Official Number:                      99947

Pennant No:                           Y 4 34

Laid down:

Builder:                                  J Fullerton & Co. Paisley

Launched:                              11 July 1899

Into Service:                            19 July 1915

Out of service:                         9 September 1919

Fate:                                      Wrecked 1936

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:

11 July 1899 launched by J Fullerton & Co., Paisley as Yard Nr: 148 named River Fisher for James Fisher & Sons, Barrow

August 1899 completed

27 February 1900 arrived at St Sampson’s, Guernsey

1 March 1900 sailed St Sampson’s, Guernsey

18 September 1900 at Whitehaven Fireman Bartholomew O’Connor discharged dead from heart failure (confirmed from Coroner’s Inquest)

4 February 1902 at Morecambe Cook William Parry discharged dead from drowning. The death was reported in the Lancashire Evening Post of 5 February 1902

11 November 1908 in the River Teign the steam tug Teign was towing the River Fisher to sea when the ship was in collision with a motor ferry boat which broke drift and was carried upstream by the tide. No damage was caused to the motor ferry boat which eventually went ashore.

19 July 1915 requisition for Admiralty service as a Fleet Messenger – name unchanged

21 January 1916 at Port Said with one corporal and three Royal Marines from the RMLI from HMS JUPITER working onboard

12 May 1916 Able Seaman Martin Noland MMR 771751 discharged dead from enteritus. He is buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Cemetery, Egypt in grave  C5

29 October 1916 arrived at Sherm Rabegh

3 December 1916 sailed from Sherm Rabegh

19 December 1916 arrived at Yenbo (Yanbu al Bahr)

20 December 1916 sailed from Yenbo (Yanbu al Bahr)

26 December 1916 at Port Sudan

2 January 1917 at Rabegh arrived landing Naval Stores and sailed

17 January 1917 arrived at Hassani anchorage sailing the next day

31 August 1917 at anchor at Port Sudan – started to drag her anchor

19 September 1919 returned to owners – name unchanged

28 July 1924 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

23 May 1925 sailed Penzance with a cargo of stone for Ipswich but suffered engine defects and returned to Penzance

1 April 1926 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east 

8 June 1927 in the North Sea Seaman Arthur Norman Wilson was caught in a wire hawser and injured. He was discharged dead after dying at Harwich Hospital. An inquest was held at the East Essex Coroners Court touching on his death and it was found he suffered from leg fractures and his spine was injured – accidental death 

1928 purchased by Cie Navali du Midi, Marseilles and renamed Saint El Me

1935 purchased by G Raymond (Ch Sud-Meritime, Managers) Marseilles – name unchanged

8 April 1936 wrecked on E point of Ile Honorat, Cannes