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Official Number:                       112740 

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Bartram & Sons, South Dock, Sunderland

Pennant No:                            Y 3.897 & Y 2.165

Launched:                               12 July 1900

Into Service:                            24 September 1915

Out of service:                         29 December 1916

Fate:                                      29 December 1916 mined and sunk

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the RFA

Career Data:

12 July 1900 launched by Bartram & Sons, South Dock, Sunderland as Yard No: 179 named Zoroaster for Turner, Brightman & Co., London

14 July 1900 the Sunderland Daily Echo newspaper reported …

August 1900 completed

23 December 1900 sailed Liverpool for New York

8 March 1901 arrived at Adelaide, Australia

27 May 1901 arrived Natal, South Africa from Albany, Western Australia

4 November 1901 arrived Beira from Barry

25 November 1901 sailed Beira for Port Philip Head

20 September 1902 arrived at Table Bay, South Africa from Barry

29 November 1902 sailed Table Bay, South Africa for Calcutta, India

11 September 1903 sailed La Plata for Manchester via Maderia

27 August 1908 at sea at 12.07N 74.57E Fireman Lang Koa discharged dead from drowning

3 May 1911 at Royal Albert Dock, London Trimmer Fowcan Ali discharged dead from peritonitis

4 December 1913 at Tilbury Able Seaman Arthur Collins discharged dead from paralysis

13 July 1915 in Hospital at Marseilles, France 1st Mate Frank Williamson discharged dead following an accident onboard – admitted to hospital on 8 July 1915

22 July 1915 passed HMS WEYMOUTH which was on passage from Zanzibar to Aden

24 September 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – named unchanged – until 25 October 1915

18 February 1916 re-deployed as a collier – name unchanged until 20 March 1916

21 March 1916 re-deployed on French and Italian Government service – name unchanged until 8 June 1916

9 June 1916 re-deployed to transport sugar name unchanged until 4 September 1916

5 September 1916 re-deployed as an Armanents carrier to Northern Russia for the Russian Government account – name unchanged until 17 December 1916

18 December 1916 re-deployed as a collier – name unchanged – until …

29 December 1916 struck a mine laid by German submarine (Benno von Ditfurth) off the mouth of the River Thames 2 days earlier 1¾ miles ENE from Sunk Light Vessel in position 51.53N 01.38E while on passage from the River Tyne to St Nazaire with a cargo of coal with the loss of 3 lives