Requisitioned Auxiliary – Fernley

 

Official Number:                        113515

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Wm Gray & Son Ltd., West Hartlepool

Pennant Nr:                             Y 3.768 / Y 8.95

Launched:                               15 January 1901

Into Service:                            27 July 1915

Out of service:                         12 December 1918

Fate:                                      Broken up 1 September 1932

 

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:

 

29 October 1901 launched by Wm Gray & Son Ltd., West Hartlepool as Yard Nr: 647 named Fernley for Wm R Rea, Belfast

2 November 1901 the Lloyds List newspaper reported …

 

2 11 1901 Lloyds List Fernley

 

December 1901 completed

20 April 1902 at Saigon Bosun Alfred Fawcett discharged dead having drowned

3 June 1902 sailed Port Said for Hamburg

19 December 1903 arrived Algoa Bay from New York

14 June 1904 berthed at Natal, South Africa from Newport

15 July 1905 berthed at Hull from Dunkirk and Karachi

11 September 1906 at Bilbao, Spain Cook Martin Frost discharged dead from heart failure

21 March 1907 at Yokohama suffered extensive damage after striking an old mine(?) at Shiokubi Tsugaru Straits. Beached in Yokohama Harbour. Cargo to be discharged after examination of the hull. Divers report damage to the ships port side – source Lloyds Casualty report

3 April 1907 130,000 bags of flour recovered from the ship – 45,000 being undamaged

11 November 1909 arrived at Philadelphia from Smyrna

2 April 1910 at sea at 03.11N 115.11W Able Seaman G A Jarvenpaa discharged dead having fallen through the hatch into the hold

11 November 1910 passed St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands while on passage from Buenos Aires to Genoa

7 February 1911 sailed Pensacola for London

26 March 1911 sailed Newport for Buenos Aires

20 August 1911 arrived at Las Palmas from Barry

14 August 1913 at Caibarian Mess Room Steward Gratech discharged dead from Malaria – discharged to hospital 13 August 1913

22 October 1913 arrived at Port Said from Philadelphia

1913 purchased by Greatham Steam Shipping Co Ltd., West Hartlepool – name unchanged

6 August 1914 at Portland, Oregan 2nd Mate Ulysses Hamilton Bryan discharged dead from a fractured skull

1915 purchased by Chr Salvesen & Co Ltd., Leith – name unchanged

21 July 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – name unchanged – until 10 September 1915

5 November 1915 at 58.05N 16.43W an armed boarding party from HMS ALMANZORA came onboard, checked the ship which was then allowed to sail

10 November 1915 berthed at Leith from Montreal

25 November 1915 re-deployed as a collier until 4 January 1916

9 April 1916 re-deployed as a collier until 20 May 1916

26 August 1916 re-deployed to carry sugar from Java until 2 February 1917

7 December 1916 off Sierre Leone Fireman Sydney Reginald Young discharged dead from malaria fever

3 February 1917 re-deployed as a collier until 13 March 1917

14 March 1917 re-deployed to carry sugar from Cuba until 25 October 1917

26 October 1917 re-deployed as a collier until 21 August 1918

22 August 1918 re-deployed as a stores carrier until 11 December 1918

17 September 1918 & 18 September 1918 at Murmansk with a working party from HMS GLORY onboard helping to unload cargo and mail

HMS Glory

HMS GLORY

19 September 1918 at Murmansk with a shore working party onboard together with an armed guard from HMS GLORY

8 November 1918 at Clythness with engine failure in a strong gale. Called for assistance. HMS TENBY CASTLE attended. Engines restarted and escorted into Invergordon by HMS TENBY CASTLE

12 December 1918 returned to her owners, now Scotia Steamship Co Ltd., West Hartlepool – name unchanged

1919 purchased by J B Culukundis, Syra and renamed Pontos

1921 purchased by Garth Shipping Co Ltd., Newcastle and renamed Castlegarth

1924 owners now Henry Clapham & Co Ltd., Newcastle – name unchanged

1928 owners again Garth Shipping Co Ltd., Newcastle – name unchanged

1 September 1932 arrived Bilbao for demolition by Spanish ship breakers