Requisitioned Auxiliary – Ben Nevis

 

BEN NEVIS

BEN NEVIS no 2

 

Official Number:                        121225

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Russell & Co., Port Glasgow

Launched:                               14 March 1905

Pennant No:                            Y 3.1649  /  Y 2.228  /  Y8 .94

Into Service:                            31 October 1916

Out of service:                         1919

Fate:                                      1932 wrecked and broken up

 

 

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:

14 March 1905 launched by Russell & Co, Port Glasgow as Yard Nr: 527 named BEN NEVIS for Ben Line Steamship Co Ltd., (Watson Bros., Managers) Glasgow

30 March 1905 the Lloyds List newspaper reported –

 

30 3 05 Lloyds List Ben Nevis

 

April 1905 completed

25 April 1905 arrived at Cardiff from Greenock

9 May 1905 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound

1906 owners became Wats Bros. Shipping Ltd., Glasgow – name unchanged

6 March 1906 passed Goode Island, Queensland, Australia

28 August 1907 arrived at St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands

16 April 1908 at 23°35N 21°17W Trimmer Ah Sing discharged dead – killed by accidentally falling

4 May 1908 at South Shields Court the ship’s Master Captain Alexander Longmuir was sued by seven members of the crew concerning £9 wages which had been withheld concerning a fine imposed by the authorities in Bahia Blanca for illegally importing ostrich feathers from South Africa by crew members. Each of the plaintives was awarded the money’s claimed with costs

23 May 1908 at 49°25N 23°52W Fireman Ah Kum discharged dead from influenza

7 October 1909 at Hull Docks unloading cargo from Karachi

7 September 1910 berthed at St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands while on passage from Hull to Buenos Ayres due to an engine defect. Sailed the next day

4 March 1916 at Busta Voe alongside the starboard side of HMS MONTAGUE supplying her with 805 tons of bunker coal

31 October 1916 requisitioned for Admiralty Service, initially as a collier and then an Armanents Carrier – name unchanged – until 19 June 1917

5 May 1917 at Murmansk a working party on board from HMS GLORY

HMS Glory

HMS GLORY

9 May 1917 to 12 May 1917 at Murmansk a working party on board from HMS GLORY each day

20 June 1917 re-deployed as a collier until 13 September 1917

14 September 1917 re-deployed as an Ammunion Carrier until 12 February 1918

October 1917 off Immingham while loaded with munitions a fire broke out in the starboard bunker. It was extinguished after three hours – see a press report below

13 February 1918 re-deployed as a collier until 4 May 1918

5 May 1918 re-deployed as a sugar carrier from Cuba

3 August 1918 became a Stores Carrier – name unchanged

5 September 1918 at Murmansk a working party that had been on board from HMS GLORY returned to their ship

31 October 1918 became a collier again – name unchanged

7 February 1919 at Tjilatjap Able Seaman Erik Kristensson discharged dead – from natural causes

30 May 1919 the Hull Daily Mail published –

Ben Nevis 3

 

1919 returned to her owners

23 December 1920 at sea Fireman and Trimmer James Nolan discharged dead from heart failure

18 November 1922 at Grangemouth a fatal accident occured and this was reported in the Sunday Post the next day –

Ben Nevis 4

 

1925 purchased by Goulandris Bros. Andros and renamed MARIONGA GOULANDRIS

18 November 1932 wrecked W of Punta del Este while on passage from San Nicola to Las Palmas carrying grain and was subsequently broken up in Montevideo