Official Number:                     95480

Laid down:

Builder:                                 Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., Low Walker

Pennant No:                          Y.3 25

Launched:                             27 September 1888

Into Service:                           6 August 1914

Out of service:                        December 1918

Fate:                                     6 February 1921 believed to have foundered

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:

27 September 1888 launched by Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., Low Walker as Yard Nr: 523 named Elbrux for Lane & MacAndrew Ltd., London

October 1888 completed

2 July 1898 arrived at Philadelphia from Manchester

17 November 1889 arrived at Philadelphia

16 April 1890 sailed the River Tyne after loading bunker coal

1895 owners became Galbraith, Pembroke & Co, London name unchanged

April 1900 purchased by Anglo American Oil Co Ltd (J. Hamilton, Manager) London and renamed OTTAWA

31 December 1904 at sea at 48.03N 41.33W 3rd mate Henry Allen aged 63 years discharged dead – heart failure

17 December 1907 at sea at 49.53N 28.20W Able Seaman H J Fischer discharged dead – accident

10 August 1908 berthed at London from Norfolk VA with two passengers. Captain Robert G Tait was Master

14 December 1910 at University Hospital, Philadelphia Able Seaman A McInnes discharged dead after an operation

4 November 1913 at sea Fireman & Trimmer Wilhelm Deiters discharged dead having drowned

6 August 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler – name unchanged – rate of hire 8sh 9d p.d.w.t to 31 December 1914 thence 10sh 6d there after

10 November 1914 at Invergordon alongside HMS PRINCESS ROYAL supplying 113 tons of oil

HMS PRINCESS ROYAL

6 March 1915 at sea at 62.06N 8.08W with the armed merchant cruiser HMS MANTUA

HMS MANTUA

30 March 1915 at Rosyth alongside HMS PRINCESS ROYAL supplying 42 tons of oil

28 May 1915 carried out OAS trials with the destroyer HMS HIND in the Firth of Forth using the stirrup method during which 13 tons of fuel was passed to the destroyer

31 May 1915 carried out further OAS trials with the destroyer HMS HYDRA in the Firth of Forth during which 8 tons of fuel was passed to the destroyer

14 July 1915 at Rosyth alongside HMS PRINCESS ROYAL supplying 84 tons of oil

December 1918 was returned to her owners, name unchanged

27 September 1919 at 44.58N 49.35W 1st Officer Richard Bower discharged dead – heart failure

21 January 1921 sailed Port Lobos, Mexico for Norfolk, VA with a cargo of 3,600 tons of fuel oil finally bound for Manchester

2 February 1921 sailed Norfolk for Manchester

6 February 1921 after a severe storm in her area, she went missing and was presumed to have foundered with the loss of all hands along with a number of other ships at the same time