RFA Abbeydale (Dale Class Oiler) 1937

Convoy     Depart                          Arrive

Blue.1    Port Said 9th Septemeber 1939 – Gibraltar 19th September 1939. RFA Aldersdale was also in this convoy

HG.1       Gibraltar 26th September 1939 – Liverpool 6th October 1939
                (Detached from Convoy on 5th October for Devonport). RFA’s Aldersdale and Serbol were also in this convoy

OA.22      Southend 19th October 1939 – Convoy dispersed 23rd October 1939
                 (Abbeydale bound for Trinidad)

HX.38      Halifax 26th August 1940 – Liverpool 12th May 1940
                 (Abbeydale detached from the convoy, bound for the Clyde with FFO). RFA Olwen was also in this convoy

OB.283   Liverpool 23rd December 1940 – Convoy dispersed 27th December 1940
                 (Abbeydale joined from Glasgow, bound for Curaçao in ballast)

KMS.2G   Loch Ewe 25th October 1942 – Algiers 12th November 1942
                 (Abbeydale joined this convoy on the 10th November)

MKS.3X  Bone 3rd December 1942 – Liverpool 19th December 1942
                 (Abbeydale joined from Algiers, bound for Gibraltar). RFA Dingledale also sailed in this convoy

MKS.4     Bone 22nd December 1942 – Liverpool 6th January 1943. RFA Derwentdale (1) also sailed in this convoy

ON.170    Liverpool 3rd March 1943 – New York City 20th March 1943
                 (Abbeydale was Convoy escort oiler)

UGS.7     Hampton Roads 1st April 1943 – Bone 22nd April 1943
                (Abbeydale bound for Algiers)

TE.21       Gibraltar 12th May 1943 – Bone 16th May 1943.

KMS.16   Gibraltar 16th June 1943 – Port Said 28th June 1943
                 (Abbeydale joined from Algiers bound for Bone). RFA’s Brown Ranger, Celerol and War Krishna were also in this convoy

XTG.2      Alexandria 18th June 1943 – Gibraltar 29th June 1943

KMS. 17  Gibraltar 30th June 1943 – SFAX  6th July 1943 RFA’s Jaunty (as HMS Jaunty), Salveda (as HMS Salveda), Orangeleaf (1) and Prestol were also in this convoy

At 17:00 hrs on the 27th June 1943, Abbeydale was torpedoed by U73, under command of Oberleuitenant zur See Horst Deckert, at position 36° 53’ N  01° 55’ E, around 80 miles West of Algiers, whilst on route  Bone to Gibraltar.

The ship was in ballast at the time and was abandoned by her crew after the attack, except for a small number of volunteers who remained to effect towing.  The ship was taken in tow by HMSV Salvestor and broke in two, with one half being towed to Bizerta and the other to Taranto.

After the war both halves were re-united at Taranto where they were joined together, though the ship was some 68 feet shorter.