Official Number:                     145236

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Low Walker

Launched:                              24 January 1921

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        1941

Fate:                                       3 April 1941 torpedoed and sunk 

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:

20 August 1921 completed

25 March 1922 sailed from Swansea for Abadan

6 April 1923 sailed from Abadan for Swansea

4 May 1923 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain R H Farrington

was the Master

13 May 1923 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers. 

15 September 1923 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers

30 November 1923 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 7 passengers

7 January 1924 sailed Abadan for Swansea

4 July 1924 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 3 passengers

2 June 1925 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 7 passengers

7 July 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 2 passengers. Captain E G Dobson was the Master

12 November 1925 at Suez

16 November 1925 sailed from Port Said for Swansea

17 February 1926 sailed from Antwerp to Grangemouth

20 May 1927 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 3 passengers

22 October 1927 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 10 passengers

3 January 1928 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 8 pasengers

22 October 1928 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain R McDowall was the Master

20 January 1930 in wireless contact 45 miles SW of Niton when on passage from Abadan to Grangemouth

3 April 1930 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 6 passengers

11 April 1930 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 6 passengers. Captain Horace R B Kent was the Master

11 May 1931 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain W G Knight was the Master

5 December 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

25 December 1931 passed Perim sailing east bound for Abadan

25 April 1932 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 7 passengers

11 August 1932 sailed the Tyne for trials

3 July 1933 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain P Quenet was Master

25 May 1934 sailed from Abadan for Mombassa

23 December 1934 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain W C Smith was

the Master

25 January 1935 arrived at Abadan

22 November 1935 sailed from Abadan

1 February 1936 passed Gibraltar sailing east

15 October 1936 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain J A Halcrow

was the Master

21 March 1937 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 3 passengers

4 September 1937 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain N Hopper

was the Master

26 March 1938 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 1 passenger

9 January 1939 berthed at Naples, Italy

4 May 1939 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 6 passengers

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service

21 September 1939 berthed at Abadan to load

23 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Port Said arriving on 11 October 1939

18 October 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy BLUE 5 to Gibraltar arriving 28 October 1939

29 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG 5 to Plymouth arriving 6 November 1939

10 November 1939 sailed Plymouth independently to Falmouth arriving the same day

13 December 1939 sailed Falmouth in convoy OG10 to Gibraltar which it passed on 18 December 1939

18 December 1939 having passed Gibraltar sailed independently to Port Said arriving 27 December 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan to load

13 January 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 27 January 1940

28 January 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 6 February 1940

9 February 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 17 February 1940

18 February 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 1 March 1940

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

20 March 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 28 March 1940

2 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG25F to the Clyde arriving 11 April 1940 with a cargo of FFO

15 May 1940 sailed the Clyde and joined Liverpool convoy OB149 until it dispersed on the 17 May 1940 and then independently to Curaçao arriving on 3 June 1940

13 July 1940 sailed the Clyde and joined convoy OB 183 from Liverpool until it dispersed on 17 July 1940 and then sailed independently to Cape Town arriving 15 August 1940

27 October 1940 sailed Freetown in convoy SL53 to Oban arriving 20 November 1940 

21 November 1940 sailed Oban in convoy WN42 to Methil arriving 23 November 1940

30 November 1930 sailed Methil in convoy FS349 to Spurn Head arriving 8 December 1940

8 December 1940 sailed Spurn Head in convoy FN353 to Methil arriving 19 January 1941

23 January 1941 sailed Methil in convoy EN60/1 to Oban arriving 19 January 1941

27 January 1941 sailed Oban independently to the Clyde arriving the next day

6 February 1941 sailed the Clyde in convoy OG52 until it dispersed and then                        independently to Curaçao arriving 4 March 1941

7 March 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 13 March 1941

13 March 1941 sailed Bermuda independently to Halifax arriving 17 March 1941

20 March 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy SC 26

3 April 1941 torpedoed and sunk by U-73 in the North Atlantic SSW of Iceland in position 58°15N 27°30W while on passage from from Curaçao to Scapa Flow via Sydney, CB in escorted convoy SC26 carrying 9,500 tons of fuel oil with the loss of 28 lives. 20 survivors were rescued by the Destroyer HMS HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool. The 28 who were killed are rememberd with pride on two panels of the Tower Hill Memorial