Above ss Canning before Admiralty service
Subsequent names: OKEANOS, Arenzo
Official Number: 106802
Class: Kite Balloon Ship / Depot Ship
Pennant No: Y4, 46, N16
Signal Letters: PLBW (1911)
Laid down: 1896
Builder: D & W Henderson & Co., Meadowside
Launched: 13 July 1896
Into Service: 1916
Out of service: 1918
Fate: 1919 Returned to owners
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: Some official lists, marked as “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control
13 July 1896 launched by D & W Henderson & Co Ltd., Partick as Yard Nr: 393 named CANNING for Liverpool, Brazil & River Plate Steam Navigation Co Ltd., (Lamport & Holt Ltd., Managers) Liverpool
15 July 1896 Lloyds List newspaper reported –
August 1896 completed
1 September 1896 the Lloyds List newspaper reported …
21 September 1896 sailed Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Rio de Janeiro and Valparaiso
16 October 1896 sailed Bahia for Rio de Janerio
25 November 1896 salled Callao
20 January 1897 sailed from an unknown port (believed Bombay) to bring home the familes of the troopships ship’s company (believed the Transport ‘Warren Hastings’ which had been lost) from India
19 February 1897 at 27°30S 40°20W Fireman Martin Doody discharged dead – natural causes
19 April 1897 arrived at Liverpool
3 June 1897 arrived at Coronel from Liverpool
21 August 1897 sailed from Lota for Le Harve and Liverpool
13 October 1897 passed North Foreland sailing west bound
20 November 1897 sailed Glasgow for Rio de Janerio
30 January 1898 sailed Rio de Janeiro to New York
22 February 1898 arrived at Santos
4 March 1898 sailed New York for Liverpool
20 March 1898 arrived at Liverpool from New York
17 July 1898 arrived at Gravesend from Montevideo
15 August 1898 sailed Liverpool for Valparaiso
28 Novemeber 1898 sailed Greenock for Liverpool
28 December 1898 sailed Lota for Liverpool
11 February 1899 sailed Liverpool to West Coast of South America via Glasgow
27 September 1899 sailed from Montevideo for Antwerp
4 November 1899 arrived at the Royal Albert Dock, London from Antwerp
8 November 1899 at the Royal Albert Dock, London suffered a fire onboard
9 November 1899 the Shields Daily News reported –
12 November 1899 at the Royal Albert Dock, London loaded 1 Troop of 2nd Dragoons, 65th Battery Royal Field Artillery (Howitzers) and an ammunition column & No 4 General Hospital
13 November 1899 sailed the Royal Albert Dock, London for South Africa
16 November 1899 at sea at 37°09N 13°36W Able Seaman J H Fitzgerald discharged dead – jumped over the side – suicide
18 November 1899 arrived at Las Palmas
4 December 1899 arrived at Cape Town with the 65th Battery Royal Field Artillery (Howitzers) with 8 Officers and 250 men
28 December 1899 sailed St. Vincent while on passage from Cape Town to London
7 January 1900 while on passage from Cape Town to London passed the Lloyds Signal Station on St Catherines Point
8 January 1900 anchored at Gravesend before berthing at the Royal Albert Dock
22 January 1900 Lloyds List newspaper reported …
28 January 1900 sailed Royal Albert Dock, London for Cape Town, South Africa having loaded 259 men, 220 horses and 6 guns of the 87th Battery, 12th Division Howiter Brigade from Woolwich and 5th Stationary Hospital with 100 tons of equipment
5 February 1900 arrived at Las Palmas
21 February 1900 arrived at Cape Town
21 April 1900 arrived at Liverpool from Table Bay, South Africa
26 May 1900 sailed Fiume for Cape Town with 727 horses
27 June 1900 sailed from Algoa Bay, South Africa to Table Bay
16 July 1900 Commander Albert J G Piffard RIM was the ships Master
17 August 1900 sailed Shanghai, China
24 September 1900 arrived at South Africa
15 December 1900 the Army & Navy Gazette newspaper reported –
31 May 1901 at 7°06S 34°24W Donkeyman James Copeland discharged dead – drowned
20 November 1901 sailed from Liverpool
13 December 1901 arrived at Rio de Janerio from Liverpool
31 December 1901 sailed Santos to New York
23 January 1902 arrived at Barbados while on passage from Santos to New York
4 February 1902 arrived at New York
19 February 1902 sailed New York for Manchester
3 March 1902 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Old Head of Kinsail while on passage from New York to Manchester
4 March 1902 arrived in the Mersey to-day
9 April 1902 sailed Liverpool for Bahia
29 April 1902 arrived at Rio de Janerio from Liverpool
30 December 1902 sailed Bombay for Obbia with onboard No 1 Company Bombay Sappers and Miners with consisted of four British Officers, two non-commissioned officers, four native officers and 169 men. The force was accompanied by 71 public and 18 private followers with 8 chargers and 169 mules.
27 June 1903 sailed for Somaliland with the 27th Junejab Infantry
18 October 1903 3rd Engineer Officer F S Shirley discharged dead – meningitis
November 1903 the Master and other officers were awarded the Sea Transport Medal. The Master – Captain Hammond’s medal was presented to him by HM King Edward VII. The other officers received their medals on various dates during 1904
Those awarded the medal were –
Captain ? Hammond
Chief Officer B H Hall
2nd Officer R O Lewis
3rd Officer S Taylor
Chief Engineer Officer T Hood
2nd Engineer Officer A Murray
2nd Engineer Officer W Caldwell
3rd Engineer Officer W E Goodwin
3rd Engineer Officer W Caldwell
each medal was issued with the South Africa 1899 – 1902 bar
1 January 1904 sailed Barbados to New York
9 January 1904 sailed New York for Santos
8 February 1904 Lloyds List newspaper reported …
24 December 1905 when sailing from Montevideo for Buenos Aires was in collision with the ss Bellanoch. Suffered damage to the bows. The Bellanoch suffered damage to the port side which was stove in by No 4 hold to below the waterline. Holds 3 and 4 filled with water and the Bellanoch sank
SS Bellanoch
12 June 1906 arrived at Barbados
17 November 1906 sailed Greenock for Rio de Janerio via Liverpool
15 March 1907 before the Court of Appeal before the Lord Chief Justice from the Admiralty Division of the High Court with Nautical Assessors in proceedings stemming from the collision (see above) with the ss Bellanoch
20 July 1907 sailed Liverpool to Rio de Janerio
16 November 1907 sailed Liverpool to Buenos Aires
3 March 1908 sailed Liverpool to Brazil with 1 passenger. Captain Davies was Master
1 August 1908 sailed Liverpool to Bahia
13 October 1908 arrived at Santos
18 December 1908 sailed Liverpool for Buenos Aires with 12 passengers. Captain J Russell was Master
13 March 1909 arrived at Liverpool from Buenos Aires
19 July 1909 arrived at Liverpool from Buenos Aires with 4 passengers
7 August 1909 sailed Liverpool to Buenos Aires and Montevideo
3 October 1909 sailed Montevideo
30 October 1909 arrived at Liverpool from Buenos Aires with 12 passengers. Captain J Russell was Master
4 December 1909 sailed Liverpool for Buenos Aires with 1 passenger. Captain Harry B Russell was Master
28 December 1909 arrived at Rio de Janerio from Liverpool
24 March 1910 sailed Liverpool for Rio de Janerio with 6 passengers and Captain Charles Turner as Master
14 April 1910 arrived Rio de Janerio from Liverpool
7 July 1910 sailed Liverpool to Rio de Janerio
8 October 1910 arrived at Manchester from New York
22 October 1910 sailed Liverpool to Santos
29 October 1910 sailed Las Palmas for Rio de Janerio
12 November 1910 arrived at Rio de Janerio from Las Palmas
14 December 1910 at Santos
11 March 1911 sailed Liverpool to Buenos Aires with 5 passengers and Captain Hammond as Master
29 March 1911 off Bahia Cook Henry Evermond discharged dead – broken neck
16 October 1911 sailed Liverpool to Buenos Aires with 9 passengers and Captain Hammond as Master
13 January 1912 sailed Buenos Aires for Manchester Docks with 6 passengers
3 February 1912 sailed Liverpool to Rio de Janerio with 1 passenger. Captain Harry B Russell was Master
3 November 1912 sailed New York for Manchester Docks with 3 passengers
28 November 1912 sailed Liverpool to Rio de Janerio
3 March 1913 arrived at Barbados
4 April 1913 sailed New York for Manchester Docks with 6 passengers
26 April 1913 sailed Liverpool for Rio de Janerio with 1 passenger. Captain Harry B Russell was Master
25 July 1913 sailed River Plate for Liverpool with 2 passengers
24 November 1913 sailed New York for Manchester Docks with 6 passengers
3 December 1913 sailed Manchester
9 May 1914 arrived at Liverpool
5 June 1914 arrived at Manchester
17 June 1914 radioed she was 600 nmiles east of Sandy Nook
28 July 1914 radioed she was 700 nmiles east of Sandy Nook
9 October 1914 sailed Manchester to New York with 9 passengers. Captain Harry B Russell was Master
19 November 1914 at Manchester with Captain Harry B Russell as Master
20 November 1914 1st Engineer Officer John G Penman appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1st Engineer Officer John G Penman
30 November 1914 at Liverpool
22 January 1915 1st Engineer Officer J Biggason appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 February 1915 at Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, New York Fireman & Trimmer Walter Atherton discharged dead from pneumonia. He had entered the hospital from the ship on 15 February 1915
15 March 1915 1st Engineer Officer Henry E Williams appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 March 1915 2 June 1915 Seaman V Bartel logged as deserting at Liverpool – he had signed on on 17 March 1915
8 April 1915 Sailor John Kelly, Fireman & Trimmer Jmes McGinn, Fireman & Trimmer James McCory, Fireman & Trimmer M McDermott each logged as deserting at New York – each had signed on on 20 February 1915 at Liverpool
9 May 1915 hired by the Admiralty as a Expeditionary Force Transport under the Red Ensign until 28 June 1915
1 June 1915 Fireman & Trimmer Hugh R Tarr (?) logged as deserting at Marseilles – he had signed on on 17 May 1915
2 June 1915 Fireman & Trimmer F Merrett logged as deserting at Marseilles – he had signed on on 11 May 1915
7 June 1915 Fireman & Trimmer James Burke and Fireman & Trimmer James Devlin both logged as deserting at Marseilles they had each signed on on 17 May 1915
28 June 1915 purchased by the Admiralty – name unchanged
29 June 1915 at Birkenhead commissioned as a Kite Balloon Ship and served in the Mediterranean
24 September 1915 Lieutenant Harry Bright Russell RNR – the ships Master – discharged dead – cerebral haemorrhage. Remembered with pride on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
Lieutenant Harry Bright Russell RNR
October 1915 Commander William Mellor RNR appointed as Commanding Officer
2 October 1915 arrived Gallipoli to relieve HMS (later RFA) MANICA and was subsequently awarded the “Dardanelles 1915” Battle Honour
12 December 1915 sailed Kephalo
13 December 1915 sailed Kephalo returning to the anchorage later the same day
14 December 1915 sailed Kephalo returning to the anchorage later the same day
17 December 1915 returned to Kephalo anchorage
18 December 1915 sailed Kephalo
21 December 1915 returned to Kephalo anchorage escorted by HMS WOLVERINE
HMS WOLVERINE
22 December 1915 sailed Kephalo
31 December 1915 Merchant Navy Seamen E O’Connor, A Kelly and T Flahery remained ashore at the end of their leave and when they returned to the ship were drunk
1 January 1916 anchored at Salonika
3 January 1916 Seamen O’Connor, Kelly and Flahery all forfeitted 2 days pay and also sentenced to ten days cells each
17 March 1916 the Daily Telegraph newspaper published …
17 April 1916 sailed Salonika to Porto Lagos – Ballon up spotting for HMS EARL OF PETERBOROUGH
HMS EARL OF PETERBOROUGH
18 April 1916 sailed Porto Lagos to Salonika and anchored
20 April 1916 Royal Naval Defaulter Fegan and Gibson absent over leave by 24 hours sentenced to forfeit 8 days pay
28 May 1916 at Port Mudros berthed alongside HMS ARK ROYAL. Ratings from HMS ARK ROYAL employed on moving cargo from RFA CANNING and loading into Lighter K7
27 June 1916 service as a Kit Balloon Ship at Mudros ended
1916 on return to the UK brought the wreckage of German Army Zeppelin LZ85, which had been shot down on 5 May 1916 over Salonika by HMS AGAMEMNON, back to Barrow in Furness
HMS AGAMEMNON
11 November 1916 Lieutenant Commander Robert R Rosoman Royal Navy appointed in command
Lt Commander Robert R Rosoman Royal Navy after later promotion
1 January 1917 the Pink List details CANNING as a Kite Balloon ship being at Scapa Flow and other Home Ports
30 June 1917 the Pink List details CANNING as a Kite Balloon ship being at Scapa Flow and other Home Ports
1917 became a Depot Ship at Scapa Flow
December 1917 Warrant Engineer Edgar Ashworth RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
2 January 1918 the Pink List details CANNING being at Scapa Flow
30 January 1918 Commander Charles F R Cowan RN appointed in command
24 May 1918 Acting Lieutenant Commander Vivian L Wiles RNR appointed in command
1 July 1918 at Scapa Flow on buoys unloading empty gas cylinders to RFA RUTHENIA
10 July 1918 Stoker (1st Class) James Lannigan deserted the ship
15 July 1918 sailed from Scapa Flow to Longhope berthing alongside HMS ASSISTANCE
18 July 1918 cast off from HMS ASSISTANCE and secured to buoys at Longhope
30 July 1918 the Police Gazette of this day listed among those who were wanted for Deserting or being Absentees from H M Services – Stoker James Lannigan from the ship (see above)
8 August 1918 Able Seaman Percy Coaley deserted the ship
3 September 1918 the Police Gazette of this day listed among those who were wanted for Deserting or being Absentees from H M Services – Able Seaman Percy Coaley from the ship (see above)
11 November 1918 the Pink List of this day details CANNING as attached to the Grand Fleet’s Flying Squadron along with HMS’s FURIOUS, ARGUS, VINDICTIVE, NAIRANA and PEGASUS. At Scapa Flow this day – the ships log book details a signal received from HMS MINOTAUR (Flag Ship) to all ships –
HMS MINOTAUR
3 March 1919 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
6 March 1919 at Spithead
13 March 1919 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
April 1919 Lieutenant Commander Wiles, Commanding Officer on leaving her he was presented with a silver cigarette box inscribed: “To Lieut-Commander Wiles, RNR. A jolly good fellow whom we shall all miss; good luck and the very best of wishes from his officers, HMS Canning, 2.4.19
1919 returned to previous owners
21 January 1920 purchased for £100,000 by Madame G. Visalia (J. Vassilou, Manager) Piraeus and renamed OKEANOS
31 August 1922 sailed Buenos Ayres for Antwerp
20 September 1922 arrived at Vincent, CV
25 September 1922 berthed at Las Palmas
26 September 1922 sailed Las Palmas for Antwerp and Avonmouth
11 October 1922 berthed at ‘R’ shed, Avonmouth Docks to discharge 1,000 tons of pollards, 300 tons of maize, 3,000 tons of wheat, 1,600 tons of linseed in bags and 5,386 cases of canned goods
21 October 1922 sailed Avonmouth for Port Talbot
28 January 1923 arrived Buenos Ayres from Gibraltar
28 November 1924 the Shields Daily News reported that –
December 1924 purchased by Ditta Luigi Pittaluga Vapori, Genoa and renamed ARENZANO
2nd Quater 1925 broken up at Genoa, Italy
Notes: –
1. Was awarded the Battle Honour – Dardanelles 1915
Ships of the same name
Canning. (ex Golconda) A Troopship of the Royal Indian Marine, 2,246 tons, 370 x 36 feet built by Inglis and launched on the 15 November 1882.