Official No:                           160525

Builder:                           Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd., Jarrow

Launched:                       4 May 1928

Into Service:                   1939

Out of service:                 5 April 1943

Fate:                               5 April 1943 torpedoed, damaged and then 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:

4 May 1928 launched by Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd., Jarrow as Yard Nr: 978 named 

British Ardour for British Tanker Co Ltd., London

15 May 1928 the Berwickshire News & General Advertiser newspaper reported …

20 February 1930 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain F J Hill was Master

3 August 1930 at 12°.33N 44°.33E Assistant Steward A J Bradley discharged dead from heat stroke

26 December 1930 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound for Hamburg, Germany

5 January 1931 at Hamburg, Germany while moored on dolphins was fouled by the American ship Antinous when entering the port in a heavy squall. The American ship received slight damage while British Ardour received damage to her stern

19 February 1931 arrived at Abadan from the River Tyne

26 April 1931 sailed from Abadan

17 May 1931 passed Sagres for Antwerp

24 May 1931 passed Beachy Head

24 June 1931 sailed from Abadan for Antwerp

26 June 1931 at 25°27N 57°17E Fireman Henry John Wheeler discharged dead – disappeared at sea

7 September 1931 arrived Suez from Abadan

2 October 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 7 passengers. Captain A Clarkson was Master

13 October 1931 arrived at Port Said from Falmouth

9 May 1932 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 6 passengers

12 June 1932 arrived at Abadan from Stanlow

21 September 1932 at Hamburg Able Seaman Maurice Ahern discharged dead from injuries sustained when he fell from a hotel window

29 January 1933 berthed at Thames Haven from Abadan with 1 DBS

21 February 1933 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

30 March 1933 berthed at Shell Haven from Abadan with 2 passengers and 1 DBS

7 April 1933 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 3 passengers

26 May 1933 sailed East London for Abadan

20 July 1933 sailed Abadan for Antwerp

22 August 1933 passed St Catherine’s Point on passage to Falmouth

11 September 1933 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

6 November 1933 berthed at Adelaide, Australia from Abadan

7 November 1933 sailed from Adelaide for Melbourne

23 November 1933 sailed Brisbane for Abadan

4 March 1934 sailed Abadan for Hamburg

16 June 1934 in refit at T W Greenwell Ltd., Sunderland

6 July 1934 sailed from Suez for Abadan

5 August 1934 arrived at Suez from Abadan

13 October 1934 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound for Sheerness

29 December 1934 sailed from Abadan

29 January 1935 arrived at Suez

14 February 1935 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 1 passenger

26 April 1935 berthed at the Medway from Abadan with 6 passengers

28 June 1935 berthed at Port Victoria, Sheerness from Abadan with 2 passengers

31 August 1935 sailed Granton for Grangemouth

20 November 1935 sailed Falmouth to Bahrein with 1 passenger

21 November 1935 passed the Lizard

4 February 1936 berthed at Hull from Abadan with 1 passenger and 1 DBS

5 April 1936 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 4 passengers

21 April 1936 arrived at Port Said from Avnonmouth

10 April 1936 sailed Avonmouth

6 November 1935 at Le Havre

9 November 1936 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 1 DBS

14 November 1936 arrived at Avonmouth

15 January 1937 sailed from Port Natal for Abadan

12 April 1937 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 7 passengers. Captain Michael W Good was the Master

Captain Michael W Good

14 June 1937 sailed Colombo for Melbourne, Australia

19 September 1937 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 1 DBS

18 December 1937 berthed at London from Abadan with 2 DBS

15 January 1938 arrived Port Said when on passage to Abadan

26 February 1938 berthed at Shell Haven from Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain J Hall was Master

2 April 1938 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers

9 July 1938 at 17°17N 57°43E Able Seaman Donald Bain discharged dead – disappeared at sea

18 September 1938 sailed from Abadan for Beira

23 November 1938 sailed Suez

22 December 1938 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

24 April 1939 berthed at Belfast from Abadan with 5 passengers

26 April 1939 berthed at Ardrossan

7 June 1939 berthed at Liverpool from Aruba with 1 passenger

9 June 1939 still berthed at Liverpool

22 August 1939 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers. Captain E H Fulcher was Master

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service

2 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy AB 1/1 until dispersed about 13 September 1939 then independently to Cape Town arriving 29 September 1939

1 October 1939 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 23 October 1939

3 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving on 17 November 1939

19 November 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy HG9 to London arriving 10 December 1939

3 January 1940 sailed Southend in convoy OA65G which formed convoy OG13 on 7 January 1940. Past Gibraltar on 12 January 1940 and then independently arrived at Constanza on 21 January 1940

27 January 1940 sailed Constanza independently to Gibraltar arriving 5 February 1940

6 February 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG18F to the Clyde arriving 16 February 1940

19 February 1940 sailed the Clyde to Ardrossan arriving the next day

23 February 1940 sailed Ardrossan independently to join convoy OB98 from Liverpool which reformed into Convoy OG 20F and then independently to Port Arthur

26 March 1940 sailed Port Arthur independently to Halifax arriving 5 April 1940

6 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX33 to Avonmouth arriving 20 April 1940

9 May 1940 sailed Avonmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

11 May 1940 sailed Milford Haven to join convoy OB145 which had sailed from Liverpool the previous day. This convoy was reformed as convoy OG29 on 12 May 1940. British Ardour then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 28 May 1940

29 May 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Aruba arriving 31 May 1940

2 June 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Bermuda arriving 9 June 1940

12 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX50 to Halifax arriving 17 June 1940

7 July 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX56 to Liverpool arriving 22 July 1940

8 August 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB195 until dispersal on 12 August 1940 and then independently to Cape Town arriving 9 September 1940

11 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 4 October 1940

7 October 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 31 October 1940

3 November 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Freetown arriving 17 November 1940

21 November 1940 sailed Freetown in convoy SL56 to Oban arriving 12 December 1940

15 December 1940 sailed Oban in convoy WN54 to Methil arriving 17 December 1940

19 December 1940 sailed Methil in convoy FS365 to Southend arriving 21 December 1940

29 December 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN371 to Methil arriving 31 December 1940

18 March 1941 sailed Methil to Loch Ewe arriving 21 March 1941

12 April 1941 berthed at Aruba having sailed independently

25 April 1941 sailed Halifax in convoy HX123 to Oban arriving 12 May 1941 with a cargo of petrol

13 May 1941 sailed Oban in convoy WN 126 to Methil arriving 15 May 1941

16 May 1941 sailed Methil in convoy FS491 to Southend arriving 18 May 1941

26 May 1941 sailed Southend in convoy EC25 to Kirkwall arriving 29 May 1941

1 June 1941 sailed Kirkwall in convoy EC26 to Oban arriving 3 June 1941

3 June 1941 sailed Oban in convoy OB330 to New York

5 June 1941 at about 670 miles north of the Azores the British mv Wellfield was sunk by the German submarine U48 with the master and seven of the crew being lost.  19 of the crew rescued by the British Ardour and landed at New York

7 June 1941 convoy OB330 dispersed and thus ships sailed independently. Arrived New York 18 June 1941

21 June 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 23 June 1941

26 June 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX135 to Oban arriving 11 July 1941

13 July 1941 sailed Oban in escorted convoy WN152 to Methil arriving 15 July 1941

18 July 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy FS545 to Sheerness arriving 20 July 1941. RFA SCOTTISH AMERICAN also sailed in this convoy

31 July 1941 sailed Sheerness in escorted convoy EC53 to Loch Ewe arriving 4 August 1941 and then independently to New York arriving 22 August 1941

25 August 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 28 August 1941

29 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX147 to Loch Ewe with a cargo of petrol arriving 11 September 1941 and then in unescorted convoy WN179 to Methil arriving 13 September 1941

14 September 1941 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS595 to Southend arriving 16 September 1941

23 September 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy EC77 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 September 1941 and then independently to New York arriving 14 October 1941

18 October 1941sailed New York independently to Port Arthur arriving 26 October 1941

28 October 1941 sailed Port Arthur independently to Halifax arriving 6 November 1941

8 November 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX159 to Loch Ewe arriving 23 November 1941 and then in unescorted convoy WN209 to Methil arriving 25 November 1941

8 December 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN573 to Methil arriving 10 December 1941

11 December 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy EN18 to Loch Ewe arriving the next day. Later sailing independently to Galveston arriving 6 January 1942

20 January 1942 sailed Galveston independently to Houston arriving the same day

21 January 1942 sailed Houston independently to Halifax arriving 2 February 1942

7 February 1942 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX174 to Belfast Lough with a cargo of petrol arriving 21 February 1942

22 February 1942 sailed Belfast Lough in escorted convoy BB141 to Avonmouth arriving 24 February 1942

7 March 1942 sailed Avonmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

9 March 1942 sailed Milford Haven in escorted convoy ON75 until dispersal on the 19 March 1942 and then independently to Aruba arriving 30 March 1942

3 May 1942 sailed Aruba independently to Halifax arriving 16 April 1942

20 April 1942 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX186 to Liverpool arriving 2 May 1942

8 May 1942 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON93 until dispersal on 17 May 1942 and then independently to Charleston, South Carolina arriving on 27 May 1942

20 May 1942 at about 500 miles east of Bermuda rescued the Master and 17 survivors of the ship Darina from convoy ON93 which had been sunk by the German submarine U158 on 17 May 1942. These survivors were landed at Charleston, South Carolina on 27 May 1942

28 May 1942 sailed Charleston, South Carolina independently to Beaumont arriving 3 June 1942

8 June 1942 at Sabine Canal, Port Arthur 2nd Steward Michael Byrne discharged dead – drowned. Also sailed Beaumont independently to Key West arriving 12 June 1942

14 June 1942 sailed Key West in unescorted convoy KN110 to New York arriving 19 June 1942

20 June 1942 sailed New York independently to Boston arriving 22 June 1942

24 June 1942 sailed Boston in escorted convoy BX26 to Halifax arriving 27 June 1942

29 June 1942 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX 196 to Belfast Lough arriving 11 July 1942 with a cargo of petrol

13 July 1942 sailed Belfast Lough independently to the River Clyde arriving 16 July 1942

1 August 1942 sailed the River Clyde in escorted convoy OS36 to Freetown arriving 18 August 1942. Acted as Escort Oiler during this convoy

24 August 1942 sailed Freetown in escorted convoy SL120 to the River Clyde arriving 14 September 1942 with a cargo of FFO

29 September 1942 sailed the River Clyde and joined escorted convoy OS42 until dispersal on 9 October 1942 and then independently to Bathurst arriving 14 October 1942. Acted as the Escort Oiler in this convoy until dispersal

17 October 1942 sailed Bathurst independently until joining escorted convoy SL125 from Freetown on 19 October 1942 to the River Clyde arriving 6 November 1942. From 19 October 1942 acted as the Escort Oiler for this convoy. HMS SALVAONIA (later RFA SALVONIA) acted as the rescue tug for this convoy

17 November 1942 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON147 for New York. Acted as Escort Oiler but had to return to the River Clyde due to defects

1 December 1942 sailed the River Clyde in escorted convoy ON150 to New York arriving 27 December 1942. Acted as the Escort Oiler for this convoy

29 December 1942 sailed New York in escorted convoy HX221 to the River Clyde arriving 13 January 1943 with a cargo of FFO

24 January 1943 sailed Londonderry in escorted convoy ON162 to New York arriving 10 February 1943. Acted as the Escort Oiler for this convoy

25 March 1943 sailed New York in escorted convoy HX231 for the River Clyde.  Acted as the Escort Oiler for this convoy until ….

5 April 1943 torpedoed and damaged by German Submarine U-706 (Alexander von Zitzewitz) and later sunk by the destroyer HMS VIDETTE and the corvette HMS SUNFLOWER

HMS Sunflower

in the Atlantic West of Ireland in position 58.08N 34.04W while on passage from New York to Greenock carrying a cargo of 10,000t of fuel oil. All sixty two persons aboard were rescued by HMS SUNFLOWER and landed at Londonderry four days later.