Official Number:                       N/R  

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Eriksbergs Mekaniske Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg

Launched:                               18 December 1930

Into Service:                            WW2

Out of service:                         WW2

Fate:                                      May 1956 broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of a group of additional Norwegian-flagged ships which served as Escort Oilers during WW2

Career Data:

18 December 1930 launched by Eriksbergs Mekaniske Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg as Yard Nr: 242 named VAV for Skibs A/S Ostheim (Halfdan Ditlev-Simonsen & Co, Managers), Oslo

May 1931 completed

8 December 1939 Captain A Apall-Olsen appointed as Master

14 February 1940 sailed Alexandria independently

22 February 1940 sailed Constanza independently to Malta arriving 29 February 1940 to discharge 13 crew members who didn’t want to go to England

29 February 1940 sailed Malta independently to Gibraltar arriving 4 March 1940

9 March 1940 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG22F to Liverpool arriving 17 March 1940

24 March 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB116 until dispersal on 27 March 1940 then independently to Port Arthur arriving 16 April 1940. RFA OLIGARCH also sailed in this convoy

9 April 1940 while on independent passage to Port Arthur war broke out in Norway

18 April 1940 sailed Port Arthur to Halifax arriving 27 April 1940

30 April 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX39 to Belfast Lough arriving 15 May 1940. RFA OLIGARCH also sailed in this convoy for Scapa Flow

12 June 1940 sailed Belfast Lough joining escorted convoy OB167 until dispersal on 17 June 1940 and then independently to Aruba arriving 30 June 1940

1 July 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Bermuda arriving 6 July 1940

10 July 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX57. This convoy joined escorted convoy HX57 which had sailed from Halifax on 15 July 1940 and arrived at Dublin on 26 July 1940 with a cargo of petrol

1 August 1940 sailed Dublin independently to Liverpool arriving the next day and then sailed independently to Cape Town arriving 3 September 1940

5 September 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 29 September 1940

1 October 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Cape Town arriving 25 October 1940

25 October 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Freetown arriving 9 November 1940

12 November 1940 sailed Freetown in escorted convoy SL55 to Liverpool arriving 2 December 1940

3 December 1940 joined escorted convoy WN49 which had sailed from the River Clyde arriving at Methil on 8 December 1940

8 December 1940 sailed Methil in unescorted convoy FS356 but had to return to Methil the next day after a collision with the British ship St Merriel off May Island. Sailed to Grangemouth to discharge her cargo and for the collision damage to be repaired

4 February 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy EN67/1 to Loch Ewe arriving 7 February 1941 in ballast and then sailing independently to New York

8 March 1941 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 16 March 1941

WW2 fitted as and served as an Escort Oiler, name unchanged

September 1946 owners became Skibs A/S Nordheim (Halfdan Ditlev-Simonsen & Co, Managers) Oslo – name unchanged

9 May 1946  arrived Emden for demolition after sale to Schrotthandel, Dusseldorf

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