Subsequent name:

Official Number:                    184616 

Class:                                     EDDY CLASS Fleet Attendant Oiler

Pennant No:                           A107

Laid down:                             23 March 1951

Builder:                                  Caledon Ship Building, Dundee 
Launched:                              29 November 1951
Into Service:                           25 April 1952

Base Port:                               Devonport (1952)
Out of service:                        5 November 1962
Fate:                                       Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  This Class were a part of the RFA’s first post-WW2 construction programme and the ships were Admiralty-designed to act as Fleet Attendant Oilers. Even as they were being built for world-wide service however, their designed functions had become obsolete due to the rapid and wide scale practice of refuelling at sea. This resulted in RFA EDDYCOVE, ordered on 23 January 1951 and RFA EDDYMULL, ordered on 27 March 1951 being cancelled in 1952 and the remaining 8 ships in the Class refocused on harbour and coastal service within a short time. With the exception of RFA EDDYFIRTH, the remainder of the Class had very short service lives with the RFA.

1 October 1951 Mr David L S Hood DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer during building

29 November 1951 launched at Caledon Ship Building, Dundee by Mrs W F Mitchell

7 December 1951 berthed at Eastern Wharf, Dundee

11 January 1952 berthed at Caledon West Jetty, Dundee

19 January 1952 Captain R R McKenzie RFA appointed as Master

9 March 1952 moved to Camperdown Dock for fitting out

April 1952 ran trials

21 April 1952 at London registered as EDDYBAY under entry 90/52 in the Registry

25 April 1952 completed and sailed Dundee for Rosyth

1 May 1952 at Chatham alongside HMS CAMPANIA refuelling her – 736 tons of FFO supplied

HMS CAMPANIA

2 May 1952 Mr Henry S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer until 14 May 1952

15 May 1952 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 December 1952 Mr Robert A Higgie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer Robert A Higgie RFA

March 1953 was time-chartered to Shell in UK waters

10 May 1953 in refit at Victoria Dock, Port of London

15 June 1953 took part in the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with other RFA’s in Line K

19 June 1953 Captain Albert V Barton RFA appointed as Master

24 June 1954 Mr George Bray RFA appointed as Temporary Chief Engineer Officer

Temporary Chief Engineer Officer George Bray RFA (image taken in 1918)

10 November 1954 Mr F Barclay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 May 1955 sailed the River Tyne for Plymouth later passing the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing south

31 August 1955 Captain John Toms RFA appointed as Master

19 May 1956 Mr Charles M Morgan RFA (Commander (E) R.N.R. (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 June 1956 Mr A E McCann RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 November 1956 Able Seaman Frederick Redhead discharged dead.  He is buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta

Image courtesy of British War Graves

9 December 1956 entered Plymouth Sound from sea

29 January 1957 Mr F Campbell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 December 1957 sailed from Plymouth Sound to Mill Bay Docks

20 December 1957 sailed from Mill Bay Docks to No: 4 Buoy

23 December 1957 sailed from No: 4 Buoy to No: 1 Jetty, Devonport Dockyard

30 December 1957 sailed from Mill Bay Docks to Turnchapel

1 January 1958 sailed from Turnchapel to No: 9 Buoy on RFA OLNA (2)

3 January 1958 sailed from No: 9 Buoy to Turnchapel. Captain T H Macrow RFA appointed as Master

4 January 1958 sailed from Turnchapel to No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS

6 March 1958 sailed from Plymouth Sound to No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS

10 March 1958 sailed from No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS to Plymouth Sound

11 March 1958 sailed from Plymouth Sound to Mill Bay Docks

20 March 1958 sailed from Mill Bay Docks to No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS

21 March 1958 sailed from No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS to Plymouth Sound

26 March 1958 sailed from No: 4 Buoy to Turnchapel

31 March 1958 sailed from Turnchapel to No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS

20 April 1958 sailed from No: 4 Buoy to Plymouth Sound

7 May 1958 sailed from Turnchapel to Plymouth Sound

8 July 1958 ran aground at Rhu Narrows on the Clyde (Gareloch) but was soon refloated

9 July 1958 the Hartlepool Daily Mail reported

10 September 1959 moved from Mill Bay Docks Plymouth to ‘C’ Buoy and later the same day berthed at Turnchapel

11 September 1959 moved from Turnchapel to Plymouth Sound

12 September 1959 at Plymouth

16 September 1959 at Gibraltar

16 September 1961 arrived Gibraltar to act as a petrol hulk for the RAF whilst their fuelling installation was being overhauled and she was kept topped up by Shell coastal tankers from Casablanca

1 May 1962 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA (Temporary Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA

9 November 1962 laid up at Gibraltar

21 and 28 May 1963 offered for sale ‘as lying’ at HM Dockyard, Gibraltar in the Times on these dates

26 August 1963 sailed Gibraltar in tow of the tug RIFLEMAN

10 September 1963 arrived Portsmouth for demolition by H.G. Pounds Ltd

6 January 1964 the ships bell offered for Sale for £10.00 in the Times of Malta

27 August 1964 after resale to Belgian breakers, sailed Portsmouth in tow

29 August 1964 arrived at Antwerp to be broken up by Scrappingco SA, Willebroek.