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Archived Stories
Junior Engineer was asleep on the poop
In Hong Kong’s Marine Court on the 28 October 1921, the Magistrate, Lieutenant Conway Hake RNR gave his judgement in the case in which John Walter Edward Drake, Junior Engineer Officer of RFA Pearleaf was charged at the instance of…
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BRITISH TANKER’S DASH TO SHANGHAI
SS Louise Moller Sweeps Past Nationalist Warship claiming to be the RFA Black Ranger as a RN Frigate Stands By On 28 October 1949 the British tanker Louise Moller (previously RFA Rapidol) swept past in defiance of a…
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The end of the High Seas Fleet
When the Armistice to end World War 1 was signed on the 11 November 1918, a group of RFA vessels were operating with the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, amongst these was the ‘Belgol’ class oiler RFA Fortol which had…
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3rd Engineer Officer Andy Morris – Elizabeth Cross
In September 2010 the RFA Historical Society was approached by Wing Commander Clive Mitchell, Royal Air Force, the Assistant Defence Advisor at the British High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Wing Commander Mitchell was preparing a citation for an…
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The story of the ‘Darkdale’ – Part 2 “A Sitting Duck”
On an October night almost seventy eight years ago, the small island of St Helena, in the South Atlantic, was shaken by a series of explosions. Some residents in the lower part of Jamestown, the island’s only town and port, were…
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‘Fresh’ Class Water Tank Vessels
The ‘Fresh’ class of water tank vessels were launched during World War 2 and during their early years 12 of the 14 ships in the class were manned by the RFA. These vessels would have been a familiar sight around…
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The Rockall Beacon
By Lt Cmdr Chris Howat, Royal Navy (Retd) and Commodore Barry Rutterford, RFA (Retd) Most people will probably never have heard of Rockall, so what and where is it? Rockall is a small, uninhabited granite islet in the North Atlantic around 300…
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Two sent to prison
Two British seamen from RFA Wave Regent were charged before Mr W H Latimer, Magistrate in a Hong Kong Court on 29 January 1946. Leslie Bush, Chief Cook and Alfred C Howard, Cook each admitted the theft of 50 pounds…
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“O” Boat Engine rooms
The RFA Service having passed through the Wave, Old Tide and New Tide classes of steam ship from 1945 to 1963 saved the best to the end before all RFA steam ship construction ceased in favour of motor ships. The…
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Convoy Rescue Ships Service
The Background to the Requirement for Convoy Rescue Ships: by James R. Smith RFA Historical Society consultant During WW2 the British Merchant Navy suffered enormous losses in both ships and personnel – a total of 32,952…
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Junior Engineer was asleep on the poop
In Hong Kong’s Marine Court on the 28 October 1921, the Magistrate, Lieutenant Conway Hake RNR gave his judgement in the case in which John Walter Edward Drake, Junior Engineer…
View moreBRITISH TANKER’S DASH TO SHANGHAI
SS Louise Moller Sweeps Past Nationalist Warship claiming to be the RFA Black Ranger as a RN Frigate Stands By On 28 October 1949 the British tanker Louise…
View moreThe end of the High Seas Fleet
When the Armistice to end World War 1 was signed on the 11 November 1918, a group of RFA vessels were operating with the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, amongst…
View more3rd Engineer Officer Andy Morris – Elizabeth Cross
In September 2010 the RFA Historical Society was approached by Wing Commander Clive Mitchell, Royal Air Force, the Assistant Defence Advisor at the British High Commission in Pretoria, South…
View moreThe story of the ‘Darkdale’ – Part 2 “A Sitting Duck”
On an October night almost seventy eight years ago, the small island of St Helena, in the South Atlantic, was shaken by a series of explosions. Some residents in the lower…
View more‘Fresh’ Class Water Tank Vessels
The ‘Fresh’ class of water tank vessels were launched during World War 2 and during their early years 12 of the 14 ships in the class were manned by the…
View moreThe Rockall Beacon
By Lt Cmdr Chris Howat, Royal Navy (Retd) and Commodore Barry Rutterford, RFA (Retd) Most people will probably never have heard of Rockall, so what and where is it? Rockall is a…
View moreTwo sent to prison
Two British seamen from RFA Wave Regent were charged before Mr W H Latimer, Magistrate in a Hong Kong Court on 29 January 1946. Leslie Bush, Chief Cook and Alfred…
View more“O” Boat Engine rooms
The RFA Service having passed through the Wave, Old Tide and New Tide classes of steam ship from 1945 to 1963 saved the best to the end before all RFA…
View moreConvoy Rescue Ships Service
The Background to the Requirement for Convoy Rescue Ships: by James R. Smith RFA Historical Society consultant During WW2 the British Merchant Navy suffered enormous losses…
View more