Official Number:                    185957

Class:                                  EDDY CLASS Fleet Attendant Oiler

Pennant No:                          A202

Laid down:
Builder:                                 Caledon Shipbuilding Co., Dundee
Launched:                             28 May 1953
Into Service:                          23 October 1953
Out of service:                       1958 Laid up

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 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.

29 May 1953 launched at Caledon Ships Yard, Dundee by Mts L Poad wife of the Deputy Director of Stores

17 July 1953 berthed on Caledon East Jetty

26 August 1953 Mr A W Symons RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 September 1953 Captain George W Webster RFA appointed as Master

Captain George W Webster RFA

14 October 1953 at London registered as EDDYREEF under entry 158/53 in the Registry Book

16 October 1953 berthed at Dundee after three days of trials – sailing later in the day

31 December 1953 Mr Harry G May RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 January 1954 Mr F Campbell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 December 1954 Captain J Coull RFA appointed as Master

9 January 1955 off the Isle of Arran Donkeyman Greaser Henry Savage discharged dead – natural causes

28 February 1955 arrived at Harwich from the River Clyde

1 March 1955 at Harwich engine room and boiler flooded and vessel had to be beached to prevent it sinking. This was reported in the Portsmouth Evening News of this day –

8 March 1955 towed to Immingham for docking and for repairs to be carried out

4 July 1955 grounded off the Isle of Bute 

5 July 1955 the Coventry Evening Telegraph reported –

14 October 1955 Captain Stephen J Pethurst RFA appointed as Master

8 November 1955 at Tail of Bank alongside HMAS MELBOURNE refuelling her

13 March 1956 Captain J Coull RFA appointed as Master

18 July 1956 at Rothsay with HMS OBDURATE alongside to refuel

4 August 1956 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

17 February 1957 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamorough Head sailing south bound signalled she was bound for Sheerness

22 March 1957 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamorough Head sailing south bound

4 April 1957 Mr F A Essam RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer

12 April 1957 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound

13 April 1957 arrived at Hartlepool from Thames Haven

9 May 1957 Captain Phadraig Colfer RFA appointed as Master

8 April 1958 sailed from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty outboard of RFA OLNA (2)

14 April 1958 sailed from No: 4 Buoy to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty outboard of RFA EDDYBAY

25 April 1958 sailed from No: 9 wharf, Devonport Dockyard to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

28 April 1958 sailed from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

30 April 1958 sailed from Plymouth Sound to No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS

3 May 1958 sailed from  No: 4 Buoy on RFA EDDYNESS to Plymouth Sound

4 July 1948 arrived at the River Tyne berthing on the Admiralty Quay from Invergordon

7 July 1958 arrived at Hartlepool from the River Tyne

8 July 1958 sailed from Hartlepool for Devonport

1958 destored and was laid up at Devonport

7 March 1960 at Devonport at Lynher Trot

29 September 1960 at Devonport moved from 3 Lynher Trot to 3 West Mud moorings alongside RFA ECHODALE

17 November 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 3 West Mud moorings outboard of RFA ECHODALE to Milbay Docks

29 December 1960 at Devonport moved from Milbay Docks to No: 3 West Mud moorings outboard of RFA ECHODALE

19 July 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 3 West Mud moorings outboard of RFA ECHODALE to outboard of RFA WAVE LAIRD

6 September 1961 at Devonport moved on No: 3 West Mud moorings from the east side of RFA WAVE LAIRD to the west side of the same vessel

December 1963 placed on disposal list

14 January 1964 offered for sale ‘as lying’ at Devonport in the Times newspaper of this day

March 1964 left Devonport under tow for breaking up by Scrappingco SA at Klein Willebroek, Holland.