Official Number:                     147491

Builder:                                  Palmers’ Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow

Launched:                              17 April 1923

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        1942

Fate:                                       15 July 1942 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:

17 April 1923 launched by Palmers’ Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow as Yard Nr: 936 named BRITISH YEOMAN for British Tanker Co. Ltd, London

19 April 1923 the Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelegencia newspaper reported …

31 May 1923 sailed from the River Tyne on trials

3 June 1923 completed

18 June 1923 arrived at Port Said when on passage from the River Tyne to Abadan

31 July 1923 passed Gibraltar when on passage from Abadan to Thameshaven

31 August 1923 arrived at Port Said

31 December 1923 at Thameshaven

4 January 1924 passed Prawle Point when on passage to Falmouth

13 May 1924 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain J Jackson was Master

4 August 1925 sailed from Suez

10 December 1925 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 5 passengers 

21 December 1925 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers

9 April 1926 at Shatt el Arab Able Seaman William Latham discharged dead – heart failure

24 May 1926 at sea at 45.14N 8.40W Fireman John Drysdale discharged dead from temporary insanity, presumed drowned

4 January 1927 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 2 passengers. Captain W J Dermody

was Master

11 July 1927 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 1 passenger

7 October 1927 sailed Swansea to Abadan with 8 passengers

5 May 1928 110 miles east of Niton when on passage to Port Said

6 December 1928 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 4 passengers. Captain Henry G A Timmis was Master

8 February 1929 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 5 passengers 

19 June 1930 sailed Abadan for Naples

27 July 1930 at the Civil Hospital, Spezia, Italy Greaser Ernest John Boase discharged dead

from pneumonia

5 June 1931 sailed Abadan

3 July 1931 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 3 passengers and 2 DBS. Captain H R Broad was Master

24 November 1931 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 1 passenger 

4 February 1932 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 1 passenger

7 April 1933 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 8 passengers

5 June 1933 berthed at Swansea from Abadan with 8 passengers and 1 DBS

21 July 1933 sailed Colombo for Australia

12 August 1933 sailed Melbourne for Abadan

22 September 1933 passed Perim when on passage to Swansea

5 November 1933 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan

12 December 1933 berthed at Grangemouth from Abadan with 1 passenger. Captain Edwin Garland was Master

5 January 1934 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound for Abadan

30 May 1934 passed Perim when on passage to Oslo, Norway

5 September 1934 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 7 passengers 

25 December 1934 sailed from Grangemouth

8 January 1935 arrived at Port Said

14 January 1935 passed Perim

29 April 1935 berthed at Avonmouth from Abadan with 8 passengers. Captain W M Hutchinson was Master

3 May 1935 sailed Glasgow

5 May 1935 passed the Lloyd’s Signal Station on the Lizard sailing eastwards

16 May 1935 sailed Falmouth

28 August 1935 sailed Swansea

8 September 1935 at Port Said

14 September 1935 at Aden

13 February 1936 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 5 passengers. Captain Frank J Goodchild was Master

29 February 1936 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 6 passengers

11 March 1936 arrived at Port Said

18 November 1936 arrived on the River Tyne from Grangemouth

2 July 1937 sailed Abadan

25 September 1937 berthed at Purfleet from Abadan with 1 DBS who had boarded at Port Said

9 April 1938 berthed at Portland from Abadan with 2 passengers. Captain J W Kemp was Master

3 May 1938 sailed Falmouth to Abadan with 4 passengers 

18 July 1938 berthed at Brisbane

23 November 1938 berthed at Fawley, Southampton Water from Abadan with 8 passengers

24 December 1938 at Abadan 2nd Engineer Officer John Stephenson discharged dead having committed suicide by hanging

21 April 1939 berthed at Sydney, NSW from Abadan to discharge

23 April 1939 sailed Sydney, NSW for Pladjoe

1939 requisitioned  for Admiralty service.

8 September 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving  20 September 1939

21 October 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving  5 November 1939

11 November 1939 sailed Suez and joined convoy HG8 from Port Said to Swansea arriving on 1 December 1939

26 December 1939 sailed Swansea independently to the Clyde arriving on 28 December 1939

3 January 1940 sailed the Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving 5 January 1940

8 January 1940 sailed Liverpool in ballast and in convoy OB68 which formed convoy OG14F on 10 January 1940 at sea – passing Gibraltar on 15 January 1940 for Port Said arriving 22 January 1940

25 January 1940 after transitting the Suez Canal sailed Suex independently to Abadan arriving 5 February 1940

7 February 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 21 February 1940

23 February 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 2 March 1940

4 March 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG21 to Swansea arriving 13 March 1940

7 April 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Milford Haven the next day

9 April 1940 sailed Milford Haven and joined convoy OB125 from Liverpool. Convoy OB125 reformed on the 10 April 1940 as convoy OG25 to Gibraltar passing the Rock 16 April 1940

16 April 1940 having passed Gibraltar sailed independently to Port Said arriving 25 April 1940

25 April 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 7 May 1940

10 May 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 10 June 1940

22 June 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Bombay arriving 11 July 1940

14 July 1940 at Bombay Able Seaman Gordon Alexander discharged dead having drowned

28 July 1940 sailed Bombay independently to Abadan arriving 6 August 1940

6 August 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 29 August 1940

3 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 24 September 1940

30 September 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 24 October 1940

26 October 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Freetown arriving 9 November 1940

12 November 1940 sailed Freetown in convoy SL55 to Milford Haven arriving 3 December 1940

3 December 1940 sailed Milford Haven to Dartmouth arriving 5 December 1940

5 December 1940 sailed Dartmouth to Southampton arriving 6 December 1940

16 January 1941 in collision with the Solent DG Buoy (which sank) – source the Admiralty War Diary for this day

22 January 1941 at Dartmouth then sailed to the Clyde arriving 26 January 1941

28 January 1941 sailed the Clyde to join convoy OB279 which dispersed at sea on the 2 February 1941 thence sailing independently to Aruba and Curacao

23 February 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 1 March 1941

3 March 1941 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX113 which joined convoy HX 113 to the Clyde arriving on 21 March 1941

14 April 1941 sailed the Clyde and joined convoy OB 310 which had sailed from Liverpool the previous day. The convoy dispersed on 18 April 1941 and British Yeoman then sailed independently to Curacao arriving on 10 May 1941

14 May 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Gibraltar. On 30 May 1941 while on passage in the North Atlantic at 35.28N 08.11W was attacked by the Italian submarine MOCENIGO. The submarine fired five seperate torpedoes all of which missed. The ship arrived at Gibraltar under escort  later the same day

11 July 1941 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving on 26 July 1941

26 July 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Las Piedras arriving on 29 July 1941

30 July 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Curacao arriving the next day 

2 August 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving on 11 August 1941

16 August 1941 sailed Halifax in convoy HX145 to Londonderry arriving 30 August 1941

11 September 1941 sailed Londonderry and joined convoy ON15 from Liverpool which dispersed on 16 September 1941 at 55.47N 30.40W and continued independently to New York arriving 26 September 1941

4 October 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving on 7 October 1941

10 October 1941 sailed Halifax in convoy HX154 arriving Londonderry on 22 October 1941

26 October 1941 sailed Londonderry independently to Oban arriving 28 October 1941 and 29 October 1941 at Loch Alsh

29 October 1941 sailed Oban independently to Loch Ewe arriving 31 October 1941

31 October 1941 sailed Loch Alsh independently joing the Liverpool convoy ON32 sailing for Halifax via Reykjavik arriving at Halifax on 16 November 1941. RFA War Bharata was also in this convoy sailing to Iceland

18 November 1941 sailed Halifax independently to New York arriving 21 November 1941

4 January 1942 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 7 January 1942

8 January 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy HX169  

22 January 1942 grounded Horse Island, Ardrossan radioed for the assistance of tugs. HMRT Freebooter sailed from the vicinity of Isla to assist – source Admiralty War Diary of this day

25 January 1942 refloated and arrived at the Clyde

15 February 1942 sailed the Clyde independently to Oban arriving the next day

18 February 1942 sailed Oban in convoy WN247 to Methil arriving 21 February 1942

22 February 1942 sailed Methil in convoy FS733 to the River Tyne for repairs arriving the next day

25 May 1942 sailed the River Tyne in convoy FN715 to Methil arriving the same day

27 May 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN90 to Oban arriving 29 May 1942 HMRT Bustler (later RFA Bustler) was also in this convoy

2 June 1942 sailed Oban in ballast in convoy OS 30 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 23 June 1942

26 June 1942 sailed Trinidad in convoy TO10 to Curacao arriving 28 June 1942

1 July 1942 sailed Curacao in convoy OT13 until dispersal on 4 July 1942

15 July 1942 torpedoed and sunk by gunfire from German Submarine U-201 in the Atlantic SW of the Canary Islands in position 26.42 N 24.20 W while sailing independently from Curacao to Gibraltar carrying 9,700t of fuel oil with the loss of 38 lives. Ten survivors were rescued by the Spanish tanker CASTILLO ALMENARA and landed at St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands. Thirty six of the crew are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial and two are remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Those commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial are –