Requisitioned Auxiliary – Maja

 MAJA

 

 MAJA

 

Official Number:                      167256

Laid down:                              

Builder:                                  N.V. C. Van der Giessen & Zonen’s Scheep., Krimpen

Launched:                              November 1931

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        15 January 1945

Fate:                                     15 January 1945 torpedoed and sunk

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

 

Background Data:  One of several ships requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as an Escort Oiler during WW2

Career Data:

November 1931 completed by N.V. C. Van der Giessen & Zonen’s Scheep., Krimpen as Yard Nr 618 named MAJA for Petroleum Maatschappij “La Corona”, The Hague

21 September 1938 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound for the Forth

7 December 1938 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound

24 February 1939 arrived at Methil in ballast

6 April 1939 arrived at Suez

14 April 1939 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound

18 April 1939 passed St Catherines Point sailing east bound

25 April 1939 at Cardiff

1939 transferred to Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London name unchanged and  requisitioned for Admiralty service and served as an Escort Oiler

9 September 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy Blue 1 to Gibraltar arriving 19 September 1939 – RFA’s ABBEYDALE and ALDERSDALE sailed in the same convoy

26 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG1 to Southend arriving on 8 October 1939. RFA’s ABBEYDALE and SERBOL sailed in the same convoy but berthed at Devonport. RFA ALDERSDALE also sailed in this convoy but diverted to Trinidad 

8 October 1939 sailed Southend in convoy FN18 to Methil arriving 10 October 1939

20 October 1939 sailed Methil in convoy FS24 to the River Tyne arriving the next day

9 November 1939 sailed the River Tyne joining convoy FS34 to Southend arriving 11 November 1939

12 November 1939 sailed Southend in convoy OA34 until its dispersal on 15 Novemnber 1939 then independently to Corpus Christi arriving 6 December 1939

9 December 1939 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Gibraltar arriving 1 January 1940

2 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 17 January 1940

18 January 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Haifa arriving the next day

20 January 1940 sailed Haifa independently to Gibraltar arriving 28 January 1940

29 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG17F to Pauillac arriving 7 February 1940

9 February 1940 sailed Pauillac independently to Rouen arriving 14 February 1940

16 February 1940 sailed Rouen independently to Curacao arriving 11 March 1940

15 March 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 25 March 1940

29 March 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX31 to Liverpool arriving 12 April 1940. RFA OLEANDER was also in this convoy berthing at Devonport

18 April 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to the River Clyde arriving the next day

24 April 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy OB135 but returned to Milford Haven arriving 26 April 1940

29 April 1940 sailed Milford Haven and joined convoy OB138 from Liverpool. This convoy reformed as convoy OG28F. Then sailed independently to Curacao arriving 18 May 1940

21 May 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Freetown arriving 7 June 1940

14 June 1940 sailed Freetown independently to Trinidad arriving 25 June 1940

25 June 1940 at Port of Spain, Trinidad Radio Officer David W Bain discharged dead – malaria

6 July 1940 sailed Trinidad

9 July 1940 sailed Puerto La Cruz independently to Curacao arriving 11 July 1940

16 July 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 22 July 1940

26 July 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX61 joing Halifax convoy HX61 to Methil Roads arriving 13 August 1940

13 August 1940 sailed Methil Roads in convoy MT139 to the River Tyne arriving the next day

6 September 1940 sailed the River Tyne joining convoy FN273 to Methil arriving the next day. RFA Celerol was also in this convoy

8 September 1940 sailed Methil in convoy OA211 until it dispersed on 12 September 1940 then independently to Curacao arriving 28 September 1940

28 September 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Las Piedras arriving the next day

30 September 1940 sailed Las Piedras independently to Curacao arriving the next day

8 October 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 14 October 1940

18 October 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX82 which joined convoy HX82 on 22 October 1940 and then to Liverpool arriving 4 November 1940

11 November 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Ardrossan arriving 17 November 1940

26 November 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy OB250 until dispersal on the 29 November 1940 and thence independently to Curacao arriving 15 December 1940

16 December 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Las Piedras arriving the 18 December 1940

18 December 1940 sailed Las Piedras independently to Bermuda arriving 25 December 1940

30 December 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX100 to join escorted convoy HX100 from Halifax on 4 January 1941 then to Liverpool arriving 17 January 1941

30 January 1941 sailed Liverpool independently to Ardrossan arriving 9 February 1941

9 February 1941 sailed Ardrossan independently to the River Clyde arriving the same day

11 February 1971 sailed the River Clyde in escorted convoy OB285 which dispersed on 17 February 1941 thence sailed independently to Bermuda arriving 1 March 1941

4 March 1941 sailed Bermuda independently to Curacao arriving 9 March 1941

12 March 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Las Piedras arriving the next day

13 March 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Halifax arriving 23 March 1941

27 March 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX117 to Liverpool arriving 15 April 1941

23 April 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB314 until the convoy dispersed on 30 April 1941 and the independently to Curancao arriving on 15 May 1941

18 May 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 23 May 1941

25 May 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX129 to join escorted convoy HX129 from Halifax on 31 May 1941 then to Liverpool arriving 12 June 1941

21 June 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB338 until its dispersal on 3 July 1941 and then independently to Curacao arriving 13 July 1941

15 July 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 25 July 1941

1 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX142 to Heysham arriving 19 August 1941 and then to Liverpool arriving 22 August 1941

25 September 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON20 until it dispersed and then independently to Houston, Texas arriving 21 October 1941

23 October 1941 sailed Houston, Texas independently to Halifax arriving 2 November 1941

3 November 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX158 to Loch Ewe arriving 17 November 1941

After 18 November 1941 joined unescorted convoy WN207 which had sailed from Oban for Methil arriving 21 November 1941

23 November 1941 sailed Methel in unescorted convoy FS655 to Southend arriving 25 November 1941

7 December 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN572 to the River Tyne arriving 9 December 1941

11 December 1941 sailed the River Tyne joining unescorted convoy FN575 to Methil arriving the next day

17 December 1941 sailed Oban in the escorted convoy EN20 to Loch Ewe arriving 19 December 1941 thence independently to Trinidad arriving 15 January 1942

19 January 1942 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 30 January 1942

31 July 1942 at 10.00N 49.55W challenged by USS Cincinatti and made the correct answer

30 December 1942 at Todds Erie Basin, Brooklyn while berthed was struck by USS Kaweah which was being towed by tugs from dry dock and under the direction of the Harbour Pilot. Minor damage to the hull of USS Kaweah. No indication of damage to Maja

 

17 December 1944 sailed Halifax in convoy SC163 to Liverpool arriving 31 December 1944

10 January 1945 sailed Liverpool independently to Swansea arriving the next day

14 January 1945 sailed Swansea 

15 January 1945 torpedoed and sunk by U-1055 in the Irish Sea in position 53.40 N 05.14 W while on passage from Swansea to Belfast and Reykjavik carrying 10,680t of gasoil and motor spirit with the loss of twenty five lives. Forty survivors were rescued by the Belgian trawler HENDRIK CONSCIENCE and landed at Holyhead. Those who were killed are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial, the Hong Kong Memorial, the Chatham Naval Memorial and six are buried in Holyhead (Maeshyfryd) Burial Board Cemetery and a further number in Douglas Cemetery (Isle of Man)

Maja CWGC

Image courtesy of Brian Watson

8 May 1945 Chief Engineer Officer Sydney G Moffitt appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for outstanding bravery when the ship was sunk – details published in the London Gazette of this day. Pumpman Chou Chen was awarded the British Empire Medal, Civil Division for outstanding bravery when the ship was sunk – this award was ungazetted. Both Chief Engineer Officer Sydney G Moffitt and Pumpman Chou Chen were both awarded the Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea for their actions when the ship was sunk