as Val de Travers

Official Number:                      111241

Builder:                                   J Readhead & Sons Ltd., South Shields                       

Pennant No:                           Y 3.867

Launched:                               12 December 1899

Into Service:                           7 December 1915

Out of service:                         1919

Fate:                                       5 June 1941 capsized and sank

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

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

Career Data:

16 December 1899 launched by S McKnight & Co Ltd., Ayr as Yard Nr: 58 and named Val De Travers for J T Harrison, Glasgow

20 December 1899 the Lloyds List newspaper reported …

29 January 1900 completed and registered in above ownership

30 June 1905 owners became John Harrison Ltd., (John Defty, Manager), London – name unchanged

18 February 1907 sold to Services Maritime du Treport Ltd., (same Manager), Glasgow – name unchanged

12 February 1913 re-purchased by John Harrison Ltd.,(Harold Harrison, Manager) Glasgow – name unchanged

25 March 1914 sold to Eastcheap Steamship Co Ltd., (same Manager), Glasgow

12 April 1914 renamed Eastcheap by her owners

4 November 1914 arrived London from Genoa

11 January 1915 sold to J & P Hutchinson, Glasgow – name unchanged

28 May 1915 arrived Nantes from Glasgow

3 September 1915 arrived at Glasgow from Nantes with a general cargo

7 December 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – name unchanged – until 1918

6 February 1916 arrived at Lerwick with coal for the Admiralty

11 February 1916 arrived at Lerwick with coal for the Admiralty

6 April 1916 & 7 April 1916 at ‘Base’ (Busta Voe) berthed alongside the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS MANTUA together with the Collier Gregynog and supplied a total of 986 tons of bunker coal

6 November 1916 arrived at Lerwick with coal for the Admiralty

21 November 1918 arrived at Glasgow

28 January 1919 owners restyled as J & P Hutchinson, Glasgow – name unchanged

27 May 1919 at Lerwick the Monitor HMS HUMBER berthed alongside and was supplied with 49 tons of bunker coal

1 August 1919 arrived Methil from Invergordon

15 September 1919 when on passage from Chatham to Manchester was in collision with barquentine Betty Oregon of Cork off the Eddystone suffering damage to her stem. Put into Falmouth for repairs. The Betty Oregon sank without loss of life and all her crew were landed at Falmouth.

21 December 1924 renamed Anubis by her owners

9 December 1927 arrived at the River Tees from Nantes, France via Grangemouth

June 1933 register closed on purchase by F Italo Croce, Genoa and renamed Ezilda

1936 renamed as Ezilda Croce by her owners

1937 renamed Credere by her owners

1937 sold to L S Viglienzone, Genoa – name unchanged

1938 sold to Raffaele Romano, Naples and renamed Arsia

6 August 1940 requisitioned by the Royal Italian Navy for service as an Armed Escort F23

2 June 1941 torpedoed and damaged by the submarine HMS UNIQUE (Arthur Hezlet) (N95) in Lamppedusa Harbour

5 June 1941 capsized and sank