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On this day in March

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