Official Number:                      162620  

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Blythwood Shipbuilding Co Lt., Scotstoun

Launched:                               17 February 1931

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         1945

Fate:                                      December 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:

 17 February 1931 launched by Blyswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd., Scotstoun as Yard Nr: 31 named Imperial Transport for Empire Transport Co Ltd (Houlder Brothers & Co Ltd., Managers), London

September 1931 completed and went straight into lay-up owning to the Depression

1933 was reactiveated

29 September 1933 arrived at Falmouth

11 October 1933 passed the Lizard bound for Istanbul

7 December 1933 passed Singapore

1 November 1934 arrived at Curacao

13 February 1935 arrived at Curacao

26 August 1935 arrived at Curacao

29 October 1935 passed Gravesend

25 August 1936 passed Dungeness for Hamburg

24 September 1936 on passage to Lisbon

17 November 1936 at Curacao

8 December 1936 50 nmiles east of Niton on passage to Hamburg

21 December 1936 radioed she was 580 nmiles SW of Lands End on passage to Curacao

21 January 1937 sailed Las Palmas

18 June 1937 radioed she was 315 nmiles SW of Lands End on passage for Curacao

19 September 1937 at 13.43N 30.00W Able Seaman Albert George Smith discharged dead – natural causes

29 November 1937 passed Dungeness

10 October 1938 at Vlaardingen Able Seaman Anton Christian Andersen discharged dead – accident

9 January 1939 radioed she was 780 miles SW of Lands End

25 January 1939 sailed Purfleet

11 February 1939 at Port of Spain, Trinidad Able Seaman James Hawick discharged dead from dropsy

17 April 1939 at the General Hospital, Barbados 4th Engineer Officer Charles Gelson discharged dead – natural causes

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty Service and served as an Escort Oiler, name unchanged

5 September 1939 sailed Weymouth Bay independently to Rotterdam arriving 7 September 1939

9 September 1939 sailed Rotterdam independently to Rouen arriving 13 September 1939

14 September 1939 sailed Rouen independently to Falmouth arriving 16 September 1939

23 September 1939 sailed Falmouth and joined the escorted convoy OA8 from Southend until it dispersed on 24 September 1939 and then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 8 October 1939

3 October 1939 at 22.25N 51.00W 7th Engineer Officer Frederick Wolsey discharged dead – drowned. He had signed on at Falmouth on 21 September 1939

13 October 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving on 23 October 1939

25 October 1939 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX6 to Scapa Flow with a cargo of FFO arriving 12 November 1939

15 November 1939 sailed Scapa Flow independently to Falmouth arriving 18 November 1939

10 December 1939 sailed Falmouth and joined escorted convoy OA49 from Southend until it dispersed on 11 December 1939 and then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 26 December 1939

29 December 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving on 9 January 1940

14 January 1939 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX16 to Scapa Flow with a cargo of FFO arriving 28 January 1940

10 February 1940 sailed Scapa Flow in ballast independently to Trinidad

11 February 1940 in position 59.00N 12.00W was torpedoed by U53 some 200 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis and within five minutes had broken in two and the forepart started sinking. All forty three crew and gunners took to the boats but two crew drowned when they fell overboard from one of them. Later on the ship was reboarded by the Master and some of the crew and the remainder reboarded after 17 hours when it became apparent that the stern part was not going to sink. Pumpman Richard Edwards and Cook Jack Williams have no known grave but the sea and are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

13 February, 1940 her crew managed to raise steam and the ship proceeded under her own power at 4 knots towards land

14 February, 1940 met up with four British destroyers and HMS KINGSTON remained with the tanker as an escort

15 February 1940 the weather deteriorated and the destroyer took on the tanker’s crew as a safety measure

16 February 1940 the tug HMS BUCCANEER and the destroyer HMS FORESTER arrived on the scene and the tanker’s Master requested he reboard the derelict but the weather was too bad so the tanker’s crew were transferred to HMS FORESTER who landed them at Scapa Flow the following day. HMS BUCCANEER was joined by the tugs HMS ST MARTIN and HMS ENGLISHMAN and they towed the derelict to the Clyde escorted by the minesweeper sloop HMS GLEANER who was later joined by the destroyer HMS MOHAWK

26 February 1940 the stern part was beached in Kilchatan Bay on the Isle of Bute

A new bow and center castle being towed towards the dry dock to be joined to the after part

The two section being joined together in dry dock

24 May 1940 Captain Walter Smail the ship’s Master and Chief Engineer Officer Charles Jack Stanbrow both Commended for their actions following their ship being torpedoed on 11 February 1940. The Commendations were published in the London Gazette of 24 May 1940 

December 1940 the stern part was later salved and was towed to the Ellderslie Dockyard of Barclay, Curle & CO. Ltd., where it was joined to a new forepart which had been built to the original plans by Wm Hamilton & Co Ltd., at Port Glasgow

June 1941 returned to service, name unchanged

20 June 1941 sailed the River Clyde joining escorted convoy OB337 from Liverpool until dispersal on 28 June 1941 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 9 July 1941

16 July 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 26 July 1941

1 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX142 to the River Clyde arriving with a cargo of FFO on 17 August 1941

31 August 1941 sailed the River Clyde joining the escorted convoy ON11 until dispersal and then independently to Curacao arriving 20 September 1941

25 September 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 4 October 1941

5 October 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX153 to Scapa Flow and Loch Ewe arriving on 16 October 1941

19 October 1941 arrived at Methil in the unescorted convoy WN194

5 November 1941 sailed Methil in the escorted convoy EN2A to Loch Ewe in ballast arriving 7 November 1941thence sailing independently to Curacao arriving 1 December 1941

8 December 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 17 December 1941

25 March 1942 at 46.26N 41.30W was torpedoed by U94 while on passage from the Tyne to Curacao, having joined Convoy ON77 enroute. Her forty four crew members and seven gunners all took to the boats and were rescued by the French Corvette FFL ACONIT

26 March 1942 she was reboarded for inspection and later that day HMCS MAYFLOWER unsuccessfully attempted to take her in tow

27 March 1942 was again reboarded by some of her crew and a salvage party while FFL ACONIT took the remaining forty five members of her complement and landed them at St John’s, Newfoundland. The tanker managed to raise steam and got under way

30 March 1942 arrived St. John’s for temporary repairs

24 August 1942 finally sailed from St. John’s for an independent passage to New York, via Halifax

5 September 1942 arrived New York for permanent repairs by Todd Shipbuilding & Drydock Co at Hoboken

13 October 1942 Captain Walter Smail and Chief Engineer Officer Jack Swanbrow both appointed as Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2nd Engineer Officer Alfred James Jellicoe Broom and 4th Engineer Officer Karlis Henrich Malins both appointed as Members of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Donkeyman George Herbert Coles awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) for actions after the ship was torpedoed on 25 March 1942. Details of the appointments and award published in the London Gazette dated 9 October 1942

30 January 1943 Donkeyman George Herbert Coles BEM discharged dead – natural causes. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens County, New York in Section 44, Range 6, Plot A 

February 1943 returned to service, name unchanged

13 February 1943 sailed New York in convoy SC120 to Belfast Lough arriving on 5 March 1943 with a cargo of FFO

5 March 1943 sailed Belfast Lough in convoy BB266 to Avonmouth arriving 6 March 1943

13 March 1943 sailed Avonmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving 20 March 1943

23 March 1943 sailed Milford Haven joining convoy ON175 to New York arriving 16 April 1943

28 April 1943 sailed New York joining convoy UGS8 to Algiers arriving 19 May 1943 with a cargo of USN fuel

4 June 1943 sailed Algiers to Bizerta arriving 6 June 1943

17 June 1943 sailed Bizerta joining convoy MKS15 to Gibraltar arriving 20 June 1943

6 July 1943 sailed Gibraltar joining convoy GUS9 to New York arriving 23 July 1943

5 August 1943 sailed New York independently to Boston

12 August 1943 sailed Boston in convoy BX68 to Halifax arriving 14 August 1943. This convoy totalled 17 ships – there were no escort ships

21 August 1943 sailed Halifax in convoy SC140 to the River Clyde arriving on 4 September 1943. This convoy totalled 74 ships and was protected by 16 escorts

5 November 1943 sailed the River Clyde and joined convoy ONS22 from Liverpool to Halifax thence in convoy XB84 to Cape Cod Canal arriving 23 November 1943. Acted as one of four Escort Oilers in the ONS22 convoy

23 November 1943 sailed Cape Cod Canal independently to New York arriving 24 November 1943

12 December 1943 sailed New York independently to Hampton Roads

15 December 1943 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy UGS27 but returned through defects arriving back at Hampton Roads on 19 December 1943

4 January 1944 Fireman P B Muro discharged dead – cause unknown

25 January 1944 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy UGS31 to Oran arriving 12 February 1944. There was 106 ships in this convoy with 26 escorts

15 February 1944 sailed Oran in convoy GUS30 to Casablanca arriving 18 February 1944

25 February 1944 sailed Casablanca in convoy GUS31 to New York arriving 18 March 1944. Two ships in this convoy were sunk by U969

11 August 1944 sailed New York in convoy HX303 to Avonmouth arriving 29 August 1944. Was one of seven escort oilers in this convoy and carried spare depth charges to issue to the escorts if required. This convoy was of 99 ships and was protected by 28 escorts

30 August 1944 sailed Avonmouth independently to Cardiff arriving the next day

2 September 1944 sailed Cardiff independently to the River Clyde arriving 4 September 1944

6 September 1944 sailed the River Clyde independently to Milford Haven

10 September 1944 sailed Milford Haven in convoy EBC99 to Portsmouth arriving the next day

13 September 1944 sailed Portsmouth joining in convoy FBC81 to Southampton arriving on 15 September 1944

29 September 1944 sailed Belfast Lough joining in convoy ONS33 to Halifax and thence in convoy XB129A from Halifax to Cape Cod Canal arriving 15 October 1944

15 October 1944 sailed Cape Cod Canal independently to New York arriving the next day

18 October 1944 sailed New York independently to Hampton Roads arriving 20 October 1944

22 October 1944 sailed Hampton Roads independently to Corpus Christi arriving 31 October 1944

2 November 1944 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Texas City arriving the next day

6 November 1944 sailed Texas City independently to Corpus Christi arriving the next day

8 November 1944 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Texas City arriving the next day

12 November 1944 sailed Texas City independently to Corpus Christi arriving the next day

16 November 1944 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Beaumont arriving the next day

21 November 1944 sailed Beaumont independently to Corpus Christi arriving the next day

24 November 1944 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Beaumont arriving the next day

1 December 1944 sailed Beaumont independently to Corpus Christi arriving the next day

6 December 1944 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Port Arthur

13 December 1944 sailed Port Arthur independently to Philadelphia arriving 20 December 1944

24 December 1944 sailed Philadelphia independently to Galveston arriving 2 January 1945

24 January 1945 sailed Beaumont independently to Philadelphia arriving 1 February 1945

4 February 1945 sailed Philadelphia independently to Beaumont arriving 12 February 1945

14 February 1945 sailed Beaumont independently to Philadelphia arriving 21 February 1945

8 March 1945 sailed Philadelphia independently to Port Arthur

18 March 1945 sailed Port Arthur independently to Philadelphia arriving 25 March 1945

30 March 1945 sailed Philadelphia independently to Aruba arriving 7 April 1945

9 April 1945 sailed Aruba independently to Cristobal arriving 11 April 1945

3 May 1945 sailed Cristobal independently to Curacao arriving 6 May 1945

11 May 1945 sailed Curacao independently to Cristobal arriving 14 May 1945

1945 returned to owners

14 November 1946 arrived Falmouth with engine defects

17 November 1946 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

5 December 1946 arrived at Curacao from Falmouth

1947 purchased by Victor Jebssens Reederei A/S (Simonsen & Astrup, Managers) Oslo and renamed MESNA

21 September 1947 grounded on Pluckington Bank in the River Mersey. Refloated on 22 September 1947 and arrived at Dingle to discharge cargo

6 October 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

7 May 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

16 October 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

1949 purchased by Skibs A/S Agnes (Einar Saanum, Manager) Mardal and renamed RONA

December 1958 arrived Hamburg for demolition by German ship breakers