Subsequent name:                 Mykinai

Official Number:                     184537

Class:                                     EDDY CLASS Fleet Attendant Oiler

Pennant No:                           A132

Laid down:                             20 March 1950

Builder:                                  Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd., Dundee

Launched:                              24 April 1951

Into Service:                           8 December 1951

Base Port:                              Gibraltar (1952)

Out of service:                        27 May 1962 – laid up

Fate:                                       Foundered 2 September 1979

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 eight 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.

3 April 1951 Mr David L S Hood DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

 24 April 1951 launched from Caledon Shipyard, Dundee by Mrs Guy Luke wife of the Senior Deputy Director of Stores, Admiralty

25 May 1951 berthed on Caledon West Jetty, Dundee

30 September 1951 Mr Henry S Edwards RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Chief Engineer Officer Henry S Edwards RFA

2 October 1951 entered East Graving Dock, Dundee for hull painting and inspection

24 November 1951 at London registered as EDDYBEACH under entry 249/51 in the Registry

29 November 1951 berthed at Dundee after sea trials sailed for futher sea trials the next day

27 January 1952 sailed Port Said for Cyprus

25 March 1952 Captain A H Mackenzie RFA appointed as Master

10 May 1952 Mr Arthur L Barr RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 July 1952 Captain Hubert G Carkeet RFA appointed as Master

16 September 1952 arrived at Barcelona with HMS GLORY and other RN units for a visit. 

2 to 4 October 1952 at Algiers with HMS GLASGOW, HMS SUPRISE, HMS FORTH and other RN Units

25 June 1953 Captain Sydney S Y Dalgleish OBE RFA appointed as Master

14 October 1953 sailed Malta for Gibraltar towing HMML 2461

26 February 1954 visited Oran with HMS’s DIAMOND, DUCHESS and DECOY

21 July 1954 Mr Oscar Goodwin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 May 1955 Mr Charles W Urry RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 June 1955 Captain Edwin Thomas Mitchell RFA appointed as Master

9 September 1957 entered Grand Harbour, Malta

4 November 1956 deployed on Operation Musketeer – the Suez Crisis – until 21 December 1956  – the entire crew qualified for the award of the Naval General Service Medal (1915) with the “Near East” Clasp

6 December 1956 at Port Said Captain Edwin Thomas Michell RFA discharged dead with renal failure

12 December 1956 Captain Iorwerth B Roberts RFA appointed as Master

18 December 1956 at Port Said berthed alongside HMS ANZIO to refuel her – 239 tons of FFO supplied

8 September 1957 Chief Engineer Charles William Urry RFA discharged dead. Was killed in a road traffic accident outside the South entrance gates to H.M. Dockyard, Gibraltar. Buried in North Front Cemetery, Gibraltar. He had been appointed to the ship on the 3 May 1955

17 September 1957 Mr A E McCann RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1958  along with RFA AMHERST she played a minor role in the film “The Silent Enemy” starring Laurence Harvey about Italian frogmen and their wartime actions at Gibraltar during  which RFA DENBYDALE was seriously damaged. The role of their depot ship OLTERRA was played by RFA WAR BRAHMIN

11 June 1959 Captain A H Tarr RFA appointed as Master

23 October 1959 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 March 1960 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA (Temporary Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA

1 April 1961 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 February 1962 in Gibraltar Bay alongside RFA BACCHUS (2) refuelling her

31 March 1962 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 May 1962 sailed Gibraltar to Devonport – the last Station Oiler at Gibraltar

RFA Eddybeach sails from Gibraltar for the last time

18 May 1962 arrived Devonport and moved to No: 1 jetty

26 May 1962 at Devonport on No: 1 jetty with RFA EDDYNESS alongside

29 May 1962 laid up at Devonport on Westmud Moorings alongside RFA SURF PIONEER

20 August 1963 offered for sale in The Times ‘as lying’ at Devonport this day

1963 sold commercially to Greek interests – Greek Tanker Shipping Co Ltd renamed as MYKINAI and registered at Piraeus, Greece

1969 sold to Greek Atlantic Cod Fishing Co Ltd retained her new name and registry was converted into a fish factory ship

1973 sold to Mediterranean Austral SA retained her name with a new port of registry changed to Buenos Aires

7 October 1974 suffered a bomb explosion in the engine room and sank. Later refloated damaged and laid up.

2 September 1979 foundered at her moorings at Mar del Plata