Official No: 149735
Builder: Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Low Walker
Launched: 10 September 1926
Into Service: 1939
Out of service: 1945
Fate: 5 December 1953 scrapped
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:
10 September 1926 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Low Walker as Yard Nr: 1218 named BRITISH GOVERNOR for British Tanker Co Ltd, London
13 October 1926 completed
15 December 1926 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 2 passengers. Captain A C Oswald was the Master
16 April 1927 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 8 passengers
29 October 1927 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 7 passengers
13 October 1928 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 3 passengers
28 February 1929 sailed Manchester to Abadan with 2 passengers
4 April 1929 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 6 passengers
5 January 1930 berthed at Abadan and suffered an explosion in No: 6 tank
11 May 1931 berthed at Thames Haven from Abadan with 2 DBS. Captain John Payne was the Master
23 September 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers
20 November 1931 sailed Rouen, France for Abadan
12 November 1932 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 9 passengers. Captain M Stott was the Master
16 January 1933 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers
26 February 1933 sailed Port Said for LEFO
17 March 1933 berthed at Purfleet when Chief Engineer Officer Edward Salmon suffered a fall resulting in him suffering a fractured skull and being discharged dead
13 December 1933 sailed Ardrosan for Abadan
2 January 1934 sailed from Port Said for Abadan
3 June 1934 passed Perim for Suez
8 July 1934 25 miles east of Lands End when on passage to Abadan
13 December 1934 berthed at Hull from Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain P V Mills was the Master
23 April 1935 berthed at London from Abadan with 8 passengers.
3 July 1935 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 1 passenger
26 October 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 9 passengers
12 November 1935 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan
22 November 1935 sailed from Abadan
22 January 1936 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain S D Bumstead was the Master
1 April 1936 berthed at Thames Haven from Abadan with 7 passengers and 1 DBS
8 September 1936 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 9 passengers. Captain R R Johnson was the Master
20 April 1937 berthed at London from Abadan with 8 passengers
18 September 1937 berthed at Grangemouth from the River Tyne
20 September 1937 sailed from Grangemouth for London
31 December 1937 sailed Grangemouth for London
21 September 1938 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 3 DBS. Captain J S Commander was the Master
22 November 1938 passed Beachy Head when on passage to Oslo
3 March 1939 at Smith’s Dock, River Tyne
1939 – 1945 requisitioned for Admiralty service and served on Russian Convoys as an Escort Oiler
15 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 30 September 1939
11 October 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy Blue 4 to Gibraltar arriving on 21 October 1939.
RFA ARNDALE was also in this convoy
22 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG4 to Sheerness arriving 1 November 1939.
RFA ARNDALE was also in this convoy but was bound for Portsmouth
20 November 1939 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA28 until dispersal on 23 November 1939. Sailing independently passed Gibraltar on 2 December 1939 and then independently to Port Said arriving 9 December 1939
10 December 1939 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 15 December 1939
15 December 1939 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving 24 December 1939
26 December 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 8 January 1940
10 January 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 20 January 1940
21 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG16F to Devonport with a cargo of FFO
5 February 1940 sailed Devonport independently to Scapa Flow arriving 10 February 1940
11 February 1940 sailed Scapa Flow independently to Rosyth arriving the same day
26 February 1940 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS106
27 February 1940 bombed and damaged by German He111’s of KG26 (X Air Corps) off the East Coast. Was escorted into port by HMS JANUS
18 April 1940 sailed in unescorted convoy FN147 to Methil
1 May 1940 sailed Rosyth independently to Scapa Flow arriving the next day
3 May 1940 sailed Scapa Flow in unescorted convoy HK1 to Harstad arriving 9 May 1940. RFA BROOMDALE also sailed in this convoy
28 May 1940 sailed Narvik to Scapa Flow arriving 31 May 1940
3 June 1940 sailed Scapa Flow to the Clyde arriving 6 June 1940
12 June 1940 sailed the Clyde in escorted convoy OB167 until dispersal on the 17 June 1940 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 30 June 1940
2 July 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Freetown arriving 16 July 1940
25 July 1940 sailed Freetown independently to Trinidad arriving 6 August 1940
13 August 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 20 August 1940
8 October 1940 Captain Edmund J Cole and Third Engineer Officer Edward Arnold both awarded a Commendation. Details published in the London Gazette of this day
20 March 1943 arrived at Bathurst escorted by HMS LADY HOGARTH and HMS STELLA CARMA
6 April 1943 divers reported that the ship had been seriously damaged amidships. A crack ran
from waterline to waterline athwartships. The ships also has a hole in her port bow in way or
the forehold and the fore deep tank measuring approximately 45 feet by 15 feet. All steps were
being taken to have her dry docked as soon as possible. – Source Admiralty War diary of this
day page 630.
1 May 1943 at Murmansk lost part of her cargo as a result of near miss bomb damage – Source
Admiralty War Diary – page 498
4 June 1943 Chief Cook Henry A Churnside awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in
the Birthday Honours List for 1943 – details published in the London Gazette of this day
1 November 1943 sailed Kola Inlet to Methil in convoy RFA54A arriving on 14 November 1943
sailing the same day in Convoy FS1274 to the River Tyne arriving the next day
11 April 1944 Chief Engineer Officer Victor T Millington given permission to wear the Soviet
Medal for Valour awarded for carrying armanents to Russia – details published in the London
Gazette of this day
21 November 1944 Captain William W Thomas DSC appointed an Officer of the Order
of the British Empire (OBE) Civil Division and Chief Engineer Officer Victor T Millington, Chief
Officer Lawrence A S Howell and Engineroom Store Keeper Pawel Idzikowski each awarded
a Commendation all for services when the ship was bombed and damaged – details published in
the London Gazette of this day
24 June 1946 Deck Sarang Bhico Ameerkhan awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in
the Birthday Honours List for 1946 – details published in the London Gazette of this day
31 August 1947 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 4 passengers
20 July 1948 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 2 passengers
30 August 1949 arrived at the River Tyne from Grangemouth
2 September 1949 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan 1 passenger
10 May 1951 sailed Abadan for Djibouti
3 July 1951 berthed at Grangemouth from Kuwait with 8 passengers. Captain T M Govan was the
Master
14 December 1952 while berthed at Gosport Oil Jetty Deck Serang Fakeer Sakoba discharged dead – died from a ruptured heart
5 December 1953 arrived Osaka for demolition
