Official Number:                      162533

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow

Launched:                               25 November 1930

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        1945

Fate:                                       1955 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:

25 November 1930 launched by Lithgows Ltd., Port Glasgow as Yard Nr: 849 named BRITISH PRIDE for British Tanker Co Ltd, London

30 January 1931 completed

31 October 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with five passengers

28 February 1932 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with six passengers. Captain L J Hill was the Master

9 August 1932 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with one passenger due to land at Port Said

22 November 1932 berthed at Shell Haven from Abadan with four passengers

10 December 1932 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with four passengers

19 September 1933 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with nine passangers

29 December 1933 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with nine passengers

9 July 1934 at Avonmouth

23 July 1934 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with nil passengers

31 January 1935 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with seven passengers

9 June 1935 berthed at Hull from Abadan with nine passengers

18 January 1936 at Suez

22 May 1937 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with two passengers

16 November 1937 sailed Falmouth for Abadan with nil passengers

2 August 1939 sailed from Abadan for Grangemouth

1939 – 1945 requisitioned  for Admiralty service

16 September 1939 sailed Methil in the unescorted convoy FS06 to Southend arriving 18 September 1939

19 September 1939 sailed Southend in the escorted convoy OA7 to Falmouth arriving 21 September 1939. RFA’s OLIGARCH and OLYNTHUS also sailed in this convoy

9 October 1939 sailed Falmouth and joined escorted convoy OA16G. This convoy reformed on 11 October 1939 as unescorted Convoy OG2 to Gibraltar arriving 17 October 1939

18 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 25 October 1939

26 October 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 8 November 1939

13 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 27 November 1939

28 November 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 7 December 1939

8 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG10 to Southend arriving 18 December 1939. RFA’s WAR AFRIDI and WAR BHARATA also sailed in this convoy to Devonport

18 December 1939 sailed Southend in the unescorted convoy FN56 to Spurn Head for the River Humber arriving 20 December 1939

28 December 1939 sailed from River Humber joining the unescorted convoy FS60 to Southend arriving the next day

3 January 1940 sailed Portsmouth joining the escorted convoy OA65G. This convoy reformed on 7 January 1940 at sea into the escorted convoy OG13 to Gibraltar. British Pride passed Gibraltar on 12 January 1940 and sailed independently to Port Said arriving 20 January 1940

21 January 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 3 February 1940

5 February 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 19 February 1940

21 February 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 29 February 1940

1 March 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG21F to Sheerness arriving 10 March 1940. RFA BOARDALE was also in this convoy

15 March 1940 sailed Sheerness joining escorted convoy OA110G to Falmouth arriving 17 March 1940

13 April 1940 sailed Falmouth joining unescorted convoy OA128GF. This convoy reformed into escorted Convoy OG26F on 14 April 1940 while at sea and sailed for Gibraltar. British Pride passed Gibraltar on 20 April 1940 and then sailed independently to Constanza arriving 29 April 1940 

21 May 1940 sailed from Casablanca in unescorted convoy 99KS to Brest arriving 27 May 1940

10 August 1940 sailed from Bombay in escorted convoy BN3 for Suez arriving 23 August 1940

5 October 1940 sailed in escorted convoy BS6 from Suez dispersing off Aden on 13 October 1940

3 April 1941 sailed in escorted convoy EC2 from Southend for the River Clyde arriving on 10 April 1941

16 May 1941 sailed in escorted convoy HX127 from Halifax arriving at Liverpool on 2 June 1941 with a cargo of benzine

16 July 1941 sailed in escorted convoy HX139 from Halifax arriving at Liverpool on 31 July 1941 with a cargo of petrol

31 July 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB55 to Milford Haven arriving 2 August 1941

28 September 1941 sailed in escorted convoy HX152 from Halifax arriving at Liverpool on 14 October 1941 with a cargo of gas oil

21 December 1941 sailed in escorted convoy HX166 from Halifax arriving at Liverpool on 5 January 1942 with a cargo of AVGAS

27 November 1942 sailed in unescorted convoy GN23 from Guantamamno to New York arriving on 4 December 1942

29 March 1948 sailed Port Said for Salt End

27 May 1949 berthed at Hawthorne Leslie, River Tyne in refit

17 October 1950 berthed at Hull from Abadan with four passengers

21 June 1955 arrived Grays, Essex for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd