Official Number:                      160633  

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow

Launched:                               30 November 1928

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         1945

Fate:                                        1959 scrapped

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

30 November 1928 launched by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr 820 named VACUOLINE for Vacuum Oil Co, London

1 December 1928 the Dundee Courier newspaper reported –

January 1929 completed

28 October 1930 arrived at Melbourne, Australia from San Francisco, USA

6 January 1931 arrived at San Francisco from Lyttleton

11 February 1931 sailed San Francisco for Sydney, NSW, Australia

7 June 1931 berthed at Adelaide to discharge.

8 June 1931 sailed Adelaide for San Francisco, USA

27 July 1932 arrived at Shanghai, China from Fremantle, Western Australia

21 November 1932 berthed at Wellington, New Zealand from San Francisco, USA

19 March 1933 arrived at Wellington, New Zealand from San Francisco, USA

15 May 1933 arrived at Auckland, New Zealand from San Francisco, USA

27 September 1933 berthed at Los Angeles, USA from Yokohama, Japan to load

1934  purchased by Socony-Vacuum Transportation Co Ltd, London and renamed LACKLAN

3 April 1934 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol which had been loaded at Sumatra. She sailed 5 April 1934 for Wellington, New Zealand

9 November 1934 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol which had been loaded at Sumatra

24 April 1935 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol which had been loaded at Sumatra

29 May 1935 sailed San Francisco for Hong Kong

13 February 1936 berthed at San Francisco

20 March 1936 at sea Fitter Ho Sing Pin discharged dead – drowned

2 April 1936 to 4 April 1936 in Kings Dock (dry dock) at Singapore

2 May 1936 at sea 2nd Steward Fu Sing Fu discharged dead – drowned

12 May 1936 at Gladstone General Hospital Sailor Zee Yee Kwai discharged dead from extensive burns, shock and heart failure

6 January 1937 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand from Palembang and later sailed for Wellington, New Zealand

7 July 1938 sailed Shanghai. China for San Francisco

25 July 1938 berthed at San Francisco from Shanghai, China

24 October 1938 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol which had been loaded at Sumatra

29 November 1938 berthed at Perth from Balik Papan

4 December 1938 sailed Perth, Western Australia for Surabaya

14 February 1939 berthed alongside the Main Wharf, Singapore

1939 – 1945 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler and gave good service on the Russian Convoys as an Escort Oiler with name unchanged

3 September 1939 sailed Manila independently to Cebu arriving on 9 September 1939

9 September 1939 sailed Cebu independently to Singapore arriving on 15 September 1939

18 September 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Geraldton arriving on 30 September 1939

3 October 1939 sailed Geraldton independently to Melbourne arriving on 13 October 1939

14 October 1939 sailed Melbourne independently to Fremantle, Western Australia

21 October 1939 sailed Fremantle independently to Singapore arriving on 29 Oct 1939

1 November 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Sydney, NSW arriving on 18 November 1939

20 November 1939 sailed Sydney, NSW independently to Pladjoe arriving 5 December 1939

6 December 1939 sailed Pladjoe independently to Singapore arriving on 8 December 1939

8 December 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Aden arriving on 23 December 1939

25 December 1939 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving on 30 December 1939

31 December 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving on 8 Jan 1940

8 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG 14 to Southend arriving on 20 January 1940

10 March 1940 sailed Southend in convoy OA107 to Falmouth arriving 12 March 1940

12 March 1940 in collision with HMS WREN. 16 miles 180° off the Lizard. The stern of the destroyer was damaged

8 April 1940 sailed Falmouth joining convoy OA124 from Southend and then on dispersal independently to Port Arthur arriving 26 April 1940

29 April 1940 sailed Port Arthur independently to Bermuda arriving 5 May 1940 

7 May 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX41 which joined convoy HX41 and arrived at Brest 23 May 1940

26 May 1940 sailed Brest independently to Le Harve arriving the next day

2 June 1940 sailed Le Harve independently to Brest arriving the next day

18 June 1940 sailed Casablance independently to Dakar arriving 23 June 1940

23 June 1940 sailed Dakar independently to Cape Town arriving 9 July 1940

15 July 1940 sailed Capetown independently to Bombay arriving 6 August 1940

18 August 1940 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 24 August 1940

26 August 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 21 September 1940

30 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Walvis Bay arriving 3 October 1940

7 October 1940 sailed Walvis Bay independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 12 October 1940

21 November 1940 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Abadan arriving 11 December 1940

14 December 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Fremantle, Western Australia arriving 10 January 1941

10 January 1941 sailed Fremantle, Western Australia independently to Melbourne arriving 18 January 1941

22 January 1941 sailed Melbourne independently to Sourabaya arriving 6 February 1941

21 February 1941 sailed Sourabaya independently to Miri arriving 25 February 1941

27 February 1941 sailed Miri independently to Singapore arriving 2 March 1941

3 March 1941 sailed Singapore independently to Fremantle, Western Australia arriving 12 March 1941

21 Mar 1941 sailed Fremantle independently to Pladjoe

28 March 1941 sailed Pladjoe independently to Singapore arriving 30 March 1941

31 March 1941 sailed Singapore independently to Miri arriving 4 April 1941

7 April 1941 sailed Miri independently to Shanghai, China arriving 14 April 1941

18 April 1941 sailed Shanghai, China independently to Palembang arriving 27 April 1941

1 May 1941 sailed Palembang independently to Singapore arriving 3 May 1941

6 May 1941 sailed Singapore independently to Cape Town arriving 3 June 1941

2 July 1941 sailed Cape Town independently to Trinidad arriving 22 July 1941

25 July 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 3 August 1941

5 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX143 with a cargo of Gas Oil arriving at Belfast Lough on 20 August 1941

21 August 1941 sailed Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB66 to Avonmouth arriving on 24 August 1941

29 August 1941 sailed Avonmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

4 September 1941 sailed Milford Haven joining escorted convoy ON13 until dispersal and then independently to New York arriving 20 September 1941

18 October 1941 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 25 October 1941

26 October 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Cape Town arriving 22 November 1941

25 November 1941 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan

18 December 1941 sailed Abadan independently to Mombasa arriving 30 December 1941

4 January 1942 sailed Mombasa independently to Abadan arriving 16 January 1942

20 January 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Colombo arriving 30 January 1942

2 February 1942 sailed Colombo independently to Abadan arriving 12 February 1942

13 February 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Colombo arriving 24 February 1942

28 February 1942 sailed Colombo independently to Abadan arriving 10 March 1942

12 March 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Mombasa arriving 26 March 1942

29 March 1942 sailed Mombasa independently to Abadan arriving 9 April 1942

11 April 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Mombasa arriving 24 April 1942

29 April 1942 sailed Mombasa independently to Abadan arriving 10 May 1942

12 May 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 21 May 1942

24 May 1942 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving 1 June 1942

3 June 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 10 June 1942

28 July 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan

12 August 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 18 August 1942

23 August 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 30 August 1942

4 September 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 12 Septemnber 1942

9 October 1942 sailed Bombay in unescorted convoy BP57 to Bandar Abbas arriving 15 October 1942

15 October 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Abadan arriving the next day

18 October 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas

22 October 1942 sailed Banda Abbas in unescorted convoy PA7 to Aden and then independently to Durban arriving 14 November 1942

20 November 1942 sailed Durban in unescorted convoy DN1 until dispersal and then independently to Abadan arriving 10 December 1942

12 December 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas

16 December 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in escorted convoy to Aden and then independently to Durban arriving 5 January 1943

6 January 1943 sailed Duban independently to Cape Town arriving 9 January 1943

15 January 1943 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 8 February 1943

12 February 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas

18 February 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PA25 to Aden arriving on 25 February 1943

1 March 1943 sailed Aden in escorted convoy AP22 to Bandar Abbas arriving 10 March 1943

22 March 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PA30 to Aden and then independently to Durban arriving 12 April 1943

16 April 1943 sailed Durban in unescorted convoy DC19 to Cape Town arriving 20 April 1943

22 April 1943 sailed Cape Town independently for Walvis Bay but returned to Cape Town on 25 April 1943

30 April 1943 sailed Cape Town independently to Walvis Bay arriving 6 May 1943

29 November 1943 arrived Reykjavik in escorted convoy UR99

13 February 1944 sailed from New York in escorted convoy HX279 to Liverpool arriving 29 February 1944. Acted as an Escort Oiler for this convoy

30 October 1944 sailed from New York in escorted convoy HX317 to Liverpool arriving 15 November 1944. Acted as an Escort Oiler for this convoy and carried spare depth charges

4 December 1944 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS1656 to Southend arriving 6 December 1944

1 February 1945 sailed Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB11 to Milford Haven arriving 3 February 1945

13 February 1945 sailed Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB23 to Milford Haven arriving 15 February 1945

23 March 1945 sailed Kola Inlet in convoy RA 65 to the River Clyde arriving 1 April 1945. RFA BLUE RANGER also sailed in this convoy

11 April 1945 sailed the River Clyde in the Liverpool convoy ONS47 to Halifax arriving 29 April 1945 acting as Escort Oiler. One other tanker in this convoy also acted as an Escort Oiler. On 29 April 1945 at Halifax joined convoy XB160 unescorted sailing to Cape Cod Canal arriving 1 May 1945

1 May 1945 sailed Cape Cod Canal independently to New York arriving the next day

9 May 1945 sailed New York in convoy HX355 to Milford Haven arriving 25 May 1945 acting as Escort Oiler. Two other tankers in this convoy also acted as Escort Oilers

28 May 1945 sailed Milford Haven in convoy ON305 to New York arriving 11 June 1945 acting as Escort Oiler. Two other tankers in this convoy also acted as Escort Oilers

1 July 1945 sailed New York to Cape Henry

4 July 1945 sailed Cape Henry independently to Algiers arriving 20 July 1945

20 July 1945 sailed Algiers independently to Palermo arriving 22 July 1945

26 July 1945 sailed Palermo independently to Port Said arriving on 31 July 1945

5 January 1946 at Abadan Hospital JOS Raphael Sciberras discharged dead – natural causes

16 March 1946 sailed Abadan for LEFO

10 November 1946 sailed Port Said for LEFO

30 March 1948 at San Pedro Hospital, Arbua Chief Steward Alexander Joseph Buckley discharged dead from natural causes

30 July 1948 arrived at Port Said from Falmouth

3 July 1949 sailed Le Harve for Falmouth

22 September 1949 passed Dover while on passage from Falmouth to Hamburg

24 September 1949 arrived at Hamburg

12 October 1949 taken over by Deutsche Vacuum Oel Gesellschaft, Hamburg name unchanged

3 July 1959 arrived Bremerhaven for demolition by Eisen und Metall A.G. Lehr & Co.