Requisitioned Auxiliary – Prome

Prome 

 

Official Number:                           164119

Laid down:

Builder:                                       Wm Denny & Bros Ltd, Dumbarton

Pennant No:                                 B432

Launched:                                   12 February 1937

Into Service:                                September 1940

Out of service:                              September 1946

Fate:                                           Broken up October 1962

 

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:

 

12 February 1937 launched by Wm Denny & Bros Ltd, Dumbarton as Yard Nr: 1295 named PROME for British & Burmese Steam Navigation Co Ltd (P. Henderson & Co, Managers) Glasgow.

May 1937 completed as a passenger/cargo vessel for her owners’ UK – Rangoon service

14 May 1937 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon via Gibraltar with 14 passengers. Captain David A Meek was the ship’s Master

24 June 1937 sailed Rangoon for Glasgow

11 July 1937 arrived Suez from Rangoon

20 August 1937 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 45 passengers. Captain David A Meek was the ship’s Master

4 November 1937 berthed at Liverpool from Rangoon with 12 passengers

10 December 1937 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 17 passengers. Captain C Esslemont was the ship’s Master

1 April 1938 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 13 passengers. Captain C Esslemont was the ship’s Master

22 July 1938 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 49 passengers. Captain C Esslemont was the ship’s Master

6 October 1938 arrived Plymouth from Rangoon with 15 passengers

11 November 1938 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 44 passengers. Captain C Esslemont was the ship’s Master

3 March 1939 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 6 passengers. Captain William Lush was the ship’s Master

23 June 1939 sailed Liverpool to Rangoon with 19 passengers. Captain John F T Burke was the ship’s Master

9 September 1939 berthed at Liverpool from Rangoon and Gibraltar

8 October 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted Convoy OB16 with 84 passengers – this convoy reformed as escorted Convoy OG2 on 11 October 1939 arriving at Gibraltar on 17 October 1939. Captain John F T Burke was the ship’s Master

Burke J NON RFA

Captain John F T Burke

24 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in escorted Convoy HG12 arriving at Liverpool on 2 January 1940

24 January 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted Convoy OB78. This Convoy dispersed on 27 January 1940 to form escorted Convoy OG16F arriving at Gibraltar on 1 February 1940

2 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted Convoy HG25F arriving at Liverpool on 11 April 1940 The Convoy Vice Commodore – Vice Admiral (retired) J M Casement RNR – sailed on the Prome

10 May 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted Convoy OB145 – this convoy formed escorted Convoy OG29 on 12 May 1940 which arrived at Gibraltar on 18 May 1940

11 August 1940 sailed Freetown in escorted Convoy SL 43 arriving at Liverpool on 31 August 1940

September 1940 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Mine Depot Ship – name unchanged

15 March 1942 the C in C China Station from Singapore issued instructions that due to the present threat to Ceylon FROME was to be loaded to capacity as a mine carrier and to be based at Chochin, India to act as a mining depot for future operations until the threat to Ceylon had faded

15 April 1942 sailed Colombo in escorted Convoy MB1 to Bombay arriving on 20 April 1942 with a cargo of mines

15 November 1942 Chief Officer John Jamieson Allan discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial, London

 

Prome Glasgow

 

4 February 1944 Second Steward Cedric Arthur Towers discharged dead. He is buried in Durban (Stellawood) Cemetery, Kwazulu, Natal, South Africa in Block LL Grave 32 – died from natural causes

 

towers 1

 Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

 

5 August 1944 sailed Bombay in escorted Convoy BM99 to Colombo arriving on 10 August 1944

9 September 1944 sailed Colombo in unescorted Convoy JC62A arriving at Trincomalee the next day

15 June 1945 Chief Engineer Officer Alexander R Henderson appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) – details published in the London Gazette of this day

September 1946 returned to her owners

8 October 1946 sailed Glasgow to Colombo and Rangoon with 78 passengers

14 October 1946 while on passage to Rangoon passed Gibraltar this day

19 October 1946 arrived at Port Said 

7 January 1947 while on passage from Calcutta to London sailed Port Said

5 March 1947 sailed Swansea to Port Sudan, Aden and Rangoon, Burma 

18 March 1960 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon, Burma with 19 passengers

11 July 1960 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon, Burma with 41 passengers

21 October 1960 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon with 46 passengers

7 October 1962 arrived at Bruges for demolition by Van Heyghen Freres

 

Notes:

  1. Was part of the British Pacific Fleet – hence the B pennant number