Official Number: 125623
Builder: Sir Raylton Dixon & Co, Middlesbrough
Launched: 29 July 1907
Into Service: 11 November 1916
Out of service: 5 September 1917
Fate: 1917 torpedoed and sunk
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:
October 1907 completed
23 October 1907 at Roath Dock, Cardiff loading rails for Australia
24 October 1907 sailed Cardiff to Avonmouth
7 February 1908 sailed from Brisbane for Sydney, NSW
5 April 1909 while on passage from Cape Town, South Africa to Sydney, NSW, Australia at 35.28°S 150.30°E Donkeyman Christopher Hutley died of malaria. A signal reporting the death was misread upon receipt and it was assumed that the ship’s Captain had died. This was reported to the Captain’s wife who organised a memorial service only to find her husband was fit and well upon the arrival of the ship at Sydney. The service was cancelled
28 April 1909 sailed from Adelaide for South Africa
4 June 1909 arrived at Table Bay, South Africa
1910 owners became Adelaide SS Co Ltd, Adelaide name unchanged
15 June 1910 at No: 6 Wharf, Lyttleton, New Zealand Able Seaman Christopher Matheson discharged dead from injuries sustain from having fallen down No: 4 hold. A inquest held touching on the death of AB Matheson recorded that he had died accidentally
28 June 1911 sailed Barry, South Wales for Fremantle
8 March 1912 at Fremantle, Australia a shore side worker involved in the working of cargo fell into a hold. The man – John Olsen was taken to hospital and detained with a fractured skull
11 May 1912 the Captain, Officers and crew donated £10. 8sh towards the Koombana Relief Fund
16 September 1912 at Fremantle, Australia while loading bunker coal two shore side workers involved in the loading of coal were injured when two baskets of coal fell on them. The two men – Robert Limpus and William Hodgkinson were taken to hospital and detained with fractures
4 October 1913 at Melbourne Donkeyman Michael McDonough discharged dead – heart failure
20 February 1915 at Rangoon Cattleman Reginald Holmes and Trimmer A Strachan both discharged dead – both having drowned
29 May 1915 at sea Captain William John Ellis discharged dead – natural causes
5 October 1915 Lloyds reported from Rosario that the ship, partly loaded, was aground at Villa Constitucion
27 January 1916 berthed at Savannah from Hull
8 May 1916 sailed Sabang for Hong Kong
8 August 1916 berthed at Fremantle, Australia for bunker coal
11 August 1916 sailed Fremantle, Australia to Le Harve, France
5 October 1916 arrived at Las Palmas, Canary Islands from Melbourne
11 November 1916 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler and was converted into a tanker with cylindrical tanks in her holds, name unchanged and placed under management of Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London
18 November 1916 berthed at Middlesborough from Bordeaux