Official Number:                      146710

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Dundee

Launched:                               5 October 1922

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         1945

Fate:                                        30 April 1953 broken up 

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:

5 October 1922 launched by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Dundee as yard Nr: 283 named BRITISH COMMODORE for British Tanker Co Ltd., London

6 October 1922 The Scotsman newspaper reported …

March 1923  completed

12 March 1923 sailed Dundee for Newcastle

17 March 1923 sailed from the River Tyne for Abadan

23 March 1923 passed Gibraltar

17 April 1923 at Abadan

4 May 1923 passed Perim when on passage from Abadan

23 February 1924 sailed from Abadan 

30 March 1924 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 5 passengers

15 April 1924 sailed Suez for Abadan

12 September 1924 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain W P Barker was Master

10 March 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain A Preece was Master

24 July 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 1 passenger

10 October 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers

6 October 1927 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 7 passengers. Captain D McBeath was Master

19 August 1929 sailed from Grangemouth for Abadan

4 December 1929 sailed from Port Said

21 December 1929 at St George’s Hospital, Bombay Fireman Charles Grant discharged dead from natural causes

1 January 1930 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers

7 January 1930 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound

14 January 1930 arrived at Port Said

21 January 1930 passed Perim sailing east bound

2 April 1930 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 4 passengers

26 July 1930 at the Government Hospital, Durban, Natal, South Africa Able Seaman Archibald Cunningham Taylor discharged dead from multipule injuries sustained ashore when he was hit by a train

20 February 1931 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

23 September 1931  passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

31 July 1932 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

12 October 1932 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 9 passengers. Captain Bolger was Master

3 January 1933 sailed Bergen for Esbjerg

29 August 1934 at Rouen, France Greaser Charles Halpen discharged dead presumed drowned

26 January 1935 sailed from Abadan

10 March 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain C W Stewart was Master

25 April 1935 sailed Port Said for LEFO

19 November 1935 passed Perim for LEFO

24 December 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers

11 January 1936 passed Perim for Abadan

14 March 1936 pass Southend for Thames Haven

8 January 1938 sailed Port Said for Abadan

14 May 1938 sailed Sunderland for Grangemouth

15 May 1938 berthed at Grangemouth

1 June 1938 arrived at Port Said

20 September 1938 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dungeness sailing east bound for Oslo, Norway

11 November 1938 sailed from Abadan for Rangoon

19 January 1939 sailed Haifa

11 February 1939 at Sunderland in refit

10 June 1939 sailed Oran for Abadan

1 August 1939 at Avonmouth discharging cargo

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

13 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently

1 October 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy BLUE 3 to Gibraltar arriving 11 October 1939. RFA WAR KRISHNA was also in this convoy

18 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 26 October 1939

28 October 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 11 November 1939

13 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Diego Suarez arriving 29 November 1939

24 December 1939 sailed Diego Suarez to Abadan

12 January 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 20 January 1940

5 February 1940 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 11 February 1940

13 February 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 21 February 1940

25 February 1940 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving 3 March 1940

7 March 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 19 March 1940

20 March 1949 sailed Port Said independently to Malta arriving 24 March 1940

26 March 1940 sailed Malta independently to Port Said arriving 30 March 1940

31 March 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 12 April 1940

18 April 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 2 May 1940

13 May 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Alexandria arriving the next day

6 June 1940 sailed Alexandria independently to Port Said arriving the next day

18 June 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Haifa arriving the next day

23 June 1940 sailed Haifa independently to Alexandria arriving the next day

29 June 1940 sailed Alexandria independently to Port Said arriving the next day

7 July 1940 sailed Suez in convoy BS1 until it dispersed on 15 July 1940 and then independently to Abadan arriving 23 July 1940

24 July 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 22 August 1940

24 August 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 27 August 1940

1 September 1940 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Cape Town arriving 3 September 1940

5 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Freetown arriving 21 September 1940

27 September 1940 sailed Freetown independently to Trinidad arriving 9 October 1940

18 October 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 25 October 1940

30 October 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX85 to Halifax where the joined convoy HX85 to Sydney, Cape Breton arriving 9 November 1940

11 November 1940 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton in convoy HX85/1 to Devonport arriving 30 November 1940

13 December 1940 sailed Devonport independently to Falmouth arriving 15 December 1940

11 January 1941 sailed Falmouth to the River Clyde arriving 14 January 1941

14 January 1941 sailed the Clyde joining escorted convoy OB274 but returned to the River Clyde the next day (defect?)

24 January 1941 sailed the Clyde joining escorted convoy OB 278 until dispersal on 27 January 1941 and then independently to Curacao arriving 15 February 1941

21 February 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 26 February 1941

27 February 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX112 then joining escorted convoy HX112 on 4 March 1941 to Liverpool arriving 24 March 1941. Was involved in a collision off Liverpool on 20 March 1941 – full details currently not known

12 April 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB309 until dispersal on 19 April 1941 then independently to Curacao arriving 5 May 1941

6 May 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 12 May 1941

14 May 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX127 then joining escorted convoy HX127 on 20 May 1942 to Oban arriving 31 May 1941

2 June 1941 sailed Oban in escorted convoy WN135 which had sailed from the Clyde to Scapa Flow arriving 4 June 1941

11 June 1941 sailed Scapa Flow escorted to Loch Ewe arriving the same day and then independently to Trinidad arriving 6 July 1941

11 July 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 21 July 1941

22 July 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX140 with a cargo of FFO to Loch Ewe arriving 6 August 1941. Here she joined escorted convoy WN163 to Scapa Flow arriving 8 August 1941

23 August 1941 sailed Lyness in escorted convoy EC63 to Loch Ewe arriving 25 August 1941 and thence independently to New York arriving 16 September 1941

6 October 1941 sailed New York independently to Sydney, Cape Breton arriving 9 October 1941

11 October 1941 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton in escorted convoy SC49 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 October 1941 and then joining unescorted convoy WN198 for Scapa Flow arriving 29 October 1941

5 November 1941 sailed Lyness in escorted convoy EN2A to Loch Ewe arriving 7 November 1941 thence independently to Trinidad arriving 4 December 1941

6 December 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Freetown arriving 23 December 1941

28 December 1941 sailed Freetown independently to Curacao arriving 13 January 1942

18 January 1942 sailed Curacao independently to Cape Town arriving 16 February 1942

18 February 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 13 March 1942

16 March 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Mahe, Seychelles arriving 28 March 1942

1 April 1942 sailed Mahe, Seychelles independently to Mauritius arriving 6 April 1942

8 April 1942 sailed Mauritius independently to Abadan arriving 23 April 1942

25 April 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 2 May 1942

4 May 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Mauritius arriving 16 May 1942

19 May 1942 sailed Mauritius independently to Abadan arriving 2 June 1942

14 June 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Mombasa arriving 2 July 1942

13 July 1942 sailed Mombasa independently to Abadan arriving 24 July 1942

28 July 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 5 August 1942

3 September 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 20 September 1942

23 September 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Colombo arriving 4 October 1942

5 October 1942 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 7 October 1942

10 October 1942 sailed Trincomalee independently to Abadan arriving 23 October 1942

29 October 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bandar Abbas

4 November 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in unescorted convoy PB10 to Bombay arriving 11 November 1942

12 November 1942 sailed Bombay in convoy BM31 to Trincomalee arriving 18 November 1942

22 November 1942 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving the next day

24 November 1942 sailed Colombo in convoy MB17A to Bombay arriving 28 November 1942

4 December 1942 sailed Bombay in convoy BP61 to Bandar Abbas and then independently to Abadan arriving 12 December 1942

15 December 1942 sailed Abadan independently to Bander Abbas arriving 17 December 1942

22 December 1942 sailed Bandar Abbas in convoy PB18 to Karachi arriving 25 December 1942

25 December 1942 at sea Electrician Albert Ayres discharged dead from smallpox

5 January 1943 sailed Karachi independently to Diego Suarez arriving 17 January 1943

23 April 1943 at Diego Suarez alongside HMS FROBISHER refuelling her

9 November 1943 sailed from Bombay in convoy BP102 for Bandar Abbas but due to a defect had to return

18 November 1943 sailed from Bombay in convoy BP103 for Bandar Abbas arriving on 24 November 1943

12 December 1943 sailed from Bombay in escorted convoy BM78 to Colombo, Ceylon arriving 18 December 1943

19 April 1944 sailed from Port Said in escorted convoy MKS47 to Augusta

4 May 1944 sailed from Augusta in escorted convoy KMS 49 to Port Said

24 May 1944 sailed from Port Said in escorted convoy GUS41 to Hampton Road arriving 19 June 1944

29 September 1944 sailed from Liverpool in escorted convoy ONS33 to Halifax arriving 14 October 1944 as an escort oiler. RFA Scottish American was also in this convoy as an escort oiler

22 October 1944 sailed from Boston in unescorted convoy BX130 to Halifax arriving 24 October 1944

13 December 1944 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ONS38 to Halifax arriving 2 January 1945. Acted as one of three escort oilers during this convoy

12 January 1945 sailed from Boston in escorted convoy BX141 to Halifax arriving 14 January 1945

14 February 1947 sailed Port Sudan for Abadan

13 January 1948 arrived at Port Said from Falmouth

28 January 1948 arrived Abadan frfom Falmouth

13 April 1948 sailed from Port Said

22 April 1948 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound

7 September 1948 sailed from Bombay, India for Abadan

13 September 1949 arrived at Helsingborg, Sweden

27 November 1949 at the Isolation Hospital, Abadan Casab Sk Mahomood s/o Sk Mahmoed discharged dead from pulmonary tuberculosis

4 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover when sailing east

24 July 1950 sailed Aden

13 June 1951 sailed Abadan for Bandar Mashur

30 April 1953 arrived Faslane for demolition by Metal Industries (Salvage) Ltd