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Archived Stories
The explosion on RFA Roseleaf
RFA Roseleaf came into service in 1916 as RFA Califol but was then renamed as Roseleaf and was home ported at Portsmouth. She had survived the Great War but under the civil management of Lane & MacAndrew Ltd. She was…
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RFA Hospital Ships
The articles on this site concerning RFA Hospital ships have, so far, detailed the work of the actual ships and their RFA crews. We must not forget that the ships were first and foremost floating hospitals and as such…
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Falklands 1982
Everything a Royal Navy vessel uses comes to it courtesy of the RFA, especially if that vessel is in the middle of a shooting war. During that southern hemisphere autumn of 1982, it was the RFA’s duty to keep the…
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The RFA Crews of World War 1
In the Great War the RFA was effectively split in two with those ships which would visit America being placed under civil management and operated under the red ensign while the rest of the fleet continued under the blue…
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HMAS Supply’s First Commission
By Graeme Andrews For more than 20 years the heaviest ship in the Royal Australian Navy was the Tide class fast fleet tanker, HMAS Supply, ex RFA and HMAS Tide Austral. During the early 1950s it became apparent to…
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The RFA’s that weren’t
The RFA’s that weren’t or the Decoys and Dummies of World War Two by James R. Smith The RFA Cover-Names Q-Ships Small merchantmen armed with concealed guns which could be…
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Convoy TM1
From 1940 a number of Norwegian owned tankers which had escaped the German occupation of their country were placed under RFA management and used almost exclusively in the carriage of oil to British Naval bases at home and overseas from…
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Medal for Suez Canal Zone 1951 to 1954
RFA Personnel who served on ships directly in support of the Suez Canal Conflict may now apply for the Naval General Service Medal 1918-62, with the ‘Canal Zone’ clasp. (more…)
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RFA Broomdale damaged twice in a year
For RFA Broomdale 1944 was a very bad year with explosions, torpedoes and expressions of displeasure! On 14 April she had been moored alongside at Bombay when the s.s. Fort Stikine, an ammunition ship, exploded in the harbour and…
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Flash, Bang but no Wallop – the story of Operation Grapple Britain’s H Bomb Tests
Operation Grapple was the name given to the series of British Nuclear tests of the Hydrogen bomb, they were conducted between 1956 and 1958 at Malden Island (now called Kirimati) in the Central Pacific and at Christmas Island. There…
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The explosion on RFA Roseleaf
RFA Roseleaf came into service in 1916 as RFA Califol but was then renamed as Roseleaf and was home ported at Portsmouth. She had survived the Great War but under…
View moreRFA Hospital Ships
The articles on this site concerning RFA Hospital ships have, so far, detailed the work of the actual ships and their RFA crews. We must not forget that the…
View moreFalklands 1982
Everything a Royal Navy vessel uses comes to it courtesy of the RFA, especially if that vessel is in the middle of a shooting war. During that southern hemisphere autumn…
View moreThe RFA Crews of World War 1
In the Great War the RFA was effectively split in two with those ships which would visit America being placed under civil management and operated under the red ensign…
View moreHMAS Supply’s First Commission
By Graeme Andrews For more than 20 years the heaviest ship in the Royal Australian Navy was the Tide class fast fleet tanker, HMAS Supply, ex RFA and HMAS…
View moreThe RFA’s that weren’t
The RFA’s that weren’t or the Decoys and Dummies of World War Two by James R. Smith The RFA Cover-Names Q-Ships …
View moreConvoy TM1
From 1940 a number of Norwegian owned tankers which had escaped the German occupation of their country were placed under RFA management and used almost exclusively in the carriage of…
View moreMedal for Suez Canal Zone 1951 to 1954
RFA Personnel who served on ships directly in support of the Suez Canal Conflict may now apply for the Naval General Service Medal 1918-62, with the ‘Canal Zone’ clasp. …
View moreRFA Broomdale damaged twice in a year
For RFA Broomdale 1944 was a very bad year with explosions, torpedoes and expressions of displeasure! On 14 April she had been moored alongside at Bombay when the s.s.…
View moreFlash, Bang but no Wallop – the story of Operation Grapple Britain’s H Bomb Tests
Operation Grapple was the name given to the series of British Nuclear tests of the Hydrogen bomb, they were conducted between 1956 and 1958 at Malden Island (now called…
View more