Previous name:
Subsequent name:  

Official Number:                      93430                                                                         

Class:                                       Munitions Carrier / Collier / Fleet Messenger

Pennant No:                             Y 2.36 / Y 3.586 / Y 4.33

Laid down:
Builder:                                     McIlwaine & McColl Ltd., Belfast

Launched:                               3 May 1892
Into Service:                            11 January 1915 - hired as an Ammunition carrier for the RFA
Out of service:                         30 January 1919 
Fate:                                          Wrecked at Stratoni, Greece

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to supplement the ships of the RFA

30 April 1892 Launched by McIlwaine & McColl Ltd, Belfast as Yard Nr 49 named RACE FISHER for James Fisher & Sons, Barrow

June 1892 completed

3 October 1901 sailed Cardiff to Caen

11 January 1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a Munitions Carrier - name unchanged

29 July 1915 became a collier then a Fleet Messenger

30 July 1915 Lieutenant Thomas A Lobb RNR appointed in command

12 October 1915 Engineer Lieutenant James Ferguson RNR discharged dead - he was buried at sea and he is remembered on the Hollybrook Memorial at Southampton.

26 April 1916 Assistant Engineer Frederick Carlisle MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Liverpool (Toxteth Park) Cemetery in grave I N C 89.

17 July 1916 Seaman Bertram Howey pleaded Guilty to (a) deserting the ship and to (b) fraudulent conversion to his own use and benefit of the sum of ten pounds, one shilling and eight pence being part of fourteen pounds, seventeen shillings and six pence with which he had been entrusted in order that he might retain the same in safe custody, and put the same in purchasing food for his mess for the month. He was adjudged to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for the term of 12 calendar months and at the expiration of the said term to be dismissed from His Majesty's Service

4 September 1917 Bosun Michael Reilly MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Khartoum War Cemetery grave 2 B 18

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

12 September 1917 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Robert M Watson RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 November 1917 Lieutenant David S Brown RNR appointed in command

30 January 1919 wrecked at Stratoni Bay, Greece

lower image HMS Racer in 1884

Previous name:                      HMS Racer
Subsequent name:                                                                          

Class:                                      Salvage vessel - MARINER CLASS Sloop (originally)

Pennant No:                            X 76 / X 57

Laid down:                              9 April 1883
Builder:                                    Devonport Dockyard
Launched:                               6 August 1884
Into Service:
Out of service:                        6 November 1928
Fate:                                         Sold to Hughes Bolckow of Blyth.

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   She was one of a Class of six 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 2 cylinder horizontal compound  expansion steam engine produced by Hawthorn Leslie

9 April 1883 laid down

6 August 1884 launched by HM Dockyard, Devonport as the screw gun vessel HMS RACER by Miss Maud Wright neice of Rear Admiral Charles T Curme

26 November 1884 was re-rated as a sloop

9 April 1885 commissioned for the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station. Hull cost £37,000 and her machinery cost £12,000

28 April 1885 at sea off Plymouth testing her equipment 

29 April 1885 undertook full power trials off Plymouth

11 May 1885 Commander Edmund H Oldham Royal Navy in command

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

29 August 1885 sailed Plymouth for the Cape of Good Hope

12 September 1885 berthed at Maderia and then sailed for Cape Coast Castle and the West Coast of Africa

20 November 1885 was at Cape Coast Castle

23 February 1886 was at Sierra Leone

31 March 1886 suffered defects in her engines - the Admiralty were advised that she would have to return to the UK for repairs or sail to the Dockyard at Simonstown 

4 August 1886 refit of her engines completed at Simonstown for Sierra Leone

3 October 1886 arrived at Bathurst

October 1886 employed on duties for the Niger River Expedition

27 January 1887 proceeded 200 miles up the River Gambia

17 June 1887 arrived at Las Palmas

27 June 1887 berthed at Gibraltar - sailed the 2 July 1887 for Malta to relieve HMS Condor

June 1887 joined the Mediterranean Squadron

1 October 1887 at Port Said as the senior officer's ship

December 1887 ordered East to Sakim in the Soudan

14 December 1887 reported in the UK press of this date that an enquiry was to be held into the cause of the breakdown of the machinery in HMS Racer - she was designed to steam at 11kts but it was found unsafe to steam her at more than 8kts as her 'machinery was little more than worthless' 

31 December 1887 at Sakim firing heavily at rebels

1888 to 1889 served in the Mediterranean

21 November 1888 Ordinary Seaman B Strong discharged dead. He is buried in Khartoum War Cemetery in Plot 5 Row C Grave 13

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

3 December 1888 Shipwright C Revell discharged dead. He is buried in Khartoum War Cemetery in Plot 5 Row C Grave 12

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

7 February 1889 arrived at Malta

11 March 1889 sailed Malta for the UK

16 April 1889 returned to Devonport with Commander Henry John May Royal Navy in command

10 June 1889 paid off into Reserve at Devonport

21 April 1891 commissioned at Plymouth - Commander Royle Royal Navy  as Commanding Officer

10 May 1891 sailed Plymouth for West Africa

26 May 1891 sailed Las Palmas

1 January 1892 arrived at Bathurst

8 January 1892 landed the Naval Brigade at Bathurst

24 February 1892 sailed Bathurst for Sierra Leone

9 March 1892 sailed Sierra Leone for Fernando Po and Loanda

27 April 1892 at Bathhurst with HMS Alecto

7 May 1892 arrived at Sierra Leone

25 May 1892 sailed Sierra Leonne for St. Helena

8 September 1892 sailed Loanda for Fernando Po

10 March 1893 at Tristan da Cunha - Captain S Rolleston, Royal Navy  as Commanding Officer

12 June 1893 at Simonstown, South Africa

1893 to 1894 served on the South East Coast of America

24 January 1894 at Rio De Janeiro during Revolution in Brazil

5 September 1894 arrived at Devonport

1894 to 1897 in reserve at Devonport

26 June 1897 took part in the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.

1898 after a refit, she commissioned as a tender to Britannia Naval College at Dartmouth

17 April 1899 Seaman John Broughton Hauger discharged dead having drowned in Dartmouth Harbour - buried in a common grave in consegrated ground

February 1903 sailed Dartmouth for Portsmouth, where she was used as a tender to Osborne College on the Isle of Wight

12 May 1915 Chief Petty Officer G Williams G 98523 discharged dead - be is buried in Baglan (St. Catherine) Churchyard, Glamorganshire

23 December 1915 Chief Petty Officer E E Grant discharged dead - he is buried in Portsmouth (Kingston) Cemetry

Rebuilt 1916 - 1917 as a RFA Salvage Ship

2 May 1916 Stoker 1st Class George Poole discharged dead. He is buried in Cowes (Kingston) Cemetery, Isle of Wight in Section C grave 271

2 December 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Henry C Hancock RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1917 Lieutenant Horace H Gould RNR appointed in command. He had previously been in command of RFA Melita from 29 January 1916 until 17 April 1917.

RFA Racer's Radio Room

22 August 1917 Rigger John Tremble charged with assault at Queenstown and detained. Discharged to HMS Eagle. He had signed on on 7 May 1917

8 January 1918 Lieutenant F B Nicholson RNR appointed in command.

3 April 1918 Lieutenant Harold Jones RNR appointed in command. He remained in command until 9 March 1920 when he was demobilised

RFA Racer dressed overall for the Armistice 1918

RFA Racer's Riggers in 1918

Back Left to right - Salvage Foreman W Dole, Salvage Bosun J Meek, Rigger John Foulkes

Others - not identified with people in the image are Riggers - E. Coone, James W Jones, Thomas E Robertson, Henry McDonald, Ernest Symons, WIlfred Kennedy, Henry Furley, Herbert Redgrave (may be back row far right) W. Harris and B McAteer

(Research by Tony Babb)

22 January 1918 ss Admiral Cochrane torpedoed off Berry Head by UB31 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Thomas Bieber and sank at the entrance into Dartmouth Harbour at 18.30hrs the same day. was refloated and regrounded in Dartmouth Harbour on 29 January 1918 by RFA Racer

SS Admiral Cochrane salvaged by the crew of RFA Racer

14 March 1918 ss Comrie Castle, a troop ship, torpedoed by UC71 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Walter Warzecha, 5 miles south of St Catherine Point, Isle of Wight, 9 died in the attack. She was beached and then salvaged by RFA Racer

RFA Racer's pumps working in ss Comrie Castle

24 March 1918 SS Anchoria was torpedoed by U98 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Andler in Loch Swilly, Northern Ireland. She was salvaged by RFA Racer

SS Anchoria in happier times

SS Anchoria as approached by RFA Racer sent to salvage her

10 April 1918 HMS Magic was mined of Lough Foyle Ireland and had her bows completely blown off with about 15 lives lost.

HMS Magic with no bow, RFA Racer on her port side and a tug forward

20 August 1918 HMS Shirley, an improved Racecourse minesweeper was mined 25 miles SE of Aberdeen. The mine had been laid on 17 April 1918 by the German submarine U71. The damage to the minesweeper was to the port side. She was towed ashore and beached. RFA Racer's crew assisted in the salavage.

1 February 1919 USS Narragansett carrying 2,000 troops from France ran aground on Bembridge Ledge, Isle of Wight during a SE gale and snowstorm.  Towed off by RFA Racer on 17 February 1919

USS Narragansett

USS Narragansett with RFA Racer alongside

1918 to 1922 involved in the salvage of gold from RMS Laurentic off County Galway, Eire. (See RFA Awards for details of RFA crew recognised for the work (one CBE and one BEM) Non RFA Awards for details of RN divers who were recognised for their work on this task).

During the salvage of the gold from RMS Laurentic, out of the salvage season, the ship was laid up at Portsmouth

5 March 1919 Salvage Rigger John R Foulkes was discharged from RFA Racer having signed on on 11 December 1916 when the ship was in Portsmouth in refit.

Salvage Rigger John R Foulkes' Discharge Certificate

29 March 1920 Lieutenant in command James C N Macmillan OBE appointed as Master

23 April 1920 Commissioned Gunner Albert B Baldock appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 April 1921 sailed Portsmouth

1 March 1922 Captain G C Brock RFA appointed as Master

1925 placed on the Sales List

6 November 1928 Sold for breaking up by Hughes Bolckow of Blyth.

Ships of the same name

Racer. A Cutter of 203 bm, 75 x 26 feet by Baker of Sandgate, launched on the 24 April 1810.  Stranded off the French coast on the 24 May 1810 and captured by the French.

Racer. A schooner of 250 bm, 93.5 x 25 feet, 12 x 12 pdr carronade, 2 x 6pdr, American privateer Independence, captured on the 9 November 1812.  Wrecked in the Gulf of Florida on the 10 October 1814.

Racer. A cutter of 123 bm, 63.5 x 22 feet built by Pembroke Dock and launched on the 4 April 1818, armed with 2 x 6 pdr, 4 x 6 pdr carronade.  Ordered to be sold at Malta on the 4 May 1830.

Racer. A brig sloop of 413 bm launched by Portsmouth Dockyard on the 18 July 1833.  101 x 32.5 feet armed with 14 x 32 pdr carronade, 2 x 12 pdr.  Sold to Wilson and Company in September 1852.

Racer. A wood screw sloop of 579 bm, 151 x 29 feet by Deptford Dockyard, launched on the 4 November 1857.  Armed with 11 x 32 pdr guns.  Broken up at Portsmouth in 1876.

RFA Rangol

For details of RFA Rangol please see RFA Mapleleaf.

Previous name:                  
Subsequent name:            Louise Moller,   Mount Cameron

Official Number:                 140322                                                                  

Class:                                   SECOND 2000t BELGOL CLASS Tanker

Pennant No:                        X  59 / X 58 / B 517 / A 258

Laid down:
Builder:                                 William Gray & Company, Hartlepool
Launched:                           23 April 1917
Into Service:                        28 August 1917
Out of service:                     4 March 1946
Fate:                                      Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  There were 10 ships in this Class, all Admiralty designed of which 5 were named after Allied countries while the other 5 were given names indicating power or speed, all with the OL suffix. 3 of them, RFA’s FRANCOL, MONTENOL and SERBOL had upright funnels with a single tall mast close by, while the remainder had a raking funnel and 2 raking masts. During WW2 the mainmast was removed from these

23 April 1917 Launched by Wm Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool as Yard Nr 886 named  RAPIDOL

 4 June 1917 Engineer Lieutenant A A Hinde RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. Discharged ashore sick on 11 July 1917 and resigned from the Royal Naval Reserve on 11 October 1917

11 July 1917 Engineer Lieutenant John Birnie RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer - transferred from RFA Montenol - he was demobilised on 28 December 1919

12 July 1917 Lieutenant James D Ashworth RNR appointed in command transferred to HMS Crescent on 20 November 1917. 

28 August 1917 completed

28 August 1917 Fireman W Frackleton logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on on the 21 August 1917

8 November 1917 Able Seaman W Millar logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on on the 21 August 1917

9 January 1918 Lieutenant Hermann R Elsby RNR appointed in Command on transfer from RFA Trefoil

18 January 1918 Able Seaman Signaller George H Constable discharged having been sentenced to 3 years penal servitude at Edinburgh Prison.

28 March 1918 Greaser A Tolmie logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on on the 21 August 1917

15 July 1918 Fireman Chas Cassidy, MMR 918600 discharged dead. He had signed on on 21 August 1917. He was buried in North Ormesby (St. Joseph's) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Courtesy of and © The War Graves Photographic Project

9 August 1918 Fireman J Winn MMR 968732 signed on. He was a deserter from 16th Warwickshire Regiment. This fact was discovered on 22 February 1919 when he was discharged in custody to RFA Sunhill where he deserted.

2 June 1919 Assistant Steward William Vernon Fairclough MMR 981329 discharged to H.M. Prison Malta. Reason and duration not shown.

17 August 1919 3rd Officer Edward Lawrence Mandell RFA discharged dead. He had signed on on the 3 December 1918.  He was buried in Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul, Turkey in grave I F 20.

In Memoriam Card for 3rd Officer Mandell from Leith Birnie

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

10 September 1919 refuelled a Greek destroyer at Sevastopol alongside

11 September 1919 sailed Sevastopol to Odessa

21 September 1919 refuelled HM Monitor M29 at Yalta alongside

24 October 1919 Mr W Howell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

15 November 1919 Captain George H Franklin RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

2 December 1919 at Port Said - bunkering from RFA Dredgol

3 December 1919 sailed Port Said to Alexandria

4 December 1919 arrived at Alexandria. Refuelled HMS Swallow - provided 48 tons FFO. Refuelled HMS Benbow - provided 680 tons FFO

5 December 1919 loaded spare propeller from HMS Caesar stowed on the gun platform - sailed to Port Said

6 December 1919 arrived at Port Said from Alexandria.

9 December 1919 alongside RFA Dredgol bunkering. Sailed - transit of Suez Canal

10 December 1919 sailed Suez to Abadan

24 December 1919 berthed Abadan to load. Chief Officer F Samson RFA discharged sick to Abadan Hospital

26 December 1919 at Outer Bar, Abadan

27 December 1919 sailed Abadan to Bombay

2 January 1920 arrived at Bombay moored to the South Troopship buoy. 4th Engineer E Jones RFA discharged sick to the Military Hospital

4 January 1920 entered the Bombay Dockyard

6 January 1920 while taking out 'tail end' shaft, spar in use as a derrick carried away . Shaft landed heavily on rail and stove in bulwarks in after end, starboard side. No serious damage

7 January 1920 sailed Bombay to Colombo arriving on 11 January 1920

13 January 1920 at Colombo moved alongside HMS Comus to refuel her - supplied 485 tons FFO

14 January 1920 sailed Colombo to Trincomalee arriving 15 January 1920

15 January 1920 at Trincomalee alongside HMS Caroline refuelling her with FFO then to anchorage

16 January 1920 sailed Trincomalee to Colombo arriving on 17 January 1920

18 January 1920 entered dry dock at Colombo Dockyard

20 January 1920 dry dock flooded up. Ship moved to berth in Dockyard

28 January 1920 at Colombo Dockyard alongside HMS Comus to refuel her - 340 tons FFO

11 February 1920 at Colombo Dockyard alongside HMS Comus to refuel her - 300 tons FFO

16 February 1920 crew replaced with RIM Ratings

22 February 1920 sailed Bombay for Abadan arriving 28 February 1920

29 February 1920 loading cargo at Abadan

1 March 1920 sailed Abadan for Bombay arriving 7 March 1920

27 March 1920 Captain Frederick W Rae RFA appointed as Master

1 April 1920 alongside HMS Comus at Bombay to refuel her - supplied 425 tons of FFO

2 April 1920 sailed Bombay to Colombo arriving 6 April 1920

12 April 1920 sailed Colombo to Bombay arriving 16 April 1920

20 April 1920 HMS Colombo and HMS Moth alongside for refueling

21 April 1920 moored alongside HMS Caroline to refuel her - 300 tons of FFO and then sailed to Abadan arriving 27 April 1920

1 May 1920 at Abadan - loaded 1,600 tons FFO

5 May 1920 at  Shat al Arab - loaded remainder of fuel - full load of 2,088 tons

6 May 1920 sailed Shat al Arab for Colombo. Ship not answering to wheel - defect in steering - starboard anchor let go. Steering repaired. Ship sailed 2hours late. 

15 May 1920 on buoys at Colombo

14 June 1920 at Colombo berthed alongside HMS Curlew to refuel her - 517 tons FFO - then to Admiralty berth

23 June 1920 at Colombo moored alongside RFA War Nizam to load fuel and stores then to breakwater berth

16 August 1920 Mr Ernest K Horsely RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 October 1920 off Trincomalee took HMS Comus in tow and RASed astern between 1340 and 1700hrs transfered 68 tons of  FFO

29 October 1920 at Trincomalee alongside HMS Comus refuelling her - 504 tons FFO transfered

11 and 12 January 1921 at Trincomalee alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her

20 February 1921 Captain William F Clay RFA appointed as Master

25 February 1921 at Bombay alongside HMS Malaya refuelling her

10 April 1921 at Bombay

28 July 1921 berthed at Mauritius

1 August 1921 sailed Mauritius

13 September 1921 at Madras

10 October 1921 off Trincomalee took HMS Comus in tow and RASed astern between 0810 and 1145hrs transfered 121 tons of FFO

28 February 1922 dressed overall in Colombo Harbour on the occasion of the wedding of Princess Mary, the daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and Viscount Lascelles, later the 6th Earl of Harewood. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was one of the bridesmaids.

6 June 1922 at Colombo alongside HMS Cairo to refuelling her

4 July 1922 at Colombo as oiler to the East Indies Squadron

5 October 1922 off Trincomalee took HMS Cairo in tow to RAS with her. Oil transferred over 2 hours 40 minutes

23 October 1922 at Trincomalee alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

5 February 1923 off Trincomalee served as a target for two of HMS Cairo's torpedos firing trials

10 February 1923 sailed Trincomalee to Colombo arriving the next day

17 February 1923 sailed Colombo

26 February 1923 berthed at Colombo

6 March 1923 sailed Colombo

24 March 1923 at Colombo alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

20 April 1923 berthed at Port Louis, Mauritius

21 April 1923 at Port Louis, Mauritius alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

17 August 1923 at Colombo alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

30 August 1923 at Colombo alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

6 September 1923 at Colombo alongside HMS Cairo to refuel her

12 September 1923 sailed Colombo with HMS Colombo

17 September 1923 at Trincomalee with working party onboard from HMS Cairo painting a target

21 October 1923 sailed Trincomalee

6 November 1923 sailed Colombo

17 July 1924 Captain Charles L Cutsforth RFA appointed as Master until 14 November 1926 when he became Master of RFA Slavol

13 November 1924 Mr George T Beed RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 May 1928 Captain S G Kent RFA appointed as Master

2 August 1928 Mr George C Dunning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer George C Dunning RFA

8 July 1931 Captain Reginald J Harland RFA appointed as Master and Mr Sydney  J Esson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

July 1933 laid up at Simonstown, South Africa then at Rosyth until 1935

24 May 1934 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 March 1937 Mr M Blair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 August 1939 Captain Albert  E Curtain RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

21 February 1940 Mr J Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineering Officer

28 April 1940 arrived at Freetown

12 May 1941 arrived at Cape Town.

30 August 1941 in company with the cruiser HMS DUNEDIN she rendezvoused with the battle cruiser HMS REPULSE

15 September 1941 arrived at Freetown in convoy WS11S which she had joined at sea on 8 September 1941

6 November 1941 sailed Freetown in convoy SL92 (a convoy from Freetown to Liverpool). On 13 November 1941 joined convoy OS10 a convoy from Liverpool to Freetown arriving Freetown 18 November 1941

19 November 1941 equipped for fuelling escorts, she sailed Freetown with her own escort of  the corvette  HMS BERGAMOT to join Convoy SL93, transferring to Convoy OS11 with the Freetown Escort Force for the passage back to Freetown

27 July 1942 sailed Freetown escorted to St. Helena arriving on 8 August 1942

8 August 1942 sailed St. Helena escorted eventually returning to Freetown on 19 August 1942

14 September 1942 sailed Freetown in convoy SL 122 arriving the Clyde 5 October 1942

28 October 1942 Captain Robert H Venning RFA appointed as Master and Mr J H Dawe RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 January 1943 at Belfast while berthing alongside HMS UNICORN to refuel her badly bent both No: 2 Cutters gantries and damaged the tankers starboard wing of her bridge

7 March 1943 Mr G W Martin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 March 1943 arrived Reykjavik in convoy UR68 which had sailed from Loch Ewe

29 March 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

7 April 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

13 April 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

14 April 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

22 April 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

27 April 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS HOWE refuelling her

3 May 1943 ran aground in Reykjavik harbour, Iceland - refloated

8 May 1943 at Havlfjord, Iceland alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her with 382 tons FFO

11 May 1943 at Havlfjord, Iceland alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her

30 May 1943 escorted by HMS Ships LLANDUDNO, BEAUMARIS, ARDROSSAN, and PETERHEAD sailed Hvalfiord for Akureyri

31 May 1943 RAPIDOL and escort arrived Akureyri

20 July 1943 at Havlfjord, Iceland alongside HMS ANSON refuelling her with 678 tons FFO

30 July 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her

5 August 1943 at Hvalfjord, Iceland alongside HMS LONDON refuelling her

20 February 1944 in Operation FX - the passage of Arctic Convoy JW 57 from Loch Ewe to Northern Russia, which consisted of 40 freighters, 2 tankers doubling as oilers, a rescue ship, 3 Russian-manned coastal minesweepers and 3 Patrol Craft being delivered to their new owners

9 March 1944 sailed Reyjavik in convoy RU111 arriving Loch Ewe on 12 March 1944

11 June 1944 sailed the Solent in convoy RTM6 arriving Seine Bay on 12 June 1944

5 July 1944 arrived Seine Bay in convoy ECM 22 which had sailed from Falmouth

1 August 1944 suffered damage to port side which was repaired at Plymouth between 16 and 23 August 1944.

5 September 1944 sailed the Solent in convoy EPM53

16 September 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FBC84 to Portsmouth arriving 17 September 1944

6 November 1944 Mr W H MacFarlane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 December 1944 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master

17 February 1945 sailed Liverpool in convoy OS111KM which also contained RFA SERBOL and then convoy KMS85G arriving Gibraltar 25 February 1945

25 February 1945 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 4 March 1945

12 March 1945 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 17 March 1945

18 March 1945 sailed Aden independently to Colombo arriving on 25 March 1945

9 April 1945 sailed Colombo

1 May 1945 sailed Colombo independently arriving Darwin 14 May 1945

19 May 1945 sailed Darwin 1945 arriving Port Moresby 23 May 1945

23 May 1945 sailed Port Moresby independently arriving Manus 27 May 1945

August 1945 Was attached to the British Pacific Fleet along with numerous other RFA’s and was finally based at Hong Kong

30 August 1945 sailed Manus independently arriving Hong Kong 19 September 1945

From 19 September 1945 to 3 April 1948 in port at Hong Kong

6 November 1946 Captain Rowland K Hill RFA appointed as Master

9 November 1946 Mr C Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1948 sold out of service to Moller & Co, Hong Kong 

22 July 1949 suffered weather damage while on way to Osaka.

1 August 1949 while berthing struck the quay.

28 October 1949 under RN escort entered the Yangste Estuary and ran the Shanghai sea blockade maintained by a Nationalist gunboat to deliver ½ million gallons of diesel oil for Caltex. She claimed to the gun boat that she was RFA Black Ranger

26 August 1950 renamed LOUISE MOLLER by her owners.

1951 owners became Mount Line Ltd with Mollers as Managers and she was renamed  MOUNT CAMERON and was engaged in running the Chinese Blockade in the Formosa Straits to Communist China

1951 named changed to Mount Cameron - 

17 December 1951 alongside in Singapore Harbour

7 June 1952 alongside in Singapore Harbour

12 July 1952 alongside in Singapore Harbour

11 March 1953 anchored in the Inner Roads, Singapore

10 July 1953 anchored in the Inner Roads, Singapore

2 September 1953 anchored in the Outer Roads, Singapore

3 October 1955 arrived Hong Kong for demolition by Chip Hua

Notes:

Was part of the British Pacific Fleet Train - hence the B-pennant number

RFA Red Dragon

Previous name:                                          Y Ddraig Goch
Subsequent name:     

Official Number:                                         54754                                                                      

Class:                                                           Oil Fuelling Hulk

Pennant No:                                                X81  

Laid down:
Builder:                                                         Napier & Miller, Old Kilpatrick, River Clyde
Launched:                                                   2 July 1912
Into Service:                                                 April 1918

Out of service:                                             1946
Fate:                                                              Scrapped

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

2 July 1912 Launched by Napier & Miller Ltd, Old Kilpatrick as Yard Nr 186 named Y. DDRAIG GOCH, a large four masted auxiliary 1,400 ton yacht, for Mr Godfrey Williams of Aberpergwm - a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron

April 1918 entered Admiralty service

17 August 1918 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Frederick L Angus RNR appointed as officer in charge

1919 used as an oil hulk at Devonport

1946 sold out of service and was scrapped

Notes

It was reported in the Times newspaper of 9 April 1913 that this vessel had an auxiliary engine which ran on gas produced on board from anthracite coal. The vessel had a six cylinder motor of 160 b.h.p. and drived a Bevis feathering propeller through a clutch. A smaller four cyclinder gas-engine drived dynamo which provided electrical power for lighting the ship and working the windlass and other deck machinery. The ship could carry sufficient anthacite to take her round the world under power alone.