Requisitioned Auxiliary – Cairndhu

 

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Official Number:                       129786

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Wm. Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion Yard, Sunderland

Pennant No:                            Y 7.273

Launched:                               25 October 1911

Into Service:                             27 August 1914

Out of service:                         16 April 1917

Fate:                                       Sunk 16 April 1917 

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

 

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

Career Data:

 

25 October 1911 launched by Wm. Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 432 named CAIRNDHU for Cairn Line of Steamships Ltd (Cairns, Noble & Co Ltd, Managers) Newcastle-upon-Tyne 

December 1911 completed. Sister to CAIRNGOWAN

22 August 1914 challenged by HMS VINDICTIVE

 

1 HMS VINDICTIVE WW1

HMS VINDICTIVE

 

27 August 1914 to 18 June 1915 requisitioned for service as a collier

18 February 1915 and 19 February 1915 at Kibondi alongside HMS PYRAMUS supplying her with 410 tons of bunker coal

HMS PYRAMUS

HMS PYRAMUS

 

25 February 1915 at Zanzibar alongside HMS HYACINTH supplying her with 340 tons of bunker coal

Hyacinth 02

HMS HYACINTH

 

10 March 1915 anchored off Niororo Island

13 March 1915 at Zanzibar alongside HMS HYACINTH supplying her with 685 tons of bunker coal

24 March 1915 arrived at Port Reitz, Mombassa

8 October 1915 at 58°58N 11°53W intercepted by HMS MONTAGUE

17 March 1916 at 58°02N 15°45W when on passage from Portland, Maine to Leith stopped and boarded by HMS GLOUCESTERSHIRE

 

HMS GLOUCESTERSHIRE

HMS GLOUCESTERSHIRE

 

16 May 1916 at 58°38N 13°14W stopped and boarded by HMS COLUMBELLA – allowed to proceed

3 July 1916 at approximately 58°05N 11°04W stopped and boarded by HMS VICTORIAN – allowed to proceed

7 October 1916 stopped and boarded by HMS AVENGER – ordered to Kirkwall

30 October 1916 intercepted by HMS PATIA

21 March 1917 at 59°21N 12°46W when on passage from Portland, Maine to Leith stopped and boarded by HMS HILARY

3 April 1917 transferred to the Liner Section until ……

16April 1917 torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB-40 (Oblt. Hans Howaldt) in the English Channel 25 miles west of Beachy Head when on passage from the River Tyne to Gibraltar carrying coal with the loss of 11 lives, Those killed were –

Fireman J Caldwell buried in Portsmouth Milton Cemetery

Fireman J Cutter buried in South Shields (Harton) Cemetery

Fireman John Dacey remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy memorial

Apprentice John Robert Davison remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy memorial

Fireman Robert Dickson buried in South Leith Parish Cemetery

Able Seaman F Hall buried in Highgate Cemetery, North London

Carpenter T Keefe remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy memorial

Leading Seaman Norman Macdonald RNR remembered with pride on the Chatham Navy memorial

Third Engineer Officer Joseph Harry Mallaby remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy memorial

Fireman D Mulvain buried in Portsmouth Milton Cemetery

First Engineer Louis Ormston Toward remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy memorial

 

 

Notes: was the 2nd of 4 ships to bear this name in the Cairn Line fleet.