Official Number:                       146197

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Deptford Yard, Sunderland

Launched:                               4 August 1921

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         1945

Fate:                                        1961 broken up 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data

One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

4 August 1921 launched by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr:  681 named BRITISH CHANCELLOR for British Tanker Co Ltd, London

2 September 1921 the Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer reported …

December 1921 completed

11 December 1921 sailed River Tyne for New Orleans via Swansea

6 January 1922 arrived at New Orleans from the River Tyne

10 January 1922 sailed from New Orleans for Avonmouth

30 November 1922 arrived at Port Said from Swansea for Abadan 

2 March 1923 sailed Abadan for Melbourne arriving 9 April 1923

11 April 1923 sailed Melbourne for Honolulu

3 January 1924 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain Alfred Leech was Master

27 April 1924 sailed Abadan

20 September 1924 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain F Simonds was Master

24 December 1924 sailed Suez

28 February 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 5 passengers

12 March 1925 at 32°.00N 31°.00E Donkeyman Edward O’Neil discharged dead – pneumonia

11 May 1925 sailed from Southampton

3 May 1926 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 2 passengers 

12 July 1926 at Melbourne, Australia two members of the crew were arrested for fighting and causing criminal damage to the ship

13 July 1926 at Williamstown Magistrates’ Court Bosun Thomas Henry West was charged with, while armed with a knife, attacking the Chief Officer. He was convicted and fined £3 with 5/- costs or in default 21 days imprisonment. Seaman Charles Ireland was charged with criminal damage to the ships galley. He was fined £2 and £3 5sh costs or in default 14 days imprisonment.

Bosun Thomas Henry West

15 September 1927 sailed Swansea to Abadan 8 passengers. Captain H C Piper was Master

3 May 1928 passed Sagres when on passage to Abadan

17 July 1929 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

8 October 1929 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 8 passengers

23 October 1929 passed Perim

6 November 1929 arrived at Abadan

7 November 1929 sailed from Abadan

17 November 1929 passed Perim

23 November 1929 arrived at Suez

24 November 1929 sailed from Port Said

2 December 1929 passed Gibraltar – sailing west bound

17 December 1929 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 6 passengers. Captain R Macdowell was Master

1 January 1930 sailed from Suez for Abadan

7 January 1930 passed Perim

9 April 1930 sailed Grangemouth for Genoa

14 May 1930 arrived at Abadan

17 May 1930 sailed Abadan

31 May 1930 arrived Suez for Swansea

18 June 1930 arrived at Grangemouth

17 July 1930 arrived at Port Said

2 August 1930 sailed Abadan

17 August 1930 arrived at Suez from Abadan

5 January 1931 berthed at Swansea from Abadan

15 January 1931 sailed Swansea

8 February 1931 at Willemstad – grounded off Point Callinas – arrangements were made for salvage but she was refloated and proceeded – details from Lloyds Casualty Reports

10 April 1931 arrived the River Tyne

18 September 1931 sailed the River Tyne doe Abadan

11 December 1931 sailed Southampton for Abadan

24 December 1931 arrived Port Said

1 October 1932 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain A Winter was Master

20 November 1932 at E G Hospital, Aden 4th Engineer Officer Edward Brown discharged dead – malaria

25 February 1933 passed Sagres when on passage to Lands End

9 May 1933 berthed at Hull from Abadan with 7 passengers. Captain F Main was Master

27 August 1933 sailed from Abadan for LEFO

10 October 1933 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with 6 passengers

18 February 1934 sailed Abadan for Lands End

17 March 1934 sailed Port Said for Lands End

4 June 1934 passed Gibraltar sailing west for Sheerness

6 July 1934 sailed from Suez for Abadan

13 October 1934 at Liverpool

29 October 1934 sailed Swansea for Abadan with 2 passengers

27 November 1935 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with 5 passengers 

17 April 1936 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with 1 passenger

21 September 1937 arrived at London from Abadan

3 November 1937 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with 6 passengers

18 September 1938 sailed from Port Said for LEFO

5 October 1938 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 2 passengers. Captain E P S Attewill was Master

30 March 1939 berthed at Southampton from Abadan with 4 passengers 

12 May 1939 sailed from Sheerness

9 June 1939 passed Gibraltar

1939 – 1945 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

12 September 1939 berthed at Abadan

15 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Mombassa

30 September 1939 sailed Mombassa independently to Aden arriving 7 October 1939

7 October 1939 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 13 October 1939

18 October 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy Blue 5 to Gibraltar arriving 28 October 1939

29 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG5 to the Downs arriving 8 November 1939

8 November 1939 sailed the Downs independently to Sheerness arriving 10 November 1939

15 November 1939 sailed Southend in convoy FN37 to the River Tyne

11 December 1939 sailed the River Tyne in convoy FS53 to Southend arriving the next day

18 December 1939 sailed Southend in convoy OA55G which then formed convoy OG11 on 21 December 1939 passing Gibraltar on  26 December 1939

26 December 1939 passing Gibraltar and sailing independently to Constanza arriving 4 January 1940

13 January 1940 sailed Constanza independently to Gibraltar arriving 24 January 1940

24 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG16 to Liverpool arriving 3 February 1940. RFA Aldersdale also sailed in this convoy

21 February 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB 96 until it dispersed on 24 February 1940 and then independently to Halifax arriving 6 March 1940

8 March 1940 sailed Halifax independently to Aruba arriving 16 March 1940

19 March 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Halifax arriving 1 April 1940

2 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX32 to Le Havre arriving 17 April 1940

25 April 1940 sailed Le Harve independently and joined convoy OG28F at sea which passed Gibraltar 6 May 1940 and thence independently again to Constanza arriving 16 May 1940

20 May 1940 sailed Constanza independently to Gibraltar arriving 30 May 1940

31 May 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG32 to Southampton arriving 13 June 1940

15 June 1940 sailed Southampton joining convoy OA170 to Falmouth arriving 19 June 1940

10 July 1940 off Falmouth damaged by German bombing – Chief Engineer Officer Charles Halley Lennox, Second Engineer Officer William Joseph Cocker, Third Engineer Officer John Carr and Third Engineer Officer Philip George Lucas Samuels were all killed

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

Chief Engineer Officer Charles H Lennox, Second Engineer Officer William J Cocker and Third Engineer Officer Philip G L Samuels were all buried in Falmouth Cemetery while Third Engineer Officer John Carr was buried in Sunderland (Ryhope Road) Cemetery

13 May 1941 sailed Falmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

14 May 1941 sailed Milford Haven and joined convoy OG62 until dispersal and then independently to Curaçao arriving 6 June 1941

10 June 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arriving 15 June 1941

18 June 1941 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX134 to Halifax where on 23 June 1941 it joined convoy HX134 and then to Liverpool arriving 9 July 1941

17 July 1941 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB348 to Halifax arriving 30 July 1941 and then detached to sail independently to New York arriving 4 August 1941

8 August 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 11 August 1941

16 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX145 to Loch Ewe arriving 30 August 1941

31 August 1941 sailed Oban in unescorted convoy WN175 to Methil arriving 3 September 1941

4 September 1941 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS586 to Southend arriving 6 September 1941

11 September 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy EC72 to Loch Ewe arriving 15 September 1941 then sailing independently to New York arriving 6 October 1941

11 October 1941 sailed New York independently to Sydney, Cape Breton

17 October 1941 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton in escorted convoy SC50 to Loch Ewe arriving on 3 November 1941

25 November 1941 joining convoy ON40 but returned to Loch Ewe on 4 December 1941 later sailed independently to New York arriving 21 December 1941

6 January 1942 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 13 January 1942

15 January 1942 sailed Aruba independently to Cape Town arriving 12 February 1942

13 February 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 19 February 1942

24 February 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Abadan arriving 13 March 1942

16 March 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Madras arriving 30 March 1942

3 April 1942 sailed Madras independently to Calcutta arriving 7 April 1942

12 April 1942 sailed Calcutta independently to Trincomalee arriving 16 April 1942

17 April 1942 sailed Trincomalee independently to Abadan arriving 28 April 1942

3 May 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Aden 12 May 1942

16 May 1942 sailed Aden independently to Berbera arriving 17 May 1942

20 May 1942 sailed Berbera independently to Abadan arriving 29 May 1942

18 August 1942 sailed Abadan for Fremantle, Western Australia arriving 13 September 1942

21 September 1942 sailed Fremantle, Western Australia for Bandar Abbas arriving 1 November 1942

4 November 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PB10 and then independently to Adelaide arriving 6 December 1942

8 December 1942 sailed Adelaide independently to Port Pirie arriving 10 December 1942

15 December 1942 sailed Port Pirie independently to Melbourne arriving 18 December 1942

18 January 1943 sailed Melbourne independently to Bombay arriving 12 February 1943

17 February 1943 sailed Bombay in unescorted convoy PB68B to Bandar Abbas 23 February 1943

23 February 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas independently to Abadan arriving 25 February 1943

1 March 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas arriving 4 March 1943

9 March 1943 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PA28 and the independently to Cape Town arriving 3 April 1943

16 April 1943 sailed Cape Town in unescorted convoy CD14 and then independently to Abadan arriving 12 May 1943

25 May 1943 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 4 June 1943

4 June 1943 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 10 June 1943

24 June 1943 sailed Port Said independently to Haifa arriving the next day

27 June 1943 sailed Haifa independently to Tripoli arriving the same day

16 January 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Woolsey (DD437) alongside to be refuelled

28 January 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Ludlow (DD438) alongside to be refuelled

5 February 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Charles F Hughes (DD428) alongside to be refuelled

USS Charles F Hughes (DD428)

7 February 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Woolsey (DD437) and HMS BRECON alongside each to be refuelled

28 February 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Livermore (DD429) alongside to be refuelled – received 51,842 gallons

1 March 1944 berthed in Naples inner harbour with USS Charles F Hughes (DD428) and USS Madison (DD425) alongside to be refuelled

1 May 1944 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS1439 to Southend

6 January 1945 sailed Loch Ewe in unescorted convoy WN667 to Methil

3 October 1945 Chief Engineer Officer Jephson O’Connell discharged dead. He is buried in Passage West Catholic Cemetery, County Cork, Republic of Ireland

Chief Engineer Officer Jephson O’Connell

28 October 1944 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN24 to Methil arriving 30 October 1944

30 October 1944 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy EN450 to Loch Ewe arriving 1 November 1944

28 November 1944 sailed Bostol in unescorted comvoy BX135 to Halifax arriving 1 December 1944

9 January 1946 Donkeyman Benjamin Maxwell awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the New Years Honours List 1946 – details published in the London Gazette of this day

24 December 1946 berthed at Wallsend Slip Way, River Tyne

31 July 1948 at 25°34N 57°19E Donkeyman Laibar Reikmanoolla discharged dead – natural causes

8 April 1949 arrived at Algiers

10 June 1951 berthed at Grangemouth from Bandar e Mahshahr with 5 passengers. Captain J G Murray was Master

5 July 1951 berthed at Middle Docks, River Tyne for refit

23 November 1951 arrived at Mena Al Ahmadi

24 November 1951 sailed Mena Al Ahmadi for Port de Bouc

1952  purchased by Fanmaur Shipping & Trading Co (Wanmas Cia Mar, Managers) Liberia and renamed WANMAS

1954  purchased by Roja Cia Linea Ltda, San Jose and renamed FILTRIC

1954 purchased by Vivalet Shipping & Trading Co (A. Romano, Manager) Panama and renamed VIVA

1955  purchased by Traders & Shipping Ltd (A Romano, Manager) Israel and renamed GAATON

11 February 1961 arrived Spezia in tow of tug PROTEUS for demolition.