Official Number:                     139121

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Goole Shipbuilding & Repair Co Ltd, Goole

Launched:                               1916

Into Service:                            23 November 1916

Out of service:                        June 1919

Fate:                                        30 April 1966 – broken up

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:

1916 launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repair Co Ltd, Goole as Yard Nr: 175 named Island Queen for London & Channel Islands Steamship Co Ltd. London

April 1916 completed

23 November 1916 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a Fleet Auxiliary – name unchanged

10 December 1917 purchased for conversion into a decoy ship and operated as Privet, Q19, Alcala and Swisher

26 September 1918 Officer’s Steward 2nd Class Ernest Albert Whitworth Holder discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and on the war memorial in Holy Trinity Church, Sydenham. Officer’s Steward Holder was among a party of 5 civilian dockyard workers and 11 Royal Naval Personnel who were travelling back to Britain from Gibraltar as passengers on the American convoy escort USS Tampa. The Tampa had finished escort duty on the Gibraltar convoy HG107 and was heading for Milford Haven when it was torpedoed by a UB91 off the mouth of the Bristol Channel. All 16 passengers and 115 crew members were lost.   

June 1919 purchased by Limerick Steamship Co Ltd., (S J K Roycroft, Manager) London and renamed Foynes

26 June 1922 two members of the crew appeared at Tower Bridge Magistrates’ Court charged with smuggling

Press cutting from Evening Telegraph of 26 June 1922

26 November 1923 arrived at the Port of Gloucester in ballast to load coal

23 September 1927 arrived at the Port of Gloucester in ballast

14 August 1929 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

4 January 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

26 February 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

11 April 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

14 June 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

23 August 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

14 September 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

16 October 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

17 November 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

23 November 1930 sailed Fowey

10 January 1931 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

17 August 1931 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north

1940 purchased by the Spanish Government and renamed Castillo Riaza

1942 owners now Empresa Nacional “Elcano” SA, Cadiz – name unchanged

1955 owners now Naviera del Nalon SA, Gijon – name unchanged

1959 renamed Mina Sorriego by her owners

30 April 1966 arrived Gijon for demolition by Desguaces y Salvamentos