Official Number:                    149405

Pennant No:                          

Laid down:

Builder:                                 Sir James Lang & Sons, Deptford Yard, Sunderland 

Launched:                             6 June 1925

Into Service:                          1939

Out of service:                       6 June 1942

Fate:                                    Mined & broke in two

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:

6 June 1925 launched by Sir James Lain & Sons, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 694 named TYNEFIELD for Hunting Steamship Co Ltd (Hunting & Son Ltd., Managers), Newcastle

26 January 1926 completed

23 June 1926 sailed New Orleans

7 July 1926 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

1 September 1927 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

8 September 1928 at the Sailors Hostal, Plymouth Carpenter Walter Rigg discharged dead from apparent heart failure

10 September 1928 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

9 October 1928 arrived Avonmouth from Philadelphia

25 May 1930 berthed at Salt End Jetty, Hull to discharge from Batoum and London

28 May 1930 sailed for San Pedro in ballast

30 May 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

14 June 1930 arrived at Colon while on passage to San Pedro

26 June 1930 sailed Los Angles for Ellesmere Port

8 July 1930 arrived Panama City

29 July 1930 arrived at Stanlow Oil Refinery

26 August 1930 passed Key West when on passage from Houston to Avonmouth

September 1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler

22 September 1939 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy FN09 to Methil arriving 24 September 1939

16 October 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB20 which reformed the next day into escorted convoy OG3 to Gibraltar arriving 23 October 1939

16 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG11 to Liverpool arriving 24 December 1939

9 February 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB88 which reformed at sea on 11 February 1940 into escorted convoy OG18F to Gibraltar arriving 17 February 1940 then onward to Abadan

25 February 1941 damaged by German bombs at Tobruk

28 February 1941 at Tobruk Fireman Charles Quinn discharged dead. He is buried in Tobruk War Cemetery in grave 3.B.3

6 March 1941 arrived at Alexandria escorted by HMS WOLBOROUGH

5 October 1941 was mined and broke in two in the Suez Canal with the loss of seven lives. The stern section was beached in the Gulf of Suez and remained manned.Those who died are either buried in Suez War Memorial Cemetery or are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial –

with thanks to Brian Watson

6 June 1942 was finally declared a total loss and abandoned

1953 wreck purchased by Italian ship breakers

12 October 1953 Stern section dry-docked at Suez

6 December 1953 arrived at Savona in tow for demolition