Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                    144340                                                                           

Class:                                      WAR CLASS Freighting Tanker - 7 cargo tanks

Pennant No:                           Y7.337 / X90

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Robert Duncan, Port Glasgow

Launched:                              11 November 1919
Into Service:                           29 January 1920

Out of service:                        1947

Fate:                                        Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: To combat the alarming losses of British merchant ships during WW1, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act was passed in December 1916, which provided for the appointment of a Shipping Controller with very wide powers “to take such steps as he thinks best for providing and maintaining an efficient supply of shipping”. On 20 December 1916, the first meeting of the Merchant Shipbuilding Advisory Committee took place where it was decided that an extensive shipbuilding programme should be started, the ships to be of a simple design and as far as possible to be of a standard type as regards hulls and engines. These new vessels for the Government were given a standard nomenclature, the prefix to their names being WAR. 821 vessels were ordered from U.K. yards and abroad and 416 were completed to Government order, 279 were sold and transferred to private owners before completion and the remainder were cancelled. Of the 416 completed to Government order, 15 were transferred to Admiralty service as oilers. They were all modified versions of the A and B Class standard dry cargo ships, known as the Z Class. All had 2 large dry cargo holds, 6 of them had 5 cargo tanks and the remaining 9 had 7 cargo tanks, specially designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. Most of them were initially under commercial management.

11 November 1919 After launching she was towed to the James Watt Dock at Greenock for her engines to be fitted.

29 January 1920  Ran trials and placed under initial management of C.T. Bowring & Co Ltd, Liverpool.

21 November 1920 berthed at Sharpness from Texas

17 January 1921 berthed at Templepreedy  from Port Arthur

1921 RFA manned

9 December 1921 while berthed on the River Clyde was hit by another vessel which had been involved in an accident with two other ships. All four ships were damaged - in the case of  War Afridi to her bow. The matter of blame was heard in the Scottish High Court in 1924. The other ships involved were the ss Bogota, the ss Alconda and a tug Samson

18 December 1922 berthed at Devonport after voyage from Abadan

16 May 1923 alongside the Oil Wharf, Singapore

21 May 1923 at the Main Dock, Kepple Harbour, Singapore

2 July 1923 alongside the Oil Wharf, Singapore

28 September 1923 to 2 October 1923 in dry dock, Singapore

12 November 1923 alongside the Oil Wharf, Kepple Harbour, Singapore

15 November 1923 alongside the Main Wharf, Kepple Harbour, Singapore

26 November 1923 Captain A Flower RFA as Master

24 December 1923 alongside the Oil Wharf, Kepple Harbour, Singapore

9 January 1924 at Abadan - sailed 13 January 1924

2 March 1924 1815hrs berthed alongside HMS Hood at King Georges Sound, Albany, Western Australia and supplied 2,006 tons of FFO to the battle cruiser

3 March 1924 cast off from HMS Hood

27 March 1924 berthed at Singapore - sailed 1 April 1924

12 April 1924 berthed at Singapore

4 May 1924 at Suez - sailed 9 May 1924

14 May 1924 arrived at Aden - sailed 15 May 1924

25 May 1924 berthed at Abadan

25 June 1924 berthed at Abadan sailed 28 June 1924

15 July 1924 at Suez to transit Suez Canal arrived Port Said the same day

20 July 1924 berthed at Malta until 27 August 1924

15 September 1924 at Port Said to transit the Suez Canal 

16 September 1924 arrived Suez

30 September 1924 berthed Abadan

16 October 1924 berthed at the Oil Wharf, Kepple Harbour, Singapore - sailed 17 October 1924

1 November 1924 berthed at Hong Kong

7 November 1924 berthed at Singapore - sailed the same day

22 November 1924 berthed at Abadan - sailed 25 November 1924

9 December 1924 at Suez to transit the Suez Canal

11 December 1924 at Port Said sailed to Malta arriving 15 December 1924

20 March 1925 Captain H R Elsby RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1925 berthed at the Oil Wharf, Kepple Harbour

22 March 1926 Mr Charles A Smith RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 May 1927 berthed at Freemantle from Abadan

24 May 1927 sailed Freemantle for Singapore

10 July 1927 arrived at Singapore from Abadan. Sailed same day to Hong Kong

3 August 1927 at the Oil Wharf, Kepple Harbour, Singapore

1 November 1927 while under tow from the oil wharf at Keppel Harbour, SIngapore by the tug Varuna was in collision with a Chinese coasting vessel Ban Teck Guan which caused minor damage to the RFA. (Reported in The SIngapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser of 2 November 1927)

24 February 1928 in the Albert Dry Dock, Tanjong Pagar

2 May 1928 Mr D E Morgan RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer

22 November 1928 Captain Reginald  J Harland RFA appointed as Master

17 September 1930 Mr A C Fraser RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 February 1931 Captain R D Williams RD RFA (Commander RNR (retd)) appointed as Master

24 March 1932 Mr C J Falconer RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 November 1932 Captain W T Williams RFA appointed as Master

March 1933 while in dry dock at Devonport sand and brass filings were found in machinery - reported in the press and mentioned in Parliament as deliberate sabotage.

27 July 1933 Captain A L Jones RFA appointed as Master

11 March 1935 Mr W H A Lawson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 October 1936 having sailed Darwin, Australia this day after discharging 8,000 tons of FFO into the Naval storage tanks there two male stowaways, both from the UK, were discovered on board. The ship was en route to the Persian Gulf. The stoways were transferred to RFA War Sirdar which was due at Darwin on the 10 October 1936

4 March 1937 Captain W H Green RFA appointed as Master

22 April 1937 came under full RFA control

23 October 1937 to 25 October 1937 in the Albert Dry Dock, Singapore

20 April 1938 Mr J Atchinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 April 1939 Mr L T Tomlinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG 10 with RFA’s THERMOL and WAR  BHARATA. arriving Devonport on 16 December 1939

7 Mar 1940 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master

10 May 1940 Mr D L Walls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 January 1941 at Rosyth berthed along side HMS Hood to refuel her until the next day

8 March 1941 sailed Grangemeouth to Southend arriving 12 March 1941

16 June 1941 Mr W W Ridgway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 August 1941 sailed Grangemeouth to Rosyth

28 October 1941 at Rosyth alongside HMS DUKE OF YORK refuelling her

12 August 1942 damaged the cruiser HMS LIVERPOOL at Rosyth.

3 October 1942 Captain Archibald Hobson DSC RFA appointed as Master

February 1943 In collision with RFA OLIGARCH

July 1943 fitted with tanks in forward hold to hold 120 tons of diesel oil

18 August 1943 Captain W H Green RFA appointed as Master

4 December 1943 Mr H R Bullimore RFA (Lieutenant Commander (E) (RN (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 December 1944 at Rosyth alongside HMS COLOSSUS refuelling her with 1,650 tons of FFO

22 January 1945 at Leith until 28 January 1945

20 June 1945 on the Tyne until 21 September 1945

21 September 1945 sailed the Tyne but had to put back through defects

22 September 1945 sailed the Tyne 

30 August 1945 Captain Charles H Noel OBE RFA appointed as Master

5 September 1945 Mr R R Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 October 1945 passed Gibraltar

11 October 1945 arrived and sailed Port Said

26 October 1945 arrived at Abadan

1 April 1947 Captain L W J Hall RFA appointed as Master

9 April 1947 Mr A W Symonds RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1947 at Hong Kong on Yard Craft agreement

12 April 1951 Hulked

14 April 1958 offered for sale by tender 'as she lies' at Hong Kong in the Straits Times of this day - page 11

August 1958 arrived for breaking up at Hong Kong

Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Class:                                    WAR CLASS Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Armstrong Whitworth, Low Walker
Launched:                             4 November 1917

Into Service:                          December 1918
Out of service:                      1939 Hulked
Fate:                                       Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: To combat the alarming losses of British merchant ships during WW1, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act was passed in December 1916, which provided for the appointment of a Shipping Controller with very wide powers “to take such steps as he thinks best for providing and maintaining an efficient supply of shipping”. On 20 December 1916, the first meeting of the Merchant Shipbuilding Advisory Committee took place where it was decided that an extensive shipbuilding programme should be started, the ships to be of a simple design and as far as possible to be of a standard type as regards hulls and engines. These new vessels for the Government were given a standard nomenclature, the prefix to their names being WAR. 821 vessels were ordered from U.K. yards and abroad and 416 were completed to Government order, 279 were sold and transferred to private owners before completion and the remainder were cancelled. Of the 416 completed to Government order, 15 were transferred to Admiralty service as oilers. They were all modified versions of the A and B Class standard dry cargo ships, known as the Z Class. All had 2 large dry cargo holds, 6 of them had 5 cargo tanks and the remaining 9 had 7 cargo tanks, specially designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. Most of them were initially under commercial management.

5 April 1919 at Shatt al Arab HMS Moth alongside to be refuelled - 47 tons of FFO

25 January 1920 involved in a collision in the Gulf of Suez with ss Athena (a Greek owned vessel)

5 April 1920 arrived at Aden from Gibraltar

28 July 1920 arrived at Bermuda from Constantinople

12 December 1920 berthed at Old Kilpatrick from Abadan

29 May 1922 while coming alongside to refuel from RFA War Bahadur in port at Penang a crew member from HMS Cairo - Stoker T Mahoney fell between the vessels and was crushed. His body was recovered later that day having been washed ashore at Kelawai.

13 June 1922 Fireman James Thomas Sparks was fined $75 or three months imprisonment by a Court in Singapore for being in possession of a firearm without a licence. Fireman Harry Bunker and Fireman Abraham Deen were also fined $75 or 3 months imprisonment for attempting to sell the firearm to local workers in Keppel Harbour. Bunker and Deen were also charged with attempting to cheat a local shop keeper drinking two whisky and soda without paying for them. Both were fined $30 or one months imprisonment consecutively. The fines were not paid.

22 June 1922 in dry dock at Kings Dock, Keppel Harbour, SIngapore

13 December 1922 reported in the Times that she was due at Malta

1 June 1925 Captain William Bushnell RFA appointed as Master and Mr Clifford N Ansell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 September 1926 Captain C F Haughton RFA appointed as Master

22 April 1927 Mr Joseph S Harrison RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 September 1929 Captain James D Ashworth RFA appointed as Master

8 September 1930 Mr A H Ireland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

January 1931  - 1935 in reserve at Rosyth

1936 transferred to Admiralty management and manning as an RFA.

13 June 1937 Grounded at Rosyth which was caused by both pilotage error and insufficient power of the tug BUCKIE BURN. This led to a more powerful tug being stationed at  Rosyth.

14 January 1938 while Captain D A Rees RFA was in command suffered severe damage from an Atlantic gale with the upper and lower bridge, the wireless office and the master's cabin being carried away. The chart room was wrecked. The Chief Officer, the quartermaster and a look out were lifted from the bridge with the wreckage and dropped onto the main deck. Derricks were twisted. Funnel stays were snapped and the funnel holed. The steering gear was put out of action. Distress rockets were fired but not answered. The starboard lifeboat was carried away. The vessel was eventually steered from the emergency steering position and the ship was escorted into Devonport under escort from HMS Wolverine.

5 February 1938 after repairs she became a fuelling hulk at Devonport

3 September 1939 at Devonport

November 1939 was damaged during an air raid at Devonport

17 June 1940 Chief Officer F G Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Officer in command

18 April 1943 In collision with the escort destroyer HMS MELBREAK

8 January 1946 in Plymouth as a hulk

8 February 1946 in collision with the corvette HMS KENILWORTH CASTLE

7 August 1946 handed over to the Ministry of Transport - subsequently handed over to the British Iron and Steel Corporation

14 September 1946 left under tow from Devonport to Blyth

22 September 1946 arrived at Blyth for breaking up

Previous name:
Subsequent name:           Wolf Rock

Class:

Pennant No:                        X89   
Laid down:
Builder:                                Palmers, Jarrow
Launched:                           24 November 1919
Into Service:                        20 March 1920

Out of service:                    1948

Fate:                                     Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: To combat the alarming losses of British merchant ships during WW1, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act was passed in December 1916, which provided for the appointment of a Shipping Controller with very wide powers “to take such steps as he thinks best for providing and maintaining an efficient supply of shipping”. On 20 December 1916, the first meeting of the Merchant Shipbuilding Advisory Committee took place where it was decided that an extensive shipbuilding programme should be started, the ships to be of a simple design and as far as possible to be of a standard type as regards hulls and engines. These new vessels for the Government were given a standard nomenclature, the prefix to their names being WAR. 821 vessels were ordered from U.K. yards and abroad and 416 were completed to Government order, 279 were sold and transferred to private owners before completion and the remainder were cancelled. Of the 416 completed to Government order, 15 were transferred to Admiralty service as oilers. They were all modified versions of the A and B Class standard dry cargo ships, known as the Z Class. All had 2 large dry cargo holds, 6 of them had 5 cargo tanks and the remaining 9 had 7 cargo tanks, specially designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. Most of them were initially under commercial management.

25 August 1920 arrived Port Said for Devonport

28 December 1920 arrived at New York from Tuxpam, Mexico. Captain William Dermody, Master. The ship was under civil management of the British Tanker Company and chartered to the Anglo Mexican Petroleum Company.

17 July 1923 at Singapore alongside HMS Diomede to refuel her then to the oik wharf

19 October 1923 Donkeyman P Heveran's actions in saving life in Hong Kong Harbour resulted in him being awarded the Royal Humane Societies Bronze Madal - see under RFA Awards

27 November 1923 to 1 December 1923 in Dry Dock at Singapore

December 1923 Captain D M Culloden RFA as Master

13 January 1924 at 0645hrs  at Zanzibar secured alongside HMS Hood to refuel her. Cast off from her at 1800hrs after transferring 2,637 tons of FFO

17 January 1924 at Mombassa

29 January 1924 berthed at Abadan - sailed on 4 February 1924

14 February 1924 berthed at Trincomalee - sailed 16 February 1924

29 February 1924 at Abadan

19 March 1924 to 31 March 1924 at the Oil Wharf, SIngapore

2 April 1924 reported to Singapore she has seen a derelict junk dangerous to navigation at

Lat: 2° 29N  Long: 101° 27E

26 April 1924 at Suez

1 May 1924 arrived at  Aden sailed the same day

8 May 1924 berthed at Abadan sailed 13 May 1924

5 June 1924 berthed at Hong Kong sailed 28 June 1924

6 July 1924 at Singapore

31 July 1924 at Abadan

11 August 1924 arrived at Aden - sailed 13 August 1924

22 August 1924 arrived at Abadan - sailed 25 August 1924 

13 September 1924 berthed at Singapore - sailed on 19 September 1924

8 October 1924 at Abadan

24 October 1924 berthed at Singapore - sailed 26 October 1924

14 November 1924 at Abadan

28 November 1924 at Suez and transit of the Suez Canal - Port Said the next day

3 December 1924 berthed at Malta

19 October 1925 alongside the oil wharf, Singapore to discharge

4 December 1925 in collision with the ss Kuala causing considerable damage, above the water line, to that vessel. The ss Kuala was alongside at the end of Kepple's Wharf and No 1 Wharf, SIngapore with the War Bharata moving down the South Channel towards the west. When it was apparent a collision would occur both anchors were let go and the engines went full astern.

23 November 1926 a member of the crew stopped by Police Superintendent Cockle, Inspector Swiney, Detective Inspector de Silva and two CID Officers at the junction of Tanjong Pagar and New Kepple Road and found in possession of a number of firearms and a quantity of ammunition.

25 November 1926 A Chinese crew member was found guilty at a Court in Singapore on charges of being in possession of firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, ten strokes of the cat and a fine of $100 or three months’ imprisonment by Mr E E Colman, the acting District Judge. The accused was arrested by the Harbour Board police in possession of seven automatic pistols and 600 rounds of ammunition.

July 1933 in reserve at Rosyth

25 April 1934 Mr J A Mackintosh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 May 1934 Captain J H Jones RFA appointed as Master

26 July 1934 Captain H M Sinclair RFA appointed as Master

12 December 1934 sailed Weymouth Bay to Abadan

8 July 1935 Captain C R Rosen RFA appointed as Master and Mr F E Langer RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 September 1935 two Chinese men were found onboard as trespassers when the ship was moored against the west wall of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Hong Kong. Cheung Tai Lenng was fined $25 or one month's hard labour in default and Tam Kwan was fined $10 or 3 weeks' hard labour in default. Both defendants admitted trying to get to Singapore

20 September 1938 Captain Ernest V Blyth RFA appointed as Master and Mr E M Phillips RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 October 1939 Mr W H A Lawson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG10 to Devonport - RFA War Afridi was in the same convoy. RFA Thermol was nominated to sail in the same convoy but there are doubt as to whether she sailed

20 February 1940 at Greenock alongide HMS DEVONSHIRE refuelling her

24 February 1940 refuelled HMS HOOD alongside at Greenock - cast off the next day

3 March 1940 Captain S Thomas RFA appointed as Master

8 March 1940 at Greenock working party from HMS WARSPITE on board

15 March 1940 arrived at Scapa Flow under escort of HMS Mashona

17 March 1940  and 18 March 1940 at Scapa Flow had HMS WARSPITE alongside refuelling her with 750 tons of FFO

31 March 1940 sailed under escort of HMS Fearless to Sullom Voe. On arrival she anchored and in a gale HMS Hasty came alongside RFA War Bharata and the destroyer was damaged.

2 April 1940 After repairs to HMS Hasty and a RAS War Bharta sailed to Scapa Flow under the escort of HMS Hasty arriving on 3 April 1940

1 May 1940 Mr L H Taylor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 May 1940 sailed Invergordon to Scapa Flow under escort of HMS Codrington

9 September 1940 sailed Methil in convoy OA212 which dispersed

29 September 1940 refuelling HMS Hood alongside at Scapa Flow cast off the next day

October 1940 Captain Frank P Hennin RFA appointed as Master

18 October 1941 Captain T C Robinson RFA (Lieutenant Commander RN (Rtd) appointed as Master

31 October 1941 sailed Milford Haven in convoy ON 032 to Iceland

5 November 1941 Mr T McGregor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1941 during her time at Sullon Voe, Shetlands some of the crew attended divine service at the local church - on leaving they presented the church with a book stand which had a plaque saying 'Presented to the Sullom Church, from the Officers and Men of the RFA War Bharata, 1941'

16 July 1942 sailed in ballast in Convoy RU32 from Reykjavik to Leith

5 August 1942 Captain L Elford RFA appointed as Master

2 September 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN132 arriving Scapa Flow the next day

5 January 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS Howe (Battleship) refuelling her

15 January 1943 Mr J G Glynn RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 March 1943 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS Anson (Battleship) refuelling her, 889 tons of FFO supplied. RFA Petronell was alongside at the same time supplying water

3 November 1943 Captain F M Harvey RFA appointed as Master

Captain F M Harvey RFA

11 December 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 318 arriving at Milford Haven on 13 December 1943

24 February 1944 Mr R Blacklock RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 July 1944 sailed Barry in convoy EBC37 arriving Portsmouth two days later

21 July 1944 sailed Barry in convoy EBC48 arriving Portsmouth two days later

6 July 1945 Mr T McGregor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 November 1946 refuelled HMS Bermuda alongside in Yokohama

16 December 1946 refuelled HMAS Shropshire in Yokohama with 1.917 tons of FFO

9 April 1947 Mr R B Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1947 supported the Royal Navy in the Palestine Patrol.

1948 sold out of service to Verarno Steamship Company, London and name changed to Wolf Rock

15 May 1953 arrived Troon for breaking up