Official Number:                       136066

Pennant No:                         

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough

Launched:                                23 July 1914

Into Service:                             1940

Out of service:                          1945

Fate:                                       1950 broken up

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:

1913 ordered by Anglo American Oil Co Ltd., London

23 July 1914 launched by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough as Yard Nr: 581 named Tahchee for Tank Storage & Carriage Co Ltd., London

1 August 1914 the Stockton Herald, South Durham & Cleaveland Advertised newspaper reported …

September 1914 completed

30 September 1914 arrived at New York from the River Tyne

5 March 1915 at Hong Kong

16 June 1915 at Shanghai – Seaman Chung Sun, Seaman Chun Chong & Seaman Kwok Mo each discharged dead from asphyxiation

8 November 1915 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound

12 November 1915 arrived at Bristol

1916 purchased by Standard Transportation Co Ltd., Hong Kong – name unchanged

20 June 1916 sailed from Portishead Dock for Singapore

5 March 1917 at Singapore

14 July 1917 at Barrow Sailor Ah Seng discharged dead from pneumonia

30 November 1923 at Shanghai 2nd Officer Archibald Hendry discharged dead from acute alcoholic poisoning

2nd Officer Archibald Hendry

23 August 1926 arrived at Yokohama from Los Angeles

27 November 1930 at 16°31N 121°20E Sailor Ling Ah Kwei discharged dead from heart failure

29 December 1930 arrived at Shanghai from Los Angeles

25 September 1931 arrived at Hong Kong from Los Angeles

19 December 1931 arrived at Los Angles from Shanghai

27 April 1932 arrived at Manila from Los Angeles

2 November 1934 arrived at Nagaski from Los Angeles

5 November 1934 sailed Nagasaki for Los Angeles

24 December 1935 arrived at Suez

14 September 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Aruba arriving 16 September 1939

17 September 1939 sailed Aruba independently to Trinidad arriving 22 September 1939

22 September 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Dakar arriving 5 October 1939

14 October 1939 sailed Dakar independently to Trinidad arriving 26 October 1939

27 October 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Galveston, Texas arriving 9 November 1939

19 November 1939 sailed Galveston, Texas independently to Gibraltar arriving 15 December 1939

15 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar independently to Sete arriving 22 December 1939

30 December 1939 sailed Sete independently to Haifa arriving 7 January 1940

8 January 1940 sailed Haifa independently to Gibraltar arriving 18 January 1940

24 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG16 to Le Havre arriving 3 February 1940. RFA ALDERSDALE also sailed in this convoy for Liverpool

10 February 1940 sailed Le Havre independently to St Helens Roads

1940 purchased by Soconly Vacuum Transportation Co Ltd., and requisitioned for Admiralty service and served as an Escort Oiler – name unchanged

13 February 1940 sailed St Helens Roads in escorted convoy OA91 until dispersal on 16 February 1940 then independently to Port Arthur arriving 13 March 1940

15 March 1940 sailed independently to Halifax arriving 26 March 1940

29 March 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX31 to Le Harve arriving 13 April 1940

19 April 1940 sailed Le Harve independently to St Helens Roads arriving the next day

2 May 1940 sailed St Helens Roads and joined in escorted convoy OA139 until dispersal and then independently to Trinidad arriving 19 May 1940

5 June 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Curacao

8 June 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arriving 14 June 1940

16 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX51 for Halifax but had to return to Bermuda

9 July 1940 sailed Bermuda independently to Curaçao arriving 16 July 1940

3 September 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Sydney, Cape Breton arriving 25 September 1940

8 December 1940 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton in escorted convoy SC15 to Liverpool arriving 28 December 1940

18 February 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB288 until dispersal on 22 February 1941and then independently to New York arriving 13 March 1941

6 April 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 9 April 1941

16 April 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX121 to Liverpool arriving 2 May 1941. RFA DENBYDALE also sailed in this convoy

17 May 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB323 until dispersal on 25 May 1941  and then independently to New York arriving 7 June 1941

10 September 1941 torpedoed and damaged by the German submarine U-652 in the Atlantic in position 61°15N 41°05W while on passage from Sydney, N.S. to the UK in convoy SC42. The ship caught fire and was abandoned but was later reboarded and the fire was extinguished

16 September 1941 the damaged ship final reached Reykjavik under her own steam

13 March 1942 Captain William Banner and Chief Engineer Officer Charles Edwin Probert both appointed to be Additional Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), Senior Apprentice Harry Reginald Knight appointed to be an Additional Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Chief Officer Archibald M Canner and 3rd Engineer William E Taylor both received Commendations for Brave Conduct. The appintments and the commendations were published in the London Gazette of 17 March 1942 pages 1205 and 1206 

June 1942 after temporary repairs was towed by the tug Empire Larch to the Tyne and repaired

Rescue Tug Empire Larch which was later renamed as Masterman in 1946

2 November 1942 was repaired and re-entered service saling from the River Tyne in unescorted convoy FN854 to Methil arriving the next day

4 November 1942 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy EN158 to Oban arriving 7 November 1942

8 November 1942 sailed Oban and joined escorted convoy ON144 to New York arriving 29 November 1942

2 December 1942 sailed New York in unescorted convoy NG326 to Guantanamo arriving 9 December 1942

9 December 1942 sailed Guantanamo in unescorted convoy GAT28 to Curaçao arriving 12 December 1942

21 December 1942 sailed Curaçao in unescorted convoy TAG30 to Guantanamo arriving 24 December 1942

24 December 1942 sailed Guantanamo in unescorted convoy GN30 to New York arriving 1 January 1943

4 January 1943 sailed New York in escorted convoy SC116 to Liverpool arriving 29 January 1943. During this convoy the Admiralty tanker British Lady acted as an Escort Oiler

13 January 1943 at sea Fireman Arthur Quinn discharged dead from meningitis and pneumonia

14 February 1943 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON167 and acted as an escort oiler to New York arriving 8 March 1943

5 June 1943 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy SC133 and acted as an escort oiler arriving at Liverpool on 19 June 1943

23 August 1943 C in C Western Approaches requested the FOIC Greenock to sail the tug Stormking to assist in the tow of ss Vansittart by mv Tahchee at 54°43N 15°42W speed of advance 6 knots heading 070 degrees. NOIC Campbeltown confirmed the tug had sailed – Source Admiralty War Diary of 23 August 1943 page 811

17 November 1944 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy SC161 and acted as an escort oiler arriving at Liverpool on 4 December 1944

21 May 1945 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ONS51 and acted as an escort oil arriving at Halifax on 4 June 1945

1945 returned to her owners

September 1949 laid up in the River Fal

17 October 1950 arrived at Milford Haven for demolition by T W Ward Ltd