Official Number:                       97582 

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Wm Denny & Bros, Dumbarton

Launched:                               13 September 1889

Pennant No:                            

Into Service:                           March 1916

Out of service:                        29 April 1918

Fate:                                     Torpedoed & sunk 29 April 1918

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:

13 September 1889 launched by Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton as Yard Nr: 420 named DALHOUSIE for Clive Steam Tug Co (R Stewart & J Murdie, Managers) Calcutta

28 October 1889 completed at a cost of £30,000. Was used to tow large sailing ships on the River Hoogly, Calcutta and she was the largest tug at the time

end of December 1889 arrived at Calcutta

8 February 1890 at Calcutta Fireman James Travers discharged dead from cholera

7 November 1896 at the General Hospital, Calcutta Chief Mate Gregor MacKenzie discharged dead from Bright’s Disease

23 September 1897 the Shields Daily Gazette reported that –

1 September 1898 at the General Hospital, Calcutta Seaman D Hendry discharged dead from natural causes

1902 owner became Vincent Grech, Galipoli & London – name unchanged

1910 owner now Richard A Grech, Galata & London – name unchanged

1915 laid up at Piraeus under arrest pending a claim by William Grech against his brother Richard

March 1916 purchased by the Admiralty for duty as a Salvage ship and renamed HMS DALKEITH

25 January 1917 at Souda Bay, Crete a working party from HMS THESEUS onboard to assit with coaling

HMS THESEUS

28 April 1918 arrived San Pietro Island, Carloforte Bay, Sardinia to commence salvage operations on the merchant ship KINGSTONIAN which had been damaged by a torpedo 17 days earlier

29 April 1918 while she and the rescue tug MOOSE were secured alongside the freighter a torpedo fired by the German Submarine UB-48 passed under the tugs and hit the KINGSTONIAN in her boiler room causing her to split in two. The explosion also blew a hole in DALKEIGH which sank in two minutes with the loss of nine lives. The wreck was later sold to the Italians

September 1922 reported as broken up in Italy