Official Number:                       161081

Laid down:

Builder:                                      R Duncan & Co Ltd.,  Port Glasgow

Launched:                                16 November 1928

Into Service:                             1939

Out of service:                          16 April 1945

Fate:                                           Torpedoed and sunk

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:

16 November 1928 launched by R Duncan & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr: 388 named ATHELDUKE for United Molasses Co Ltd, London

January 1929 completed

17 May 1929 sailed Java for the USA

9 June 1929 arrived Suez

10 June 1929 sailed Port Said

9 July 1929 sailed New York for Los Angeles

31 August 1929 sailed Hong Kong

14 September 1929 sailed Samarang

2 December 1929 sailed Los ANgles for Yokohama

29 December 1929 arrived Yokohama

31 December 1929 sailed Yokohama

6 February 1920 passed Perim bound for Vlaardingten

11 February 1930 arrived Suez

12 February 1930 sailed Port Said

25 February 1930 reported by radio she was 190 nmiled SW of Lands End

9 March 1932 at sea at 34.36N 58.17W Fireman & Oiler John Howard discharged dead from malaria

16 April 1933 at sea Apprentice Reginald W Pearson discharged dead from spinal injuries

17 August 1934 sailed San Francisco for Wellington, New Zealand

10 September 1934 berthed at Wellington, New Zealand from San Francisco with a cargo of oil

17 September 1934 sailed Wellington, New Zealand to San Pedro but put back about 1 hour later with an engine defect

18 September 1934 sailed Wellington, New Zealand to San Pedro

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service and served as an Escort Oiler, name unchanged

16 September 1939 arrived at Nagasaki, Japan

18 September 1939 sailed Nagaski, Japan independently to Hong Kong arriving 1 October 1939

1 October 1939 sailed Hong Kong independently to Singapore arriving 12 October 1939

13 October 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Auckland arriving 13 November 1939

16 November 1939 sailed Auckland independently to Honolulu arriving 4 December 1939

11 December 1939 sailed Honolulu independently to Balboa arriving 4 January 1939

3 January 1940 sailed Cristobal independently to Halifax arriving 15 January 1940

1940 nominal ownership passed to Athel Line Ltd, London name unchanged

22 January 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX17 to Liverpool arriving 4 February 1940

17 February 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB94 until dispersal on 22 February 1940 and then independently to Antilla arriving on 10 March 1940. RFA OLEANDER (2) also sailed in convoy OB94

15 March 1940 sailed Antilla independently to Caibarien arriving 17 March 1940

20 March 1940 sailed Caibarien independently to Halifax arriving 27 March 1940

29 March 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX31 to the Clyde arriving 13 April 1940. RFA OLEANDER (2) also sailed in this convoy

10 May 1940 sailed the Clyde joining convoy OB145 from Liverpool. This convoy reformed on the 12 May 1940 into Convoy OG29 to Gibraltar arriving 18 May 1940 and then independently to Matanzas arriving 31 May 1940

3 June 1940 sailed Matanzas independently to Miami, Florida arriving the next day

5 June 1940 sailed Miami, Florida independently to Bermuda arriving 9 June 1940

12 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX50 joining convoy HX50 on 17 June 1940 to Liverpool arriving 28 June 1940

6 July 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB179 until it dispersed on 9 July 1940 at 46.40N 15.40W thence independently to Capetown arriving 5 August 1940

6 August 1940 sailed Capetown independently to Sourabaya arriving 4 September 1940

5 September 1940 sailed Sourabaya independently to Tegal arriving 7 September 1940

8 September 1940 sailed Tegal independently to Capetown arriving 1 October 1940

3 October 1940 sailed Capetown independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 6 October 1940

14 November 1940 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Capetown arriving 17 November 1940

21 November 1940 sailed Capetown independently to Freetown arriving 6 December 1940

7 December 1940 sailed Freetown in convoy SL58 but returned arriving back at Freetown on 12 december 1940

15 December 1940 sailed Freetown in convoy SL59S to the River Clyde arriving 6 January 1941

15 January 1941 sailed the Clyde independently 

17 January 1941 struck a mine at 51.21N 03.20W and was damaged having to be beached at Whitmore Bay. She arrived at Avonmouth in tow on 4 February 1941

18 February 1941 sailed Avonmouth independently to Cardiff arriving the next day

24 February 1941 sailed Cardiff to Liverpool arriving 26 July 1941

26 July 1941 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON30 to Belfast Lough on 27 July 1941 with engine defects

2 November 1941 sailed Belfast Lough joining convoy ON32 detaching and sailing independently to Las Piedras arriving 26 November 1941

27 November 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Curacao arriving the next day

1 December 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Cape Town arriving 30 December 1941

5 January 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Durban arriving 9 January 1942

14 January 1942 sailed Durban independently to Abadan arriving 1 February 1942

3 February 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Karachi arriving 11 February 1942

11 February 1942 sailed Karachi independently to Abadan arriving 16 February 1942

20 February 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 12 March 1942

13 March 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Cape Town arriving 16 March 1942

18 March 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 21 March 1942

26 March 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Abadan arriving 19 April 1942

21 April 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Durban arriving 13 May 1942

25 May 1942 sailed Durban independently to Abadan arriving 13 June 1942

15 June 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 22 June 1942

13 July 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 20 July 1942

24 July 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 8 August 1942

9 August 1942 sailed Mahe, Seychelles independently to Cape Town arriving 24 August 1942

6 September 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 1 October 1942

4 October 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas arriving 7 October 1942

7 October 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PA5 to Aden arriving 16 October 1942

20 October 1942 sailed Aden independently to Bahrein arriving 28 October 1942

8 November 1942 sailed Bahrein independently to Bandar Abbas arriving the next day

10 November 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PB11 and then independently to Melbourne arriving 15 December 1942

18 December 1942 sailed Melbourne in escorted convoy OC54 to Sydney, NSW arriving 21 December 1942

30 December 1942 sailed Sydeny NSW in unescorted convoy GP28/1 to Brisbane arriving 1 January 1943

4 January 1943 sailed Brisbane independently to Sydney, NSW arriving 6 January 1943

12 January 1943 sailed Sydney, NSW independently to Fremantle arriving about 22 January 1943

22 January 1943 sailed Fremantle under the escort of HMAS TAMWORTH to Diego Garcia

HMAS TAMWORTH

27 December 1943 at Cuba Assistant Cook James Morris was reported as missing. He was found dead on 30 December 1943 having drowned

4 January 1944 Boatswain James O’Doherty awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil) in the New Years Honours List and published in the London Gazette of this day

21 May 1944 at Ellis Island Hospital, New York SOS Ronald Foster discharged dead from Meningitis

2 January 1945 at New York Carpenter Archibald MacPhail, Able Seaman George Burnett Middleton and Able Seaman James Patrick Quail each discharged dead, each from visceral congestion

16 April 1945 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-1274 in the North Sea E of Newcastle in position 55.39 N 01.31 W while on passage from Port Everglades to Salt End via Loch Ewe in Convoy FS 1784 carrying 12,600t of molasses with the loss of 1 life. 46 survivors were rescued by the British steamer KING NEPTUNE

Tower Hill Memorial

courtesy of Brian Watson

15 June 1945 Captain Joseph Errett appointed to the Order of the British EMpire (Civil) – OBE – in the Birthday Honours List and published in the London Gazette of this day

14 August 1945 Third Engineer Officer Harry Speed awarded a Commendation for services when the ship was sunk on 16 April 1945 and published in the London Gazette of this day. Third Engineer Officer Speed was also awarded the Lloyd’s Bravery Medal which was not Gazetted