Official Number:                        128872

Builder:                                     Wm Dobson & Co Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne

Launched:                                10 January 1910

Into Service:                             18 March 1915 and October 1940

Out of service:                          22 March 1919 and 1 September 1942

Fate:                                       Scrapped 1956

Background Data:

One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 and WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

10 January 1910 launched by Wm Dobson & Co Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne as Yard Nr 166 named HODDER for Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Co, Goole.

February 1910 completed

11 February 1912 berthed at Goole from Copenhagen

9 August 1912 berthed at Goole from Hamburg

10 June 1914 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

18 March 1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Cable Vessel, name unchanged.  Was based at Scapa Flow and laid cables to all of the Orkney naval installations from the shore base HMS IMPERICUS, plus connections in the Shetlands and also linked the islands across the Pentland Firth to the mainland.

22 March 1919 returned to her owners

14 July 1919 berthed at Goole from Ghent

1 January 1922 owners became London & North West Railway Co, Goole, name unchanged

1 January 1923 owners became London, Midland & Scottish Railway Co, Goole name unchanged

May 1935 owners became Associated Humber Lines, Goole name unchanged

11 December 1938 anchored in Hull Roads off Riverside Quay when she was struck by the steam trawler Reefflower. The Reefflower sank without loss of life

4 April 1939 and 5 April 1939 a Board of Trade enquiry was held at the Law Courts, Hull into the collision which had occured on 1 December 1938 (see above). The Skipper of the steam trawler was found totally to blame for the collision and his certificate of competency was suspended for 3 months

20 June 1940 sailed from the Albert Pier, Jersey with 11 Officers and 193 other ranks of the Royal Militia Island of Jersey with wives and children on board

21 June 1940 anchored in Southampton Water

25 June 1940 sailed Southend to Methil in convoy FN205 arriving on 27 June 1940

10 July 1940 sailed Southend to Yarmouth Roads in convoy CW3 arriving the next day

15 July 1940 sailed Southend to Methil in convoy FN223 arriving on 17 July 1940

19 July 1940 sailed Methil to Southend in convoy FS226 arriving on 21 July 1940

25 July 1940 sailed Soutend to Falmouth in convoy CW8 arriving on 29 July 1940

31 July 1940 sailed Falmouth in convoy CE8 to Southend on 5 August 1940

October 1940 again requisitioned by the Admiralty, name unchanged

1941 brought fish from Iceland to the U.K.

1 September 1942 returned to her owners

21 October 1942 sailed Methil to Loch Ewe in convoy EN153 (series 2) arriving on 24 October 1942

3 April 1942 sailed Methil to Loch Ewe in convoy EN212 (series 2) arriving on 5 April 1943

28 November 1951 while on passage from Antwerp to Hull stood by a Norwegian vessel – the Lilian – which was in trouble off Harwich

15 November 1956 arrived Dunston-on-Tyne for demolition by Clayton & Davie Ltd.