Official Number:                      160382

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Dundee

Launched:                               7 December 1927

Into Service:                            WW2

Out of service:                         WW2

Fate:                                       1957 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 December 1927 launched by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Dundee as Yard Nr: 314 named BRITISH HOPE for British Tanker Co Ltd., London

British Hope after being launched

8 December 1927 the Dundee Courier newspaper reported …

March 1928  completed

22 May 1928 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain W Dermody was Master

25 August 1928 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 4 passengers 

26 November 1928 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 3 passengers

24 April 1929 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 3 passengers 

2 October 1930 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

30 December 1930 passed Perim

6 January 1931 berthed at Abadan

9 January 1931 sailed Abadan for Suez

19 November 1931 on the River Tyne

9 May 1933 berthed at Ellesmere Port from Abadan with 6 passengers. Captain William Rogers was Master

23 May 1933 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 4 passengers 

18 September 1933 the Hungarian steamer Magyar on passage from Antwerp to Lisbon foundered about 70 south west of Oporto this day. All the crew were rescued by the British Hope

22 September 1933 arrived at Sheerness from Abadan

7 July 1934 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

30 August 1934 sailed Falmouth to Port Said and Abadan with 6 passengers

22 December 1934 berthed at Avonmouth with 3 passengers. Captain Michie was Master

23 January 1935 sailed from Abadan 

11 May 1935 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain R Thoburn was Master

24 May 1936 berthed at Liverpool from ABadan with 5 passengers. Captain R H Farrington was Master

2 February 1937 at Melbourne, Australia the collier William McArthur sheered towards the British Hope and only avoided a collision by an estimated 30 feet by dropping her anchor. Source – The Adelaide Advertiser

17 October 1937 at King George Sound, Albany, Australia the 2nd Engineer Officer R G Thompson landed after being taken seriously ill while the ship was on passage from Abadan to Melbourne and was admitted to Neumylda Hospital

29 October 1937 berthed at Melbourne, Australia

10 February 1938 when on passage to Abadan radioed she was 35 miles SSW of Niton

8 April 1938 berthed at Melbourne, Australia

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

2 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Mombassa arriving 17 September 1939

17 September 1939 sailed Mombassa independently to Cape Town arriving 29 September 1939

3 October 1939 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 23 October 1939

26 October 1939 sailed Abadan

16 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Karachi arriving 22 November 1939

24 November 1939 sailed Karachi independently to Abadan arriving 28 November 1939

30 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 14 December 1939

15 December 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar

24 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG12 to Swansea arriving 2 January 1940

30 January 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

5 February 1940 sailed Milford Haven independently, joining at sea escorted convoy OG17 on 6 February 1940 to Gibraltar passing on 13 February 1940 and then sailing independently again to Port Said arriving 20 February 1940

21 February 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 4 March 1940

8 March 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Bombay arriving 14 March 1940

18 March 1940 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 24 March 1940

4 June 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX131 joining escorted convoy HX131 on 9 June 1941 to Liverpool arriving 23 June 1941

31 August 1941 sailed Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB70 to Milford Haven arriving 2 September 1941

23 September 1941 sailed from Portsmouth to Milford Haven in unescorted convoy PW39 arriving 25 September 1941

4 May 1944 sailed from Milford Haven to Portsmouth in escorted convoy WP517 arriving 6 May 1944

18 August 1944 sailed from Liverpool in escorted convoy ON249 to NYC arriving 2 September 1944

13 October 1945 at Balboa, Panama City

23 April 1946 passed Gibraltar when on passage from Abadan to LEFO

24 December 1946  berthed at Smith’s Dock, River Tyne together with Requisitioned Auxiliary British Energy

28 January 1948 arrived at Trinidad from Falmouth

3 March 1951 sailed from Abadan for Alexandria

24 August 1954 passed Gibraltar sailing east

11 October 1957 arrived Milford Haven for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd