Official Number:                      160530

Laid down:

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

Launched:                               7 March 1928

Into Service:                            WW2

Out of service:                         WW2

Fate:                                       1962 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:

7 March 1928 launched by Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow as Yard Nr 970 named BRITISH HONOUR for British Tanker Co Ltd, London

July 1928  completed

9 January 1929 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain B Collie was Master

24 March 1929 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 2 passengers

23 February 1930 off Newcastle, NSW a fire broke out onboard resulting in considerable damage – it took 3 hours to extinguish

25 February 1931 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain E B Loader was Master

10 September 1931 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan

9 December 1931 berthed at Grangemouth

31 March 1932 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 4 passangers. Captain H Black was Master 

1 August 1933 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 3 passengers 

17 August 1933 berthed at Wallsend Slipway, River Tyne for refit or repair

7 July 1934 sailed Suez for Abadan

28 August 1934 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan

9 September 1935 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 2 DBS. Captain J C Robson was Master

5 November 1935 berthed at London from Abadan with 4 passengers

24 November 1935 sailed Port Said for Abadan

10 March 1936 berthed at London from Abadan with 3 passengers

13 December 1936 berthed at Southampton from Abadan 4 passengers

17 July 1937 berthed at Liverpool from Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain Evan Evans was Master

27 November 1937 sailed Brisbane, Australia for Balik Papan

6 February 1938 sailed from Port Said for Ellesmere Port

16 July 1938 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan

18 July 1938 sailed Grangemouth for Abadan

19 September 1938 sailed from Port Said for LEFO

16 December 1938 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain J A Ferrier was Master

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

16 September 1939 sailed Colombo independently to Abadan arriving 25 September 1939

1 October 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 10 October 1939

15 October 1939 sailed Aden independently to Port Said

25 October 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 3 November 1939

6 November 1939 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 15 November 1939

16 November 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 29 November 1939

1 December 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 18 December 1939

18 December 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 28 December 1939

31 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG13 to the River Clyde arriving 10 January 1940. RFA OLEANDER was also part of this convoy

20 January 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Plymouth arriving 22 January 1940

25 January 1940 sailed Plymouth independently to Falmouth arriving the next day

26 February 1940 sailed Falmouth and joined convoy OA98GF until it dispersed and then independently to Curacao arriving on 16 March 1940

19 March 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 28 March 1940

2 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX32 to Liverpool with a cargo of FFO arriving 16 April 1940

17 April 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Scapa Flow arriving 19 April 1940

25 April 1940 sailed Scapa Flow to Trinidad arriving 12 May 1940

3 June 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Gibraltar arriving 19 June 1940

22 June 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving 6 July 1940

13 July 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Gibraltar

2 August 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving 16 August 1940

27 August 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Barbados arriving 28 August 1940

28 August 1940 sailed Barbados independently to Gibraltar arriving 13 September 1940

17 September 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Curacao arriving 4 October 1940

5 October 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda with a cargo of FFO arriving 11 October 1940

14 October 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX81 which joined convoy HX81 on 19 October 1940 from Halifax to the River Clyde arriving on 1 November 1940

5 November 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy WN32 to Scapa Flow arriving 7 November 1940

17 November 1940 sailed Lyness in convoy EN26/1 to the River Clyde arriving the next day

8 December 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving the next day

8 February 1941 sailed Liverpool independent to the River Clyde arriving the next day

11 February 1941 sailed the River Clyde in convoy OB285 until it dispersed on 17 February 1941 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 8 March 1941

14 March 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 25 March 1941

27 March 1941 sailed Halifax in convoy HX117 to Scapa Flow arriving 13 April 1941 and then independently to Reykyavik arriving 19 April 1941

26 April 1941 sailed Reykyavik to Curacao arriving 14 May 1941

20 May 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Gibraltar arriving 7 June 1941

12 June 1941 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving 24 June 1941

3 July 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Gibraltar arriving 21 July 1941

30 July 1941 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving 14 August 1941

21 August 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 31 August 1941

31 August 1941 sailed Halifax independently to SYdney, CB arriving the next day

5 September 1941 sailed Sydney CB in convoy SC43 to Loch Ewe arriving 20 September 1941

19 February 1942 Chief Officer John Ross Tait discharged dead having presumed to have been lost overboard. He is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

Image courtesy of Brian Watson

3 March 1943 at St Johns Harbour, Newfoundland with USCGC Spencer berthed alongside

11 December 1943 sail Methil in unescorted convoy EN318 to Loch Ewe arriving 13 December 1943. RFA WAR BHARATA also sailed in this convoy

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

8 June 1946 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 3 passengers. Captain H Boattio was Master

5 September 1947 sailed from Kachsiung for Abadan

12 January 1948 passed Aden

17 February 1948 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan and Haifa with 3 passengers

3 November 1948 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 3 passengers

18 June 1949 arrived at Abadan

23 May 1951 berthed at Wallsend Slipway, River Tyne for refit

1952 purchased by Spedizioni Italiana Maritima Terrestri, Genoa and renamed  MARISTAN M

1957 renamed MARIO MARTINI by her owners

MARIO MARTINI in 1959

13 January 1962 arrived Spezia in tow for demolition