitted. Sub Lieutenant Arthur S Belyea  RNR appeared before a court martial charged with (a) making an irregular issue of rum and (b) drunk on board . The the first charge was found proved and the second charge not proved.  Adjudged to be severely reprimanded . 

6 January 1919 Assistant Cook H Mills, MMR 869963, logged as being absent. He was arrested at Northampton. He had signed on on 16 January 1918

13 May 1919 Mr D J Rees RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 May 1919 a number of Turkish citizens who had been detailed in the Bekir Aga Prison for alleged Armenian persecution were removed to Malta on board HMS Princess Ena

1 August 1919 Captain W A Wooster RFA appointed as Master

26 August 1919 refuelled alongside HM Monitor M29 in the Black Sea

24 December 1919 Stoker G Zarb Discharged to Detention. He had signed on on 5 September 1919

1 March 1920 Greaser Laurence Mangion discharged dead. He had signed on on 6 December 1919

17 May 1920 Captain G L Capsey RFA appointed as Master

29 July 1920 Mr F C Pavitt RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 December 1920 at Batumi Poti, Georgia, in the Black Sea alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 120 tons FFO and 1.4 tons culinary coal

1 October 1921 all 59 Turkish prisoners at Malta were returned to Turkey on RFA Montenol and HMS Crysanthemum.

16 December 1921 Captain W T Williams RFA appointed as Master

6 July 1923 Mr Percy E C Ogden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 November 1923 Captain W A Wooster RFA appointed as Master

16 October 1925 Mr D E Morgan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 May 1926 Captain Reginald J Harland RFA appointed as Master

13 January 1927 Mr L A Taylor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 May 1928 Captain J B Hurst RFA appointed as Master

27 December 1928 Mr F C Pavitt RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 August 1929 Mr W W Ridgway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 September 1929 Captain T Drever RFA appointed as Master

20 July 1930 berthed at Malta

5 August 1930 Captain A Peters RFA appointed as Master 

14 July 1931 Captain George E Thickett RFA appointed as Master and Mr D E Morgan RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Engraved 'Presented to Captain G E Thickett from Deck and Engine Room Dept R F A Montenol'

1932 - 1935 in reserve at Rosyth

1 February 1936 has paravanes fitted and the Admiralty write to the Grangemouth Dock Company who had undertaken the work

Courtesy Falkirk Council Archives

18 July 1936 sailed Malta for the UK

1936 - 1939 recommissioned as Fleet Attendant Oiler on the Biscay Coast, based at La Rochelle, during the Spanish Civil War and then in the Haifa and Alexandria areas

28 January 1938 Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 September 1938 Captain J C Lodge RFA appointed as Master

1 May 1939 Mr H Ringshaw RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 June 1939 Captain Herbert  A Shacklock RFA appointed as Master

26 June 1939 at Portland alongside HMS Royal Oak refuelling her

10 August 1939 sailed Invergordon

31 August 1939 at Scapa Flow with HMS Sharpshooter alongside being refuelled

3 September 1939 at the outbreak of World War 2 was in Scapa Flow

15 September 1939 at Sullom Voe alomgside HMS EDINBURGH refuelling her with 644 tons FFO

2 October 1939 at 1155hrs at Loch Ewe alongside HMS HOOD refuelling her - slipped at 1325hrs

12 October 1939 at 0745hrs at Loch Ewe alongside HMS HOOD refuelling her - slipped at 1330hrs

28 October 1939 Mr Henry S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 October 1939 at 1100hrs at Greenock alongside HMS HOOD refuelling her

2 November 1939 alongside HMS Sharpshooter at Greenock refuelling her

18 February 1940 on the Clyde with another oiler (not named and non RFA) alongside HMS WARSPITE refuelling her with 1,998 tons of FFO

13 April 1940 Captain Donald B C Ralph RFA appointed as Master. Whilst at anchor off the Tail of the Bank, she was hit by the BP tanker BRITISH COURAGE

22 July 1940 until 1 September 1940 Fuel Oil depot ship - River Clyde

5 September 1940 sailed the Clyde in convoy WN13 to Scapa Flow arriving on the 8 September 1940

11 September 1940 refuelled HMS Hood at Scapa Flow

11 September 1940 to 20 April 1941 at Scapa Flow

9 October 1940 Mr G W Martin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer.  Sailed for Shaalefjord in the Faroes, escorted by 2 Tribal Class destroyers

July 1941 Captain Horace W Taylor RFA appointed as Master

10 July 1941 at Greenock

20 July 1941 requested for OAS trials in the Clyde area

30 August 1941 In company with the cruiser HMS Dunedin she rendezvoused with the battle cruiser HMS REPULSE

25 October 1941 at Greenock alongside HMS Roberts ( monitor) to refuel her

19 November 1941 Equipped for fuelling escorts, she sailed with her own escort of  the corvette HMS BERGAMOT to join Convoy SL 93, transferring to Convoy OS11 with the Freetown Escort Force

29 December 1941 in collision with the Clyde ferry DUCHESS OF MONTROSE

20 January 1942 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON58 but returned the next day

24 March 1942 under repair on the river Clyde. Repairs completed 2 April 1942.

12 May 1942 sailed Liverpool in convoy OS28 towards Freetown

21 May 1942 Torpedoed by German U-Boat U159 off the West Coast of Africa at 36.41N, 22.45W while part of convoy OS28 and badly damaged. Four of the crew died.

22 May 1942 Sunk by gunfire from the corvette HMS WOODRUFF.

. 

RFA Mounts Bay at Portland with her new engine exhausts

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                     9240770 

Class:                                      BAY CLASS Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)

Pennant No:                            L3008

Laid down:                              14 January 2002
Builder:                                    BAE Systems, Govan
Launched:                               19 April 2004
Into Service:                            13 July 2006
Out of service:
Fate:

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 November 2001ordered along with RFA CARDIGAN BAY

14 January 2002 laid down - being built in 7 blocks

19 April 2004 Launched by BAE Systems Marine, Govan as Yard Number 0323 named MOUNTS  BAY. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Band, wife of Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, CinC FLEET. Named after Mounts Bay in Cornwall. When launched she struck a quay wall causing minor damage to her port quarter

May 2005 original in service date

8 September 2005 sailed Scotstoun for 2 weeks of sea trials

15 December 2005 Captain Ross G Ferris OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer. Ship accepted and moved to Faslane

7 January 2006 alongside at Faslane undergoing various commissioning tests. A man overboard drill was held involving use of the vessel's Fast Response craft (FRC). 

The FRC was lowered to a position 1 metre above the waterline, at this level the crew prepared the boat for entry into the water by cocking the off-load release hook and releasing the safety chain.

Lowering was then resumed, whereupon the winch was paid out at full speed and was immediately stopped; this caused the davit assembly to visibly judder, which in turn caused the boat to detach from the hook and drop approximately one metre into the water. The crew were shaken but un harmed.

13 January 2006 arrived Portland

29 April 2006 arrived Devonport as part of her First of Class trials

1 June 2006 carried out loading trials with 539 ASRM / 17 Port Regt RCT

11 September until 22 November 2006  took part in the Vela Deployment. In total approximately 3,000 British personnel and 11 ships of the Royal Navy and RFA were involved.

13 July 2006 in service date

25 July 2006 completed her FOST training

8 February 2007 the port Fast Rescue Craft was deployed for training. The automatic release hook did not release and the 2 man crew were thrown into the sea. They were rescued after 10 minutes and returned to the ship unharmed. There was a Marine Accident Investigation.

15 September 2006 service of Dedication held at Falmouth and Operational Command transferred to Fleet

19 September 2006 Arrived Marchwood to load cargo and stores for Operation Vela - the ATG Deployment to Sierra Leone

21 September 2006 Sailed Marchwood on her first deployment - Operation Vela led by the assault ship HMS OCEAN for amphibious operations off the coast of Sierra Leone - along with RFA‘s DILIGENCE, FORT AUSTIN, OAKLEAF (2), SIR BEDIVERE and WAVE KNIGHT (2)

21 November 2006 returned to Marchwood on completion of Operation Vela

8 February 2007 deployed the port Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) for training in Lyme Bay on the South Coast of the UK. The wind was Westerly Force 5 with a moderate WSW’ly swell. The two man crew of the Pacific 22 MkII FRC were expelled from the boat as the boat was lowered into the water with a ship’s speed of 7.5 Knots.

During the launch the RFD Automatic Release Hook (ARH) did not release as the weight came off the fall wire and, as the crew released the painter and applied power to the fast jet boat engine, they did not check that the ARH had released.

Restrained by the fall wire, the FRC listed to starboard and the crew jumped from the boat. The two men, wearing immersion suits, were recovered on board by the second FRC after 10 minutes. They were transferred to the ship’s hospital cold but uninjured.

When the Port FRC was recovered the ARH could not be released from the boat by cocking the hook in the usual way and the hook was forced apart to replace the ARH. The manufacturer’s inspection of the ARH stated that the failure appeared to be due to the build up of sea salt contamination internally and externally causing the mechanism to lock and not release properly.

23 May 2009 sailed the River Tyne

September 2009 Captain Gerrard A Patterson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

Captain G A Patterson RFA

11 January 2010 sailed the Tyne after being berthed at A & P's yard at Hebburn for a full survey

8 February 2010 Assistant Cook David Stephen Trotter discharged dead

25 February 2010 involved with Royal Marine and Army Units in Operation Cold Response at Harstad, Normway

3 April 2011 anchored in the Solent big ships anchorage

29 April 2011 off Plymouth

3 June 2011 berthed in Malta GC

21 June 2011 anchored in the Solent big ships anchorage

5 August 2011 sailed Portsmouth Naval Base

17 October 2011 sailed Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and anchored in the Solent big ships anchorage off Browndown Camp

9 January 2012 at Portland the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond boarded the ship for a meeting with the Dorset Police to discuss security at the part of the Olympic Games being held locally 

16 January 2012 sailed Faslane Naval Base

Ships of the same name

Mounts Bay. (ex Loch Kilbirnie) a frigate of the “Bay” class launched by Pickersgill on the 8 June 1945. She served in the Korean War and was awarded the Korean War 1950 - 53 Battle Honour. Transferred to the Portuguese Navy on the 9 May 1961 and renamed Vasco da Gama.  Sold on the 21 December 1971 for scrap.