Official Number:        129345

Pennant No:             Y.1.4 / Y 9.30

Builder:                    Hall, Russell & Co Ltd., Aberdeen

Launched:                6 September 1910

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

6 September 1910 Launched by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen as Yard Nr 476 named INTABA for J.T. Rennie & Son, Aberdeen. Her name in Zulu means “a counsellor”

October 1910 completed

8 August 1911 purchased for £72,073 by Charente Steamship Co Ltd ( T & J Harrison, Managers) Liverpool name unchanged

16 July 1913 berthed at Natal from London

2 October 1913 suffered a fire on board in the English Channel and had to be taken to London for repairs.

5 August 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Flotilla Stores Ship until 20 April 1915 and served in the Caribbean, Falklands, Far East and as a destroyer depot ship for ships on the Dover Patrol

August 1914 Lieutenant John W Watling RNR appointed as Commanding Officer and Engineer George Young RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 August 1914 sailed Portsmouth

7 October 1914 at Dover supply stores to HMS SAPPHIRE

HMS SAPPHIRE

13 October 1914 at Dover supply stores to HMS SAPPHIRE

21 April 1915 re-deployed as a Squadron Supply Ship until 11 April 1916

31 August 1915 sailed London to Devonport arriving on 1 September 1915

2 September 1915 at Devonport on the South Yard Jetty loading Naval Stores

11 September 1915 sailed Devonport under escort of 2 destroyers for St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands – a trip of 2,296 nautical miles

12 September 1915 escort left

19 September 1915 arrived St. Vincent and bunkered and loaded fresh water

21 September 1915 sailed St Vincent to Permambaco arriving on 28 September 1915 – 1617 nautical miles

28 September 1915 sailed Permambaco to Alrohos Rocks arriving on 1 October 1915 – 670 nautical miles

2 October 1915 alongside HMS GLASGOW discharging to her naval stores

4 October 1915 alongside HMS VINDICTIVE discharing naval stores

6 October 1915 alongside HMS EDINBURGH CASTLE discharging victualling and naval stores

HMS EDINBURGH CASTLE

8 October 1915 sailed Alrohos Rocks to Rio de Janerio arriving on 10 October 1915 – 440 nautical miles

10 October 1915 at Rio de Janerio loaded 310 tons of fresh water

11 October 1915 sailed Rio de Janerio to Montevideo – 1051 nautical miles

15 October 1915 arrived Montevideo berthed alongside HMS MACEDONIA – supplying naval and victualling stores

16 October 1915 sailed Montevideo to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands arriving on 20 October 1915 – 979 nautical miles

21 October 1915 received bunker coal from the collier Neilrose then supplied stores to the collier – transfer of bunkers and stoires completed 29 October 1915

1 November 1915 sailed Port Stanley, Falkland Islands to Punta Arenas Roads – 566 nautical miles

3 November 1915 and 4 November 1915 took on board 189 tons of fresh water

4 November 1915 sailed Punta Arenas Roads to Callas arriving on 18 November 1915

19 November 1915 sailed Callas Roads to Sechura Bay arriving on 21 November 1915

21 November 1915 at Sechura Bay the collier Ellushe came alongside supplying bunker coal until 24 November 1915

25 November 1915 sailed Sechura Bay towing a target for HMS KENT on various days until 13 December 1915

HMS KENT

25 December 1915 Dr Alfred N de Gruchy – the ships Doctor – discharged dead – natural causes

12 April 1916 commissioned

18 April 1916 taken over by the Admiralty for service as a Q-Ship and served as Q 2 then WAITOMO, but to avoid confusion with the Union Steamship Co of New Zealand’s ship of the same name she was renamed WAITOPPO

8 December 1916 with Commander Frank Powell in command was attacked by a submarine close to the Kola Inlet. On the same day Ordinary Seaman William Kinnaird J51669 discharged dead – natural causes

11 July 1917 her decoy ship service ended

12 July 1917 re-deployed as an Expeditionary Force Transport until 7 October 1917

8 October 1917 re-deployed as a Sugar Transport to and from Mauritius until 4 January 1918

14 October 1917 arrived at Aden

5 January 1918 re-deployed as an Expeditionary Force Transport until 16 March 1918

17 March 1918 re-deployed as a Wheat Transporter carrying rice

26 March 1920 Lieutenant John William Watling RNR who was appointed in Command in 1914 (see above) appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Military Division) – OBE – details published in the London Gazette of this day

12 May 1922 sailed London to Barbados

17 May 1927 purchased by H.M.H. Nemazee, Hong Kong for £18,414 and was renamed  ENGELSTAN

1929 purchased by Bengal Burma Steam Navigation Co Ltd ( A.B. Chowdry, Manager) Rangoon, name unchanged

1950 purchased by Scindia Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Bombay name unchanged

August 1952 sold for demolition by Etablisemente Van Heyghen Freres, Ghent

31 October 1952 sailed Bombay, under tow, to Ghent

21 January 1953 arrived Ghent

26 January 1953 demolition commenced