Requisitioned Auxiliary – British Princess

 

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Official Number:                      140298

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, Low Walker-on-Tyne

Launched:                               24 January 1917

Pennant No:                   Y7.206

Into Service:                             6 July 1917

Out of service:                         1918

Fate:                                         1q of 1949 scrapped

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

 

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 & WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

 

Career Data:

24 January 1917 launched by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Low Walker-on-Tyne as Yard Nr: 891 named BRITISH PRINCESS for British Tanker Co Ltd, London

17 May 1917 completed

6 July 1917 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Oiler Transport – name unchanged

4 March 1918 torpedoed and damaged by German Submarine U-92 about 16 miles NW of Lough Swilly while on passage from New York to the U.K with the loss of one life

1918 returned to her owners

26 June 1923 while on passage from Swansea to Abadan communicated with HMS CROCUS

3 May 1928 passed Perim when on passage from Abadan to Swansea

27 July 1930 reported she was 95 miles ESE of Lands End when on passage to Abadan

5 July 1934 passed Gibraltar sailing west

8 July 1934 reported by Radio she was 200 miles South West of Lands End when on passage to Liverpool

16 January 1936 in wireless communication with Gibraltar when on passage to Abadan

2 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in unescorted convoy AB1/1 until dispersal on 13 September 1939 and then independently to Cape Town arriving 29 September 1939

1 October 1939 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 26 October 1939

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

19 November 1939 sailed Port Said in escorted convoy HG9 to the Downs arriving 9 December 1939

16 January 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA73GF which reformed at sea into escorted convoy OG15F to Gibraltar arriving 23 January 1940

23 January 1940 passed Gibraltar and then sailed independently to Port Said arriving 31 January 1940

1 February 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 13 February 1940

18 February 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 3 March 1940

5 March 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 14 March 1940

17 March 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG23F to London arriving on 27 March 1940

4 April 1946 renamed British Veteran by her owners

March 1947 now serving as a depot ship at Antwerp

23 December 1948 sold for scrap

1q/1949 broken up by Belgian ship breakers at Antwerp

 

Notes:

She was the first of two ships to bear this name in the BTC Fleet