Official Number: 160629
Laid down:
Builder: Swan, Hunter & Wighham Richardson Ltd., Low Walker
Launched: 27 November 1928
Into Service: WW2
Out of service: WW2
Fate: 8 January 1954 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:
27 November 1928 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Low Walker as Yard Nr: 88 named OILRELIANCE for British Oil Shipping Co (A. A. Rapp, Manager) London
January 1929 completed
12 June 1930 berthed at Thameshaven from New Orleans with one DBS passenger
30 September 1931 at Rush Hospital, Philadelphia Sailor Ho Tsai Ping discharged dead from pneumonia
30 January 1933 passed the Cape of Good Hope
11 March 1933 berthed at Lyttleton, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of motor spirit from Russia
15 May 1934 berthed at Avonmouth from Constantza sailing the next day
18 December 1934 when on passage from Batum for Avonmouth passed Sagres
19 February 1935 passed Gibraltar
4 April 1935 at the General Hospital, Wellington Chief Steward Ng Lam Fook discharged dead from angina
11 April 1935 a crew member, Leong Kam jumped ship at Dunedin delaying the ship sailing to California by one day
12 April 1935 sailed Dunedin
24 April 1935 at Dunedin Leong Kam was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment and deportation for illegal entry into New Zealand
10 December 1935 at Sete when entering the port from Aruba was in collision with the tug Advance, which was at anchor, causing the tug to sink
20 April 1936 berthed at Avonmouth from Curacao
22 April 1936 sailed Avonmouth
17 April 1937 berthed at Ellesmere Port from Curacao with two DBS passengers
15 August 1937 while on passage from San Francisco to Curacao transitted the Panama Canal
1 October 1937 at 48.00N 13.37W Sailor Chung Yan discharged dead from concussion
9 June 1939 sailed Houston, Texas
1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler – name unchanged
10 September 1939 sailed Galveston, Texas independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 16 September 1939
19 September 1939 sailed Kingston Jamaica in convoy KJ1 to St Michaels arriving on 6 October 1939 and then on to Lisbon arriving 11 October 1939
5 November 1939 sailed Lisbon independently to Avonmouth arriving 10 November 1939
30 November 1939 sailed Avonmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving 2 December 1939
5 December 1939 sailed Milford Haven joining escorted convoy OB47 until its dispersal on 8 December 1939 thence independently to Trinidad arriving 22 December 1939
28 December 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 9 January 1940
14 January 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX16 to the Downs with a cargo of petrol arriving 28 January 1940
10 March 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA107 until dispersal on 13 March 1940 and then independently to Texas City arriving 4 April 1940
6 April 1940 sailed Texas City independently to Halifax arriving 16 April 1940
18 April 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX36 to Liverpool arriving 2 May 1940
6 May 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB143 to Pembroke Dock
10 May 1940 sailed Milford Haven independently to Rosyth arriving 20 May 1940
27 May 1940 sailed Scapa Flow escorted by HMS CAPE PORTLAND to Methil and Middlesborough arriving 30 April 1940
2 June 1940 sailed Middlesborough in convoy FS 186 to Immingham arriving the next day
5 June 1940 sailed Immingham to Southend arriving the next day
7 June 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA163GF which was renumbered convoy OG33F on 9 June 1940 and then independently to Gulport arriving 1 July 1940
2nd July 1940 sailed Gulfport independently to Port Arthur arriving the next day
20 July 1940 sailed Port Arthur independently to Curacao arriving 30 July 1940
1 August 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 6 August 1940
7 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX64 joining escorted convoy HX64 on 12 August 1964 and then sailed to Methil Roads arriving 24 August 1940
28 August 1940 sailed Methil Roads in convoy FS265 to Southend arriving 30 August 1940
18 September 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN284 to Methil arriving 20 September 1940
22 September 1940 sailed Methil in escorted convoy OA218 until dispersal on 27 September 1940 then independently to Curacao arriving 14 October 1940
17 October 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 24 October 1940
26 October 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX84 and joined escorted convoy HX84 on 31 October 1940. This convoy scattered on 5 November 1940 when attacked by the German pocket battleship Sheer and was not reformed. Oilreliance headed for the River Clyde
17 November 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy WN40 to Methil arriving 20 November 1940
22 November 1940 sailed Methil in convoy FS342 to Rochester arriving 26 November 1940
7 December 1940 sailed Rochester to Southend arriving the next day
11 December 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN357 to Hull arriving 12 December 1940
22 December 1940 sailed Hull to Middlesborough arriving on 24 December 1940
27 December 1940 sailed Middlesborough joining convoy FN368 to Methil arriving 29 December 1940
30 December 1940 sailed Methil in convoy EN49/1 to Oban arriving 3 January 1941
4 January 1941 sailed Oban joining convoy OB269 until dispersal on 6 January 1941 and then independently to Wilmington arriving 25 January 1941
26 January 1941 sailed Wilmington independently to Gulfport arriving 31 January 1941
1 February 1941 sailed Gulfport independently to New Orleans
5 February 1941 sailed New Orleans independently to Bermuda arriving 8 February 1941
27 February 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX 112 which joined convoy HX112 on 4 March 1941 and then to Liverpool arriving 20 March 1941with a cargo of crude oil
27 April 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB315 until dispersal on the 4 May 1941 and then independently to Bermuda arriving on 19 May 1941
23 May 1941 sailed Bermuda independently to Aruba arriving 28 May 1941
29 May 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Curacao arriving 30 May 1941
30 May 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 4 June 1941
8 June 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy JHX132 and merged with escorted convoy HX132 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 June 1941 thence joining in unescorted convoy WN146 to Methil arriving 1 July 1941. RFA’s BACCHUS (2) and WAR SUDRA also sailed in this last convoy
2 July 1941 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS531 to Southend arriving 4 July 1941
20 July 1941 sailed Southend in escorted convoy EC48 to Loch Ewe arriving 24 July 1941 and thence independently to New York arriving 12 August 1941
14 August 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 17 August 1941
21 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX146 to Loch Ewe arriving 5 September 1941 thence joining unescorted convoy WN177 to Methil arriving 8 September 1941. HMS DISCOVERY II (later to become RFA DISCOVERY II) was also in this convoy
14 September 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy FS595 to Southend arriving 16 September 1941
20 September 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN521 to Methil arriving 22 September 1941
25 September 1941 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS604 to Immingham arriving 27 September 1941
30 September 1941 sailed Immingham joining unescorted convoy FN526 to Methil arriving 2 October 1941
6 October 1941 sailed Methil to Immingham arriving 9 October 1941 then joining escorted convoy EC84to Methil arriving 13 October 1941
17 October 1941 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS623 to Immingham arriving in 19 October 1941
31 October 1941 sailed Hull joining unescorted convoy FN539 to Methil arriving 2 November 1941
3 November 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy EN1 to Oban arriving 6 November 1941
8 November 1941 sailed Oban and joined escorted convoy OS11 from Liverpool until dispersal to Trinidad arriving 27 November 1941
4 December 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Freetown arriving 22 December 1941
24 December 1941 sailed Freetown independently to Bathurst arriving 26 December 1941
29 December 1941 sailed Bathurst independently to Trinidad arriving 10 January 1942
19 January 1942 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 31 January 1942
4 February 1942 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy SC68 to Loch Ewe arriving 21 February 1942 and then joining unescorted convoy WN249 to Scapa Flow. RFA WAR SUDRA also sailed in this last convoy
2 June 1942 during convoy OS30 in collision with HMS FLEETWOOD. The warship had to enter Liverpool docks for repairs
1944 purchased by Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd., London name unchanged
2 January 1944 loaded bunker fuel from the Royal Naval fuel depot Londonderry
10 June 1944 Chief Cook Sow Hung Hing awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) Civil Division in the Birthday Honours List of this day
10 September 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS Cates (DE763) secured alongside to be refuelled
15 September 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS Weber (DE675) secured alongside to be refuelled – the destroyer received 67,231 gallons of oil
19 September 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS George W Ingham (DE62) secured alongside to be refuelled
27 September 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 291 secured alongside to be refuelled – the LST received 19,850 gallons of oil
1 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS Koiner (DE331) secured alongside to be refuelled
9 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS Rhodes (DE384) secured alongside to be refuelled
12 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 385 secured alongside to be refuelled
18 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 292 secured alongside to be refuelled
19 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 682 secured alongside to be refuelled
29 October 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 28 secured alongside to be refuelled – the LST received 75,000 gallons
6 November 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST GR31 secured alongside to be refuelled
10 November 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 75 secured alongside to be refuelled
16 November 1944 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 385 secured alongside to be refuelled
4 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Earl K Olsen (DE765) and USS Thornhill (DE195) secured alongside to be refuelled
19 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Martin H Ray (DE338), USS McDougal (DD54) and USS Blair (DE147) secured alongside to be refuelled and to receive fresh water. USS McDougal received 155,841 gallons of oil
21 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Sturtevant (DE239) secured alongside to be refuelled
23 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Davis (DD395) and USS Petit (DE253) secured alongside to be refuelled
25 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Davis (DD395) secured alongside to be refuelled
27 February 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Koiner (DE331) secured alongside to be refuelled
2 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Richey (DE385) secured alongside to be refuelled
11 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Peterson (DD392) secured alongside to be refuelled. The destroyer remained secured alongside overnight. Also USS Somers (DD381) and USS Kirkpatrick (DE318) also secured alongside each other and also secured alongside Oilreliance to be refuelled. In addition USS Joyce (DE317) secured alongside to be refuelled
22 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Earl K Olsen (DE765) secured alongside to be refuelled
23 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Rinehart (DE196) secured alongside to be refuelled
27 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Clark (DD361) and USS Daniel (DE335) secured alongside to be refuelled
28 March 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Clarence L Evans (DE113) secured alongside to be refuelled
2 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Stockdale (DE399) secured alongside to be refuelled
3 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Roy O Hale (DE336) secured alongside to be refuelled
9 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Robert E Peary (DE132) secured alongside to be refuelled
12 April 1945 alongside at Portsmouth with USS Ricketts (DE254) secured alongside to be refuelled
19 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Thomas J Gary (DE326) and USS Savage (DE386) secured alongside to be refuelled
20 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS LST 28 secured alongside to be refuelled – received 66,892 gallons of oil
28 April 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Kirkpatrick (DE318) and USS Burrows (DE105) secured alongside to be refuelled
4 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Kirkpatrick (DE318) secured alongside to be refuelled
10 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Thornhill (DE195) and USS Martin H Ray (DE338) secured alongside to be refuelled
15 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Craven (DD382) secured alongside to be refuelled – the destroyer received 2,931.2 barrels of oil. USS Clarence L Evans (DE113) also secured alongside to be refuelled
21 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Dale W Peterson (DE337), USS Roy O Hale (DE336) and USS Martin H Ray (DE338) secured alongside to be refuelled
25 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Brough (DE148) secured alongside to be refuelled
29 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS LST28 secured alongside to be refuelled – the LST received 25,000 gallons
30 May 1945 anchored off Spithead with USS Pettit (DE253) secured alongside to be refuelled
1945 renamed Kellia by her owners
4 August 1953 laid up at Barry
8 January 1954 arrived Milford Haven for demolition by T W Ward Ltd.