Official Number:                      146137

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Vickers Ltd., Barrow 

Launched:                               8 April 1921

Signal Letters:                        GFQV

Into Service:                            1939

Out of service:                         11 February 1941

Fate:                                        Torpedoed and sunk 19 February 1941

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:

8 April 1921 launched by Vickers Ltd., Barrow as Yard Nr: 580 named Scottish Standard for Tankers Ltd., London

9April 1921 the Nottingham Journal newspaper reported …

October 1921 completed

24 February 1922 sailed from Swansea for Abadan

1 March 1924 berthed at Liverpool from Macoris del Limon, Dominican Republic with one stowaway. Captain S McDonnell was Master

25 April 1924 berthed at Liverpool from Tampico, Mexico with one passenger

18 December 1924 berthed at Thameshaven from Tampico, Mexico with one DBS. Captain George H Nicholson was Master

Captain George H Nicholson

29 April 1927 at Rotterdam

27 September 1928 sailed Swansea to Abadan with two passengers. Captain George H Nicholson was Master

13 July 1931 berthed at Shellhaven, London from Aruba with one passenger

21 February 1938 entered Smith’s Dock, North Shields, River Tyne after being towed from Cape Verde Islands

5 November 1938 laid up

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

29 March 1940 berthed at Curacao

12 April 1940 sailed Falmouth and joined convoy OA128GF from Southend which reformed as convoy OG26F on 14 April 1940 to Gibraltar arriving 20 April 1940 and then onto Curacao

4 May 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 11 May 1940

23 May 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX45 which joined convoy HX45 from Halifax to Portmouth arriving 9 June 1940 with a cargo of FFO

14 July 1940 arrived at Curacao

24 July 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 31 July 1940

3 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX63 to Halifax where the convoy joined convoy HX63 to Scapa Flow with a cargo of FFO arriving 18 August 1940

26 August 1940 sailed Scapa Flow independently to the River Clyde arriving 28 August 1940

6 October 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy OB224 but put back with defects the same day

7 October 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy OB225 which dispersed on 10 October 1940 and then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 2 November 1940

20 November 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 28 November 1940

1 December 1940 sailed Bermuda independently to Sydney, Cape Breton arriving 7 December 1940

11 December 1940 sailed Sydeny, Cape Breton independently to Halifax arriving the next day

15 December 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy SC16 to Scapa Flow arriving 31 December 1940

11 February 1941 sailed to join convoy OB285 but arrived at Loch Ewe with defects on 14 February 1941

At Loch Ewe joined convoy OB287 which had sailed from Liverpool on 16 February 1941

21 February 1941 damaged by bombs from a German FW-200 Condor in the Atlantic SE of Iceland in position 59.19N 16.14W

22 February 1941 torpedoed and sunk by U96 in position 59.20N 16.12W while on passage from the River Clyde to New York via Loch Ewe in ballast as a straggler from Convoy OB287 with the loss of five lives. Thirty nine survivors were rescued by the destroyer HMS MONTGOMERY and landed at Oban

Tower Hill Memorial

courtesy of Brian Watson

      HMS MONTGOMERY      

                    © MOD