Requisitioned Auxiliary – Race Fisher

 
Race_Fisher
SS Race Fisher before being taken over by the Admiralty
 
 
 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:  

Official Number:                           93430                                                                         

Class:                                         Munitions Carrier / Collier / Fleet Messenger

Pennant No:                               Y 2.36 / Y 3.586 / Y 4.33

Laid down:
Builder:                                       McIlwaine & McColl Ltd., Belfast

Launched:                                  3 May 1892
Into Service:                               11 January 1915 – hired as an Ammunition carrier for the RFA
Out of service:                            30 January 1919 
Fate:                                         Wrecked at Stratoni, Greece

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship:

 

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to supplement the ships of the RFA

 

30 April 1892 launched by McIlwaine & McColl Ltd, Belfast as Yard Nr: 49 named RACE FISHER for James Fisher & Sons, Barrow

June 1892 completed

9 February 1896 sailed Poole for Fowey

14 November 1896 berthed at Swansea from Rouen

3 October 1901 sailed Cardiff to Caen

18 August 1904 arrived at Dundee from Aberdeen for survey and repairs

12 September 1904 at Dundee –

Press Cutting 13.9.04 Dundee Courier

Press Cutting from the Dundee Courier of 13 September 1904

4 October 1904 sailed Dundee after the completion of repairs

25 April 1909 sailed Manchester Docks for Dublin

1 September 1909 entered Eastham Locks, Manchester Ship Canal from Dublin

23 December 1909 sailed Manchester Docks for Dublin

11 January 1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a Munitions Carrier – name unchanged

29 July 1915 became a collier then a Fleet Messenger

30 July 1915 Lieutenant Thomas A Lobb RNR appointed in command

 CAptain Thomas A Lobb

Lieutenant Thomas A Lobb RNR

11 October 1915 at Anzac, Gallipolli Engineer Lieutenant James Ferguson RNR discharged dead – dysentry. He is remembered with pride on the Hollybrook Memorial at Southampton.

 

DSC00107

 

26 April 1916 Assistant Engineer Frederick Carlisle MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Liverpool (Toxteth Park) Cemetery in grave I N C 89.

17 July 1916 Seaman Bertram Howey pleaded Guilty to (a) deserting the ship and to (b) fraudulent conversion to his own use and benefit of the sum of ten pounds, one shilling and eight pence being part of fourteen pounds, seventeen shillings and six pence with which he had been entrusted in order that he might retain the same in safe custody, and put the same in purchasing food for his mess for the month. He was adjudged to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for the term of 12 calendar months and at the expiration of the said term to be dismissed from His Majesty’s Service

4 December 1916 sailed Yenbo Harbour

28 December 1916 sailed Sharm Rabigh

2 January 1917 at Sharm Rabigh berthed alongside RFA BACCHUS (1) for water

3 January 1917 sailed Sharm Rabigh for Suez

29 January 1917 at Sharm Rabigh with a working party from HMS LAMA onboard discharging cargo

16 February 1917 arrived at Sharm Rabigh and a working party from HMS LAMA came onboard to discharging cargo

17 & 18 February 1917 at Sharm Rabigh with a working party from HMS LAMA onboard discharging cargo

19 February 1917 sailed Sharm Rabigh

21 March 1917 anchored off Sherm Wejh

22 March 1917 at Sharem Wejh with a working party from HMS LAMA onboard discharging cargo

1 April 1917 anchored off Sherm Wejh

2 June 1917 at 27.00N 33.00W sailing north

22 June 1917 arrived at Sherm Wejh

2 July 1917 sailed Sherm Wejh

3 August 1917 arrived at Akaba

31 August 1917 arrived Port Sudan. Dragged anchor and went aground

1 September 1917 at Port Sudan towed off and involved in sight collision with HMS SUVA

4 September 1917 Bosun Michael Reilly MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Khartoum War Cemetery grave 2 B 18

 

Reilly_M

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

 

12 September 1917 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Robert M Watson RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 November 1917 Lieutenant David S Brown RNR appointed in command

30 January 1919 wrecked at Stratoni Bay, Greece