Official Number:                     162487

Builder:                                   Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd., Scotstoun

Pennant No:                   

Launched:                              10 July 1930

Into Service:                           WW2

Out of service:                        WW2

Fate:                                       1958 broken up

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:

10 July 1930 launched by Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Scotstoun as Yard Nr: 29 named EL MIRLO for Lobitos Oilfields Ltd (C.T. Bowring & Co Ltd, Managers) London.

September 1930 completed

21 September 1933 at Tampico partly loaded with crude oil aground in Panuco River after breaking loose from her moorings as a result of a hurricane – not damaged – reported by Lloyds and in the Times Newspaper

4 November 1933 sailed from Port Arthur, Texas for Bordeaux, France

23 December 1935 700 miles from San Pedro California responded to a call for help when the 100 ton tuna Clipper Vasco de Gama exploded and sank. The crew were rescued and later transfered to the United Fruit Liner Antigua for medical treatment and landing at San Pedro – reported in the Milwaukee Journal newspaper

1 July 1936 reported by her owners as having been damaged (cause or location not reported) which will require “good many months of repairs out of commission” – undergoing repairs between 30 May 1936 and 28 October 1936

23 April 1937 having sailed Falmouth for American ports had to put back due to engineering defects – reported in the Times Newspaper

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

2 Novermber 1939 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX7 with a cargo of crude oil to Liverpool arriving 16 November 1939

4 December 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB47 until dispersal on 8 December 1939 thence independently to Cristobal arriving 24 December 1939

25 December 1939 sailed Balboa independently to Talara

1 January 1940 sailed Talara independently to Balboa arriving 4 January 1940

5 January 1940 sailed Cristobal independently to Halifax

22 January 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX17 to Liverpool with a cargo of crude oil arriving independently on 6 February 1940. Was reported as a straggler on 28 January 1940

15 February 1940 sailed Liverpool independently but returned to Liverpool the next day

21 March 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB114 until dispersal on 25 March 1940 and then independently to Cristobal arriving 10 April 1940

10 April 1940 sailed Balboa independently to Lobitos

17 April 1940 sailed Lobitos independently to Balboa arriving 21 April 1940

22 April 1940 sailed Cristobal independently to Halifax arriving on 3 May 1940

12 May 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX42 with a cargo of crude oil to Liverpool arriving 27 May 1940

13 June 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB167 until dispersal on the 17 June 1940 then independently to Cristobal arriving 2 July 1940

3 July 1940 after transit through the Panama Canal sailed Balboa independently to Lobitos arriving 6 July 1940

9 July 1940 sailed Lobitos independently to Balboa arriving 13 July 1940

14 July 1940 after transit through the Panama Canal sailed Cristobal independently to Bermuda arriving 21 July 1940

22 July 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX60 which joined convoy HX60 on 27 July 1940 to Liverpoool arriving 7 August 1940

15 August 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB198 until dispersal on 18 August 1940 and then independently to Cristobal arriving 3 September 1940

4 September 1940 after transit through the Panama Canal sailed Balboa independently to Talara

10 September 1940 sailed Talara independently to Lobitos arriving the next day

12 September 1940 sailed Lobitos independently to Balboa arriving 15 September 1940

17 September 1940 sailed Cristobal independently to Bermuda arriving 24 September 1940

28 September 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX77 joining escorted convoy HX77 from Halifax on 3 October 1940. She had to put back to Halifax with defects arriving 4 October 1940

14 November 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX87 to Liverpool arriving 29 November 1940

12 March 1941 at the port of Liverpool ship damaged by German bombing

2 May 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB318 until dispersal on the 10 May 1941 and then independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 24 May 1941

24 May 1941 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Aruba arriving 27 May 1941

29 May 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Bermuda arriving 5 June 1941

8 June 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX132 joining escorted convoy HX132 from Halifax on the 13 June 1941 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 June 1941

11 February 1942 Able Seaman Arthur B Taun discharged dead. He is buried in Oranjestad Protestant Cemetery, Aruba

5 October 1942 at Aruba

9 December 1942 Chief Officer Arthur Howard Compton discharged dead. He is buried in Guisborough Cemetery, Yorkshire in Sec B B Row H Grave 11

12 January 1943 straggler from convoy to Guntanamo – able to only make less than 10 knots

8 March 1943 the rescue tug Amersterdam sent to assist EL MIRLO off the River Tyne went aground near Redcar Rock

22 July 1943 in collision with USS YUKON (AF9) in convoy BW43. EL MIRLO was returning from convoy SC137 in patches of thivk fog due to engine trouble. USS YUKON suffered considerable damage which required temporary repair in Newfoundland

15 September 1944 Chief Engineer Officer Frederick Gordon Chapman discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

with thanks to Brian Watson

6 June 1946 Fireman & Trimmer Felix Cush discharged dead. He is buried in Belfast (Milltown) Roman Catholic Cemetery in Section B Row D G, Grave 45

5 February 1958 arrived Briton Ferry for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd