Official Number:                     149829

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Palmers’ Co. Ltd., Jarrow

Launched:                               30 March 1926

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                          25 August 1940

Fate:                                        25 August 1940 torepdoed and sunk

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:

30 March 1926 launched by Palmers’ Co Ltd., Jarrow as Yard Nr: named Pecten for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd., London

24 May 1927 sailed the River Tyne on builders trials returning the next day

12 September 1929 at Rouen Fitter Yu Kan Yang discharged dead from natural causes

11 April 1932 at Curacao

24 October 1932 berthed at Tilbury from Curacao. The ship’s master was Captain D V Gale

11 June 1933 passed Beachy Head when on passage to the River Tyne

23 June 1933 in dry dock at Palmers Yard, Hebburn on Tyne

8 February 1939 sailed Trinidad

4 March 1939 sailed Falmouth but later put back into port with an engine fault

13 May 1939 arrived Suez from Abadan

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

9 September 1939 at Gibraltar

29 September 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 3 October 1939

11 October 1939 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Halifax arriving 22 October 1939

25 October 1939 sailed Halifax in convoy HX6 to Liverpool with a cargo of FFO arriving 9 November 1939

10 November 1939 sailed Liverpool to Scapa Flow arriving 12 November 1939

19 November 1939 sailed Scapa Flow

16 December 1939 sailed the River Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving 18 December 1939

20 December 1939 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB57 until dispersal on 23 December 1939 and then independently to Port of Spain, Trinidad arriving 9 January 1940

11 January 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands arriving 5 February 1940

10 February 1940 sailed Port Stanley, Falkland Islands independently to Trinidad arriving 2 March 1940

5 March 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 17 March 1940

21 March 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX29 to the River Clyde arriving 6 April 1940

11 April 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Belfast Lough arriving the next day

27 April 1940 sailed Belfast Lough joining in escorted convoy OB137 until dispersal on 29 April 1940 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 14 May 1940

17 May 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving on 23 May 1940

27 May 1940 sailed Bermuda with a cargo of FFO in escorted convoy BHX 46 to join escorted convoy HX46 on 2 June 1940 to the River Clyde arriving 11 June 1940

18 June 1940 sailed the River Clyde joining escorted convoy OB171 to Cardiff arriving 21 June 1940

4 July 1940 sailed Cardiff independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

6 July 1940 sailed Milford Haven joining escorted convoy OB179 from Liverpool until dispersal on the 9 July 1940 and then independently to Port of Spain, Trinidad arriving 23 July 1940

26 July 1940 sailed Port of Spain, Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 3 August 1940

11 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX65 until ….

25 August 1940 torpedoed and sunk by U57 in the Atlantic 75 miles North of Tory Island in position 56.22N 07.55W while on passage from Bermuda to the Clyde. Those who were lost are recorded with pride on the Tower Hill and the Hong Kong Memorials