Official No:                         160493

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

Launched:                     9 December 1927

Into Service:                 1939

Out of service:              14 January 1945

Fate:                            14 January1945 torpedoed and 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:

9 December 1927 launched by Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd., Jarrow as Yard Nr: 968 named BRITISH FREEDOM for British Tanker Co Ltd., London

10 December 1927 the Shields Daily News reported …

Captain Robert H Farrington

6 April 1929 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 6 passengers

1 November 1929 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers 

25 October 1930 radioed from 20 miles north of Cape Finisterre she had engine trouble. Tugs sailed from La Corunna and from Oporto to provide assistance

26 October 1930 tug Atlas took her in tow to Vigo Bay where she later this day arrived and anchored

11 December 1930 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 1 passenger

20 February 1931 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

21 May 1931 sailed from Port Said for LEFO

27 October 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain B Collie was Master

5 December 1931 sailed from Karachi, Pakistan for Abadan

28 May 1932 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 5 passengers 

10 October 1932 berthed at Shell Haven, London from Abadan with 1 passenger

22 October 1932 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

17 December 1932 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 6 passengers. Captain B Collie was Master

21 February 1933 berthed at Liverpool

4 May 1933 berthed at London from Abadan with 6 passengers

16 October 1933 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 4 passengers 

25 March 1934 berthed at Southampton from Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain William Rogers was Master

27 May 1934 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 5 passengers

1 June 1934 was 180 miles SW of Lands End on passage to Abadan

8 July 1934 passed Perim when on passage to Antwerp

2 January 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 2 passengers

6 May 1935 berthed at Ellesmere Port from Abadan with 6 passengers

25 July 1935 berthed at Ellesmere Port from Abadan with 2 DBS as passengers

17 October 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 7 passengers

14 November 1935 sailed Abadan for East London

31 January 1936 berthed at Port Victoria, Sheerness with 2 DBS as passengers

23 May 1936 berthed at Melbourne from Abadan

25 May 1936 sailed Melbourne for Sydney, NSW arriving 28 May 1936

1 June 1936 sailed Sydney, NSW for Balik Papan 

1 November 1936 berthed at Liverpool via Belfast from Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain William C Smith was Master

27 June 1937 berthed at Southampton from Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain Joseph Bolger was Master

28 November 1937 berthed at Belfast from Abadan with 4 passengers and 1 DBS 

3 February 1938 berthed at Southampton from Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain Charles A James was Master

16 February 1938 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

4 July 1938 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 2 DBS as passengers

18 September 1938 sailed from Aden for Abadan 

29 October 1938 berthed at Hull from Abadan with 1 passenger and 1 DBS

12 November 1938 sailed the River Tyne for a Texas port

17 November 1938 at 49°36N 19°42W when on passage to Beaumont

6 December 1938 arrived at Beaumont from the River Tyne

25 January 1939 arrived at Abadan from Naples

23 February 1939 arrived Swansea from Aruba

6 April 1939 sailed Swansea for Aruba

14 June 1939 at Swansea

31 July 1939 arrived at Abadan from Falmouth

1939  requisitioned for Admiralty service

7 September 1939 sailed Melbourne independently to Adelaide arriving on 9 September 1939

11 September 1939 sailed Adelaide independently to SIngapore on 28 September 1939

10 October 1939 sailed Singapore independently to Aden arriving on 28 October 1939

28 October 1939 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving on 9 November 1939

11 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Diego Suarez arriving on 27 November 1939

9 December 1939 sailed Diego Suarez independently to Abadan arriving on 22 December 1939

26 December 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving on 5 January 1940

7 January 1940 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving on 15 January 1940

19 January 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 2 February 1940

4 February 1940 sailing Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 13 February 1940

14 February 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG19F to the Clyde arriving 23 February 1940 escorted by British and French warships

3 April 1940 sailed the Clyde and joined unescorted convoy OB123. This convoy reformed as escorted convoy OG24F on 6 April 1940 to Gibraltar arriving on 12 April 1940.

12 April 1940 passed Gibraltar and sailed independently to Port Said arriving 20 April 1940

22 April 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 4 May 1940

8 May 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 16 May 1940

16 May 1940 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 22 May 1940

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

28 May 1940 sailed Alexandria independently to Gibraltar arriving 5 June 1940

5 June 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG33F to the Clyde arriving 14 June 1940

18 June 1940 sailed the Clyde in escorted convoy OB171. This convoy reformed as escorted convoy OG34 until off Gibraltar. Then sailed independently to Cape Town arriving 17 July 1940

20 July 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 13 August 1940

18 August 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 17 September 1940

29 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Freetown arriving 14 October 1940

18 October 1940 sailed Freetown returning the same day

13 February 1941 arrived Gibraltar together with the tanker Inverlee escorted by the Corvettes HMS FLEUR DE LYS and HMS AZALEA

25 October 1941 sailed Gibraltar with the tanker Velma and escorted by the Corvette HMS COREOPSIS and anti-submarine trawlers HMS ST NECTAN and HMS LADY SHIRLEY

27 June 1942 while on passage in ballast from Scapa Flow to Trinidad via New York and Key West in convoy KS 514 was torpedoed and damaged by the German submarine U701 in position 34°45N 75°22W. The crew suffered no casualties. USS St Augustine and USS PE-48 stood by the ship. The ship reached Hampton Roads the next day and after temporary repairs at Philadelphia continued to New York. She was repaired and returned to service in September 1942

14 December 1942 off the Pilots Station at New York Donkeyman John Harvey discharged dead through an accidental fall

2 March 1943 Captain Francis Main appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) – Civil Division, Chief Officer Robert Hardy appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) – Civil Division, Chief Engineer Officcer Edward A V Braithwaite and Second Engineer Officer Charles J Mann both awarded a Commendation and each for services when the ship was torpedoed and damged. Details published in the London Gazette of this date

4 January 1944 Engineroom Storekeeper Thomas S White awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the New Year Honours list for 1944. Details published in the London Gazette of this date

24 January 1944 at Birkenhead Bombardier Maritime Regiment 3252579 George Edward Smith discharged dead after an accident

14 January 1945 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-1232 in the Atlantic E of Halifax N.S. in position 44°28N  63°28W while on passage from New York to the U.K. in Convoy BX141 carrying  9,723 t of US Navy special fuel oil with the loss of one life. Fifty six survivors were rescued and landed at Halifax N.S. by the Canadian trawler HMCS GASPE. The one seaman who died is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill memorial

Image courtesy of Brian Watson

16 October 1945 Chief Officer Robert O Williams appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) – Civil Division. Captain William Orr Burns OBE, Captain Frederick L Morris and Chief Engineer Officer John Thompson Ogg all awarded a Commendtion. Each for oiling operations in the North Atlantic.  Details published in the London Gazette of this date