Subsequent name:

Official Number:                       185879       

Class:                                         EDDY CLASS Fleet Attendant Oiler

Pennant No:                               A258

Laid down:
Builder:                                       Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew
Launched:                                  19 June 1953
Into Service:                               11 September 1953

Out of Service:                            1963 sold commercially
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.

9 May 1953 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 July 1953 at London registered as EDDYCREEK under entry 195/53 in the Registry Book

11 September 1953 completed. Spent a large part of her career based at Hong Kong where she had relieved RFA BIRCHOL (2) as Station Tanker

24 September 1953 arrived on the River Tyne from Invergordon

27 September 1953 sailed the River Tyne for Devonport

27 December 1953 Captain Edward E Laurence RFA appointed as Master

1 January 1954 Mr A W Symons RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 March 1954 at Hong Kong

21 April 1956 Captain W J H Roberts RFA appointed as Master

26 March 1957 Captain John Toms RFA appointed as Master

7 May 1957 at Hong Kong with HMAS ANZAC alongside being refuelled

19 December 1957 at Hong Kong Donkeyman Greaser Chim Sang discharged dead – heart attack

10 May 1958 Captain Iden W J Hall RFA appointed as Master

Captain Iden W J Hall RFA

13 November 1958 Mr F A Essam RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

January to February 1960 used as Gan Station Tanker at Addu Atoll to provide fuel facilities for the RAF

25 July 1960 destored and laid up at Devonport

28 February 1961 at Devonport moved from Milbay Docks to No: 1 West Mud moorings alongside RFA BISHOPDALE

August 1963 placed on the Disposal List

3 September 1963 advertised for sale ‘as lying’ at H M Dockyard, Devonport in the Times of this day

December 1963 purchased by P.R. Abela, Genoa name unchanged.

25 December 1963 driven aground east of Capraia Island during a gale while on passage from Naples to Genoa. Ten of her crew were rescued by a salvor’s tug and landed at Leghorn but her Master and Chief Engineer remained aboard. She was later abandoned by them too

1 February 1964 refloated damaged.

April 1964 towed to Leghorn and was sold for demolition by Fratelli Ricci.