Historical RFA

RFA Honour

RFA History

RFA Ships

Historical RFA

RFA Honour

RFA History

RFA Ships

On this day in March

Since the creation of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1905 the ships of the Service have, during the month of March –

 

On this day –

 

 

01-Mar On this day in 1942 RFA War Sirdar having been stranded on a reef at Batavia was declared a total loss
01-Mar On this day in 1982 RFA Tarbatness & RFA Lyness were both sold to United States Military Sealift Command
02-Mar On this day in 1919 RFA Reliance left the RFA service when paid off for disposal at Devonport
03-Mar On this day in 1928 RFA Serbol sailed from Montserrat to Bermuda towing RFA War Sirdar which had a broken propeller shaft
04-Mar On this day in 1916 RFA Distol was launched at Newcastle on Tyne
04-Mar On this day in 1937 RFA Abbeydale entered RFA service
04-Mar On this day in 1941 RFA Echodale entered RFA service
04-Mar On this day in 1946 RFA Rapidol was sold out of RFA service at Hong Kong to commercial interests
05-Mar On this day in 1973 RFA Cherryleaf (3) entered RFA service
06-Mar On this day in 1961 RFA Wave Master provided support during 1st Cod War
07-Mar On this day in 1918 RFA Vitol struck a mine, was beached as a constructive total loss and was broken up ‘as lies’. Four of the crew were killed
07-Mar On this day in 1947 RFA Wave Ruler (1) renamed as such when previously named Empire Evesham & became an RFA
07-Mar On this day in 1962 RFA Hebe was launched by Henry Robb & Co., Leith
07-Mar On this day in 1973 RFA Gold Ranger offered for sale in the Straits Times, Singapore
08-Mar On this day in 1945 RFA Wave Governor was completed
09-Mar On this day in 1918 RFA Oakol (1) was completed
09-Mar On this day in 1954 RFA Maine (4) was offered for sale in the Times newspaper ‘as lying’ at Hong Kong
09-Mar On this day in 1966 RFA Regent was launched at Harland & Wolff, Belfast
10-Mar On this day in 1916 RFA Manica sailed on her second deployment as a Kite Balloon ship and sea plane carrier
11-Mar On this day in 1960 RFA Wave Baron was in collision with the HM tug Energy
11-Mar On this day in 1965 RFA Airsprite was sold to be broken up
12-Mar On this day in 1941 RFA Dephinula at Liverpool was damaged by enemy bombing
12-Mar On this day in 1948 RFA Reliant (1) left RFA service for sale to commercial interests
13-Mar On this day in 1937 RFA Cherryleaf (1) was at Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and was hit by bomb fragments
14-Mar On this day in 1916 RFA Innistrahull was purchased by the Admiralty as a water carrier
14-Mar On this day in 1967 RFA Philol was offered for sale “as lying” at Chatham in the Times newspaper
14-Mar On this day in 1967 RFA Encore was offered for sale “as lying” at Singapore in the Times newspaper
15-Mar On this day in 2006 RFA Grey Rover was laid up at Portsmouth
16-Mar On this day in 1942 RFA Freshener launched at Lytham
16-Mar On this day in 1961 RFA Echodale was offered for sale in the Times newspaper ‘as lying’ at Devonport
17-Mar On this day in 1916 RFA Volunteer launched at South Shields
18-Mar On this day in 1972 RFA Robert Dundas was offered for sale in the Times newspaper ‘as lying’ at Chatham Dockyard
19-Mar On this day in 1919 RFA War Pathan was launched
19-Mar On this day in 1945 RFA Philol caused damage to HMS Duke of York when coming alongside her at Liverpool
20-Mar On this day in 1946 RFA Olna (2) entered RFA service having previously sailed as HMS Olna
21-Mar On this day in 1911 RFA Burma was launched
22-Mar On this day in 1915 RFA Bacchus (1) was purchased by the Admiralty for use as a stores freighter and distilling ship
22-Mar On this day in 1926 RFA War Diwan – 6 of the crew saved life at sea – all awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal
23-Mar On this day in 1917 RFA Celerol was launched at Sunderland
24-Mar On this day in 1937 RFA Petroleum was sold for breaking up
25-Mar On this day in 1987 Contender Bezant was renamed as RFA Argus
26-Mar On this day in 1942 RFA Slavol was torpedoed and sunk off Sidi Barrani, Egypt. Thirty six of the crew were killed
27-Mar On this day in 1941 RFA Dingledale was launched at Govan
28-Mar On this day in 1915 RFA Polgowan, at the time a German cargo ship named Macedonia, was captured by HMS Gloucester
28-Mar On this day in 1960 RFA Rowanol was in collision with HMS Exmouth in the Gare Loch
29-Mar On this day in 1945 RFA Wave Regent was launched at Haverton Hill
30-Mar On this day in 1967 RFA Stromness entered RFA service
31-Mar On this day in 1937 RFA Bishopdale was launched at Port Glasgow