Official Number:                        115832

Laid down:

Builder:                                    C S Swan & Hunter, Wallsend

Launched:                                24 April 1902

Into Service:                             22 May 1915

Out of service:                          1920

Fate:                                       30 January 1924 scrapped

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

24 April 1902 launched by C S Swan & Hunter, Wallsend as Yard Nr: 275 named August Belmont for Pensacola Trading Co Ltd (Watts, Watts & Co, Managers) London

25 April 1902 the Shields Daily Gazette reported …

May 1902 completed as a cargo ship

5 June 1902 completed builders trials

14 August 1902 at Tampico Lamp Trimmer Yuan Leang discharged dead through an accident

8 July 1903 at Tampico Fireman Trimmer Man Tai discharged dead from fever

24 February 1906 sailed the River Tyne for Pensalcola

2 May 1906 arrived Liverpool from Pensalcola

14 March 1907 while on passage from the River Tyne to Pensacola passed Sand Key this day

27 August 1907 sailed Savannah to Shields

13 January 1908 at Pensacola Able Seaman Victor Fernandez discharged dead from drowning

7 June 1908 arrived at Pensalcola from Newport

27 September 1908 Able Seaman Antonio Louro discharged dead having died from burns accidentally sustained in an explosion onboard on 16 September 1908. He died in St Anthony’s Hospital, Pensacola, Florida and is buried in St John’s Cemetery, Pensacola, Florida, USA in Section 6, lot 10, space 10

24 April 1909 berthed at Pensacola, Florida to load cotton

2 August 1909 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard

3 August 1909 arrived at Le Havre

10 September 1909 berthed at Pensacola, Florida

14 January 1910 passed Key West when on passage from Hamburg to Pensacola

16 April 1910 sailed the River Tyne for Pensacola

18 October 1910 when on passage to Pensacola, Florida encoutered very heavy weather resulting in the ship Master – Captain Clarke – sustaining a serious injury to a knee. When the ship berthed at Pensacola the Master was admitted to hospital ashore for treatment

25 September 1911 arrived Pensacola from the River Tyne

5 January 1912 arrived at Bermuda

7 January 1912 at Murray’s anchorage, St. Georges, Bermuda with the hulk Kathleen alongside loading coal from her the stevedore Mr Packwood was overcome by faintness and had to be brought ashore. Later the same day a lad named Leon Calabras got caught in the fall and his arms, face etc., were badly skinned. He too was brought ashore and received medical treatment

9 January 1912 at Murray’s anchorage, St. Georges, Bermuda alongside the hulk Passett loading coal from her

10 January 1912 sailed Bermuda for Pensacola

12 September 1912 passed Gibraltar sailing west

12 March 1913 at 42°12N 25°36W Fireman Trimmer Richard Winter discharged dead resulting through a joint in the manhole door in the boiler blowing out

18 May 1913 berthed at London from Pensacola and Rotterdam. Tha Master was John Clarke

13 October 1913 arrived Las Palmas from Caleeta Buena

26 December 1913 sailed Bermuda for Baltimore

5 March 1914 at sea Fireman Trimmer H Dunn discharged dead by jumping over the side – suicide

22 June 1914 sailed Pensacola to Genoa

14 September 1914 when at anchor in the River Mersey was hit by the British steamer Falaba which was passage from West Africa to Liverpool. Both ships suffered damage

22 February 1915 arrived Pensalcola from Liverpool

22 May 1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty as a collier – name unchanged – until 10 July 1915

11 July 1915 redeployed as a sugar carrier until 13 September 1915

14 September 1915 redeployed as a collier until 21 November 1915

17 October 1915 arrived Kephalo Bay

8 April 1916 redeployed as a collier until 3 August 1916

21 June 1916 at Zanzibar berthed alongside HMS TRENT to supply bunker coal

22 June 1916 sailed Zanzibar

3 July 1916 at Zanzibar alongside HMS SEVERN issuing bunker coal – 88 tons supplied

6 July 1916 off Zanzibar HMS THISTLE berthed alongside for bunker coal

9 July 1916 off Zanzibar met HMS TALBOT while on passage

11 July 1916 at Zanzibar HMS MANICA berthed alongside for bunker coal

26 July 1916 entered Tirene Bay with HMS HYACINTH then weighed and sailed

27 July 1916 at Tirene Bay berthed alongside HMS VENGEANCE to supply bunker coal

HMS VENGEANCE

29 July 1916 entered Zanzibar Harbour 

4 August 1916 purchased by the Admiralty for service as an oiler by the insertion of cylindrical tanks in her holds and was placed under management of Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd., London, name unchanged

30 August 1916 stopped and boarded by HMS CORNWALL while on passage from Batavia to Hong Kong in ballast. Allowed to proceed. The Master requested the return of a Naval Officer onboard as he was in disagreement with the 1st Officer. Source the Ships Log of HMS CORNWALL

14 November 1916 at 8.51N 126.48E Fireman Chow Fat discharged dead – suicide

9 March 1917 at 27.01N 56 50E met HMS JUNO

17 May 1917 at 12.05N 43.05E met HMS PERTH

16 August 1917 arrived at Port Mudros

8 January 1918 met and challenged by HMS CLIO which was on the Perim patrol

17 December 1918 sailed Port Said for Karachi

3 March 1919 berthed at Liverpool

1920 purchased by L A Millis, London and renamed ANCULA

21 June 1920 arrived at Port Arthur from Liverpool

1921 purchased by Velefra Steamship Co Ltd., (Runciman, Manager), London name unchanged

30 January 1924 arrived on the River Tyne for demolition