Official Number: 118078
Laid down:
Builder: Clyde Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Port Glasgow
Pennant Number: Y9.22
Launched: 21 December 1903
Into Service: 26 November 1914
Out of service: 1919
Fate: Broken up 3 December 1927
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:
21 December 1903 launched by Clyde Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Port Glasgow as Yard Nr: 257 named ZARIA for British & African Steam Navigation Co (Elder, Dempster & Co, Managers) Liverpool
March 1904 completed as a passenger / cargo vessel for 36 x 1st Class and 18 x 2nd Class passengers
16 March 1904 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with thirty one passengers
22 June 1904 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with three passengers
22 August 1904 sailed Lagos
21 December 1904 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with twenty nine passengers
25 March 1905 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with thirty one passengers
20 October 1905 sailed Liverpool for Kingston, Jamaica with ten passengers
3 January 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with nineteen passengers
31 March 1906 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with 38 passengers
16 May 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with fourteen passengers. Captain E Riddick was Master
11 August 1906 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with nineteen passengers
22 August 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with nine passengers
28 November 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with twenty three passengers
20 January 1905 at the Opobo River, Egwanga, Nigeria Able Seaman G Beagles discharged dead – drowned
16 February 1908 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
1910 lengthened 30 ft by her builders
22 August 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with nine passengers
28 November 1906 sailed Liverpool for Grand Canaria and West African ports with 23 passengers
20 January 1905 at the Opobo River, Egwanga, Nigeria Able Seaman G Beagles discharged dead – drowned
16 February 1908 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
1910 lengthened 30 ft by her builders
26 November 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Stores Carrier, name unchanged
10 December 1914 commissioned as HMS ZARIA with Captain Herbert Edward Purey-Cust CB RNR in command
2 February 1915 Deck Hand Peter Connell RNR discharged dead – drowned. He is buried in Fraserburgh (Kirkton) Cemetery in grave Free Ground 1772
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
19 February 1915 Seaman Duncan Longmuir RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Ford Park Cemetery Pennycomequick (formerly Plymouth Old Cemetery) in Grave Church S 3.6
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
26 February 1915 at Hoy Sound an Able Seaman from HMS CRESENT transferred to her
April 1915 became an Auxiliary Patrol Ship Depot Ship, name unchanged
3 June 1915 Deck Hand Jeremiah Lawrence Thomson RNR serving on HMS Horatio discharged dead onboard from illness. He is buried in Sandwick, Cemetery, Sandwick, Shetland in plot 42, row 4 grave 1
3 July 1915 Sub Lieutenant J C Grierson RNVR discharged dead. He is buried in Lerwick New Cemetery, Shetland in grave 3rd Terrace slope 50
17 July 1915 at Scapa Flow Requisitioned Auxiliary Volturnus berthed alongside
22 July 1915 and 23 July 1915 at Scapa Flow RFA Industry (1) berthed alongside
25 July 1915 at Scapa Flow Requisitioned Auxiliary Volturnus berthed alongside
23 August 1915 17 July 1915 at Scapa Flow Requisitioned Auxiliary Volturnus berthed alongside
25 August 1915 and 26 August 1915 at Scapa Flow collier Cydonia berthed alongside and supplied 82 tons of bunker coal
29 August 1915 at Scapa Flow collier Foreland berthed alongside and supplied 58 tons of bunker coal
8 September 1915 at Scapa Flow Requisitioned Auxiliary Volturnus berthed alongside
17 September 1915 at Scapa Flow collier Red berthed alongside and supplied 62 tons of bunker coal
28 September 1915 moved berth from Scapa Flow to Longhope
20 October 1915 at Longhope collier Red berthed alongside and supplied 87 tons of bunker coal
26 October 1915 Trimmer Michael Foley discharged dead – natural causes – heart failure. He is buried in Osmondwall Cemetery, Orkney in Grave E93 – despite the spelling error by the CWGC in the name of his ship
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
29 October 1915 Trimmer William H Duff RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Wick Cemetery, Caithness in Grave N867A
4 November 1915 Commander Bertram W L Nicholson Royal Navy in command
16 November 1915 Second Hand John Henry Daniels Crane RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Grimsby (Scartho) Cemetery in Grave 41 B 21
23 April 1916 at Longhope HMS TENBY CASTLE made fast alongside
24 August 1916 at Glasgow – a shipwright from HMS PATUCE transferred to her
6 September 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 83 tons of bunker coal
20 September 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 100 tons of bunker coal
27 September 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 75 tons of bunker coal
6 October 1916 at Longhope Lieutenant Reginald H Ward RNR of HMT Cheysea (?) cautioned and logged by the Commanding Officer for being drunk onboard HMS Zaria
10 October 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 80 tons of bunker coal
11 October 1916 at Longhope while the ss Corncrake was swinging to the tide she was in collision with HMS Zaria causing no damage to either vessel
17 October 1916 at Longhope Storeship Volhynia berthed alongside
25 October 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 72 tons of bunker coal
25 October 1916 Trimmer D Johnson RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Aberdeen (Nellfield) Cemetery Grave 2 502A
15 December 1916 Chief Petty Officer C F Clarke Royal Navy discharged dead. He is buried in Worthing (Broadwater) Cemetery in Grave A9 3 22
31 October 1916 at Longhope collier Victor berthed alongside and delivered 101 tons of bunker coal
6 November 1916 at Longhope storeship Liberty berthed alongside
11 December 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 84 tons of bunker coal
22 December 1916 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 93 tons of bunker coal
5 January 1917 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 80 tons of bunker coal
22 September 1917 Petty Officer 2nd Class (Pensioner) H A James Royal Navy discharged dead. He is buried in Bristol (Avon View) Cemetery, Gloucestershire in Grave PF11. Engineman Christopher Jeakins Royal Naval Reserve discharged dead. He is buried in Hull Western Cemetery in Grave 515.49690
26 September 1917 at Longhope Articles of War read to ship’s company
30 December 1917 Stoker 1st Class Adam Porteous Royal Navy discharged dead. He is buried in Edinburgh (Seafield) Cemetery
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
30 May 1918 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 86 tons of bunker coal
18 June 1918 at Longhope the Article of War read to the ship’s company and the ship’s companies of tenders alongside by the Commodore
28 June 1918 at Longhope Assistant Paymaster N J Davis RNR absent without leave on 27 June 1918 – logged
8 July 1918 at Longhope the ship was placed in restricted quarantine owning to an epidemic of influenza
11 July 1918 at Longhope a collier berthed alongside and delivered 67 tons of bunker coal
17 July 1918 at Longhope ship released from restricted quarantine
29 October 1918 Second Hand Hugh McIntosh RNR diischarged dead. He is buried in Thurso (Mount Vernon) Cemetery, Caithness in grave F 48
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
12 November 1918 Second Hand Joseph Clark RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Orkney in grave D48
14 November 1918 Deck Hand Murdo MacLeod RNR discharged dead having died from pneumonia in a Hospital Ship at Lyness. He is buried in Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Orkney in grave D49
29 November 1918 Engineman Isaac Main RNR discharged dead having died on HMHS Agadir at Scape Flow. He is buried in Nairn Cemetery, Nairnshire in Grave D1 45
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
24 December 1918 Trimmer Henry Neal RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Hull (Holy Trinity, Hessle Road) Cemetery and is remembered on a Screen Wall in Hull Northern Cemetery
17 February 1919 Second Hand William Charles Kemp RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Kirkwall (St Olafs) Cemetery, Orkney in Grave 1 19
Copyright Scottish War Graves Project
19 February 1919 Deck Hand A Geddes RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Buckie New Cemetery, Banffshire in Grave D573
30 July 1919 returned to her owners
6 August 1919 sailed Liverpool to West African ports with 33 passengers
17 March 1920 sailed Liverpool to West African ports with 55 passengers
9 June 1920 sailed Liverpool to West African ports with 72 passengers
21 June 1920 berthed at Sierra Leone (exact location not shown)
14 August 1920 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with 74 passengers
23 October 1920 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with 54 passengers
10 December 1920 arrived at Las Palmas from Lagos, Nigeria
9 June 1921 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with 90 passengers and 1 DBS Seaman. Captain C J Williams was the Master
31 January 1922 berthed at Plymouth from West African ports with 25 passengers and 1 DBS Seaman
22 March 1922 sailed Port Hardcourt
19 July 1922 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with 79 passengers and 3 DBS Seaman
23 May 1924 arrived at Plymouth with one stowaway
14 December 1925 at Accra Roads passenger John Harold Carson discharged dead – heart attack
2 September 1926 at 23.20N 17.00W at sea Headman William Benjamin Bocknos discharged dead – malaria
5 September 1926 at 32.01N 14.55W at sea Trimmer Thomas George discharged dead – bubonic plague
18 September 1926 The Gloucester Journal reported that –
10 May 1927 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports with three passengers
31 March 1927 sailed Lagos
3 December 1927 arrived Stavanger after sale for £10,000 for demolition by Stavangr Skipshofhugnings Co.