Lower image © Imperial War Museum (FL 13178)
Previous name: Fort Grand Rapids, Cornish Park
Official Number: 175606
Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship
Pennant No: B586 / A285
Laid down: 20 June 1944
Builder: West Coast Ship Builders, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Launched: 31 August 1944
Into Service: 22 September 1948
Out of service: 23 April 1962 laid up at Malta
Fate: Broken up in Italy
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: After the outbreak of WW2, the first cargo vessels built in Canada for the War Effort were the “North Sands” type, the hulls of which conformed to original British working drawings supplied by the North Sands Shipyard of J.L.Thompson & Sons at Sunderland. Following experience gained from these ships, improved versions with a more economic operation were introduced. These were the ”Victory” and “Canadian” types. The “Victory” type was an oil burner and two water tube boilers were substituted for the original 3 Scotch boilers. Because of the then concerns about oil fuel supplies, the “Canadian” type had coal bunkers and alternate oil fuel capacity installed, but with a reversion to the original 3 Scotch boilers of the “North Sands” type. In 1943, when the shipping situation in the Pacific was becoming acute, the British Government ordered that a number of the ships of the Canadian building programme be completed as Stores Issuing Ships whose intended task would be to follow and victual naval units as part of the British Pacific Fleet Train. In all, sixteen ships were completed as Stores Issuing Ships as follows: three as Ammunition Carriers, two as Air Stores Issuing Ships, two as Naval Stores Issuing Ships and nine as refrigerated Victualling Stores Issuing Ships. All were managed by commercial companies with vast experience of Far Eastern Waters as Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries with Merchant Navy Crews and a detachment of Stores Staff from the Victualling Division of the Admiralty under a Commander. On the refrigerated ships, the refrigerated space was in the tween decks and amounted to 111,480 cubic feet in 25 chambers. The lower holds were used for non-perishable items of stores, clothing, etc. After WW2, eight of these ships became RFA’s. They were only armed during WW2.
31 August 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by West Coast Shipbuilders Ltd, Vancouver as Yard Nr 146 named FORT GRAND RAPIDS for the Canadian Government (Park Steamship Co, Montreal, Managers)
29 October 1944 completed as a refrigerated VSIS named CORNISH PARK
8 November 1944 as Cornish Park sailed from Vancouver to Victoria, British Columbia
12 November 1944 sailed Victoria, British Columbia arriving Los Angeles on 17 November 1944
17 November 1944 sailed Los Angeles independently to Balboa arriving on 29 November 1944
29 November 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to New York
9 December 1944 sailed in escorted convoy HX325 from New York to Southend loaded with lead and lumber arriving 23 December 1944
1 February 1945 as Cornish Park sailed Liverpool joining escorted convoy ON282 to New York and then independently to Cristobal arriving 23 February 1945
24 February 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Antofagasta, Chile arriving 5 March 1945
9 March 1945 sailed Antofagasta, Chile independently to San Antonio arriving on 12 March 1945
23 March 1945 sailed Valpariso independently to Chanaral arriving 27 March 1945
2 April 1945 sailed Chanral to Antofagasta, Chile arriving on 3 April 1945
4 April 1945 sailed Antofagasta, Chile to Los Angeles arriving 24 April 1945
25 April 1945 sailed Los Angeles independently arriving Port Townsend, Washington State, USA on 1 May 1945
1945 sold to the Ministry of War Transport and managed by A Holt & Co, Liverpool and renamed FORT BEAUHARNOIS
3 December 1945 arrived at Sydney, Australia.
18 December 1945 sailed from Sydney, NSW, Australia to Newcastle, NSW and Manus arrived 26 December 1945
2 May 1946 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Hong Kong
3 June 1946 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Hong Kong
6 June 1946 in touch by radio with Rockhampton
12 July 1946 arrived at Yokohama
1947 placed under the management of Lyle Shipping Company, London
31 March 1947 Captain W D Wilson was the ship’s Master
3 May 1947 sailed Hong Kong to Kure arriving 9 May 1947
9 May 1947 arrived at Kure, Japan and berthed alongside HMAS HOBART to supply general cargo to the warship
13 May 1947 at Kure, Japan 2nd Engineer Robert Muirhead Thompson discharged dead having suffered a heart attack. Buried in Yokohama War Cemetery – British section R D 4
13 May 1947 sailed Kure to Hong Kong arriving 22 May 1947
5 July 1947 sailed Hong Kong to Kure arriving 11 July 1947
16 July 1947 sailed Kure to Yokohama arriving 18 July 1947
2 August 1947 sailed from Yokohama to Kure arriving 5 August 1947
9 August 1947 sailed Kure to Hong Kong arriving 15 August 1947
30 August 1947 on passage from Hong Kong to exercise area as detailed below
2 September 1947 and 3 September 1947 together with RFA FORT SANDUSKY, RN and RAN ships together with US Navy Aircraft from Okinawa took part in Exercises Adgate Two and Three within an area 31°43N 127°34E and 29°26N 128°40E
5 September 1947 after exercise Adgate Three berthed at Kagoshima to replenish various ships which had taken part in the exercise
13 September 1947 sailed Kure to Sasebo arriving 15 September 1947
20 September 1947 sailed Sasebo to Kure arriving 25 September 1947
4 October 1947 sailed Kure to Hong Kong arriving 9 October 1947
24 December 1947 sailed Hong Kong to Sydney, NSW arriving 15 January 1948
24 January 1948 the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported –
13 February 1948 sailed Sydney, NSW to Melbourne arriving 15 February 1948
25 February 1948 sailed Melbourne to Fremantle arriving 4 March 1948 to load 2,131 gallon jars of rum
4 March 1948 berthed at Fremantle
5 March 1948 sailed Freemantle to Singapore arriving 15 March 1948
8 March 1948 the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper reported that –
19 March 1948 sailed Singapore to Colombo arriving 25 March 1948
1 April 1948 sailed Colombo to Aden arriving 9 April 1948
10 April 1948 sailed Aden to Suez arriving 15 April 1948
16 April 1948 arrived at Port Said sailing the same day to London
30 April 1948 berthed at Tilbury, London with 6 passengers with Captain C(?) D Wilson as ship’s Master
14 May 1948 sailed London to Portsmouth arriving the next day
1948 taken over by the Admiralty as an RFA and converted into a Store ship
1 June 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
RFA FORT BEAUHARNOIS in Portsmouth Harbour during 1948
24 July 1948 announced that the Home Fleet’s Autumn Cruise to the West Indies and to South Africa. Among the ships taking part were to be HMS’s DUKE OF YORK (Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Rhoderick R McGrigor KCB), THESEUS, VENGEANCE, DIADEM, SOLEBAY, BULAWAYO and RFA FORT BEAUHARNOIS
HMS DUKE OF YORK
1 September 1948 Captain Thomas H Card RFA appointed as Master
22 September 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour to San Fernando, Trinidad arriving 9 October 1948
18 October 1948 sailed San Fernando, Trinidad to Plymouth, Tobago arriving the same day
24 October 1948 sailed Plymouth, Tobago to Bridgetown, Barbados arriving 25 October 1948
2 November 1948 sailed Bridgetown, Barbados to Castries, St. Lucia arriving the next day
3 November 1948 sailed Castries, St Lucia to a port in Dominica arriving the next day
8 November 1948 sailed Dominica to Nassau, Bahamas arriving 13 November 1948
9 November 1948 in radio contact with Cable & Wirless Ltd., on Bermuda
17 November 1948 sailed Nassau, Bahamas to Bermuda arriving 21 November 1948
23 November 1948 berthed at Bermuda together with HMS DUKE OF YORK and HMS GLASGOW
26 November 1948 at Bermuda Police Court Refrigeration Greaser Ernest Edward Henry Hicks from the ship appeared charged with larceny of magazines from another member of the crew – he was convicted and fined 5/-
29 November 1948 sailed Bermuda to Antigua arriving 3 December 1948
2 December 1948 in radio contact with the Cable & Wireless Radio Station on Bermuda
5 December 1948 sailed Antigua to Fayal, Azores arriving 13 December 1948
14 December 1948 sailed Fayal, Azores to Spithead arriving 19 December 1948
20 December 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
14 January 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
15 February 1949 passed Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing westwards
30 March 1949 Mr Arthur L Barr RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Arthur L Barr RFA
22 April 1949 arrived from the Outer Spit Buoy to ‘C’ mooring, Portsmouth Harbour
16 May 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
30 May 1949 at anchor in Larne Lough, Northern Ireland
22 June 1949 Captain William B Browne OBE RFA appointed as Master
29 June 1949 passed Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing westwards
4 July 1949 passed Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing eastwards
30 June 1949 at anchor off St Michaels Mount together with RFA’s BLACK RANGER and British, French and Netherland Navy vessels
6 July 1949 together with units of the Home Fleet and RFA BLACK RANGER commenced Exercise Verity in the Western Approaches
30 November 1949 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
8 December 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
9 January 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour. Shortly before she sailed the Portsmouth Evening News published an image of her alongside on South Railway Jetty
10 January 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour.
20 March 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
7 May 1950 Mr Daniel S Wood RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 May 1950 arrived at Malta from Devonport
26 May 1950 sailed Malta for Devonport
4 June 1950 berthed at Devonport from Malta
5 June 1950 the Yorkshire Post & Leeds Mercury reported –
15 June 1950 in radio contact with the Cable & Wireless Radio Station on Bermuda
31 July 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal station on the Lizard sailing east
2 August 1950 at Folly Point, River Medway
19 August 1950 moved from Folly Point, River Medway to Chatham Dockyard
22 August 1950 at Chatham Dockyard refuelled by RFA ELMOL
8 September 1950 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
16 October 1950 passed St Catherines Point sailing east bound
18 October 1950 entered Chatham Dockyard
2 November 1950 sailed from Chatham Dockyard to the Medway River
14 November 1950 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar with Prince Phillip’s polo pony ‘Ballarin’, his car and 40 cases of personal effects as cargo. The Prince had been appointed to a shore position in the Royal Navy at Malta with his wife, the then Princess Elizabeth
16 December 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
20 December 1950 entered Chatham Dockyard
13 January 1951 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
2 February 1951 Mr Wilfred C Shortland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 March 1951 entered Chatham Dockyard
8 March 1951 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
15 March 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
29 March 1951 Captain William B Browne OBE RFA appointed as Master
4 May 1951 at Tilbury
11 May 1951 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer until 13 May 1951 when the ship was at Newport, Monmouthshire
July 1951 sailed from Bermuda returning Naval Stores to the UK upon the closure of the Royal Naval Dockyard – this was the first of four such voyages
27 July 1951 sailed Malta to Rosyth
11 January 1952 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
26 February 1952 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 March 1952 at Plymouth (see Note (2) below)
23 April 1952 at Chatham (see Note (2) below)
1 May 1952 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA C624 alongside refuelling her
2 May 1952 sailed Chatham
14 May 1952 berthed at Malta
3 October 1952 in support of Operation Hurricane 1 – the first British test atomic bomb explosion at Monte Bello Islands off NW Australia – along with RFA’s FORT CONSTANTINE, FORT ROSALIE (1), GOLD RANGER, WAVE KING, WAVE PRINCE, WAVE RULER (1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN.
28 November 1952 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
12 December 1952 sailed from Chatham Dockyard to the River Medway and to sea
22 December 1952 berthed at Malta having arrived from Gibraltar
15 January 1953 Mr Allan D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 February 1953 berthed at Chatham Dockyard
16 February 1953 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
11 March 1953 sailed Malta for Gibraltar
29 May 1953 entered Chatham Dockyard from the Medway River
12 June 1953 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the Medway River
27 July 1953 Mr Oscar Goodwin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
6 August 1953 entered Chatham Dockyard from the Medway River
10 January 1954 a De Haviland Comet aircraft call sign YOKE PETER crashed into the Tyrhennian Sea to the south of Elba with the loss of 35 lives. Between February and May that year, RFA SEA SALVOR recovered parts of the wreckage
1 February 1954 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
7 March 1954 the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported …
29 March 1954 entered Chatham Dockyard from the Medway River
7 April 1954 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA ELMOL alongside refuelling her
8 April 1954 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
6 May 1954 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
6 May 1954 the Shields Daily News reported …
1 June 1954 Commodore William B Browne OBE RFA appointed Master
8 July 1954 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
12 August 1954 arrived Malta with Rear Admiral Wilfred G Brittain CB to take up his appointment as Flag Officer Malta as a passenger
9 September 1954 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
23 September 1954 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west bound
21 October 1954 weather bound at the Great Nore
8 March 1955 entered Chatham Dockyard from the Medway River. Mr Charles M Morgan RFA (Commander (E) R.N.R. (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 March 1955 at Chatham Dockyard – refuelled by RFA TEAKOL (2)
21 March 1955 sailed Chatham Dockyard
29 April 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
2 May 1955 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
16 October 1955 Captain Howard D Gausden DSO RFA appointed as Master
19 October 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east
21 October 1955 reported as weather bound at the Great Nore
25 October 1955 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
5 November 1955 sailed from Chatham Dockyard and later passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west signalling she was bound for Malta
15 December 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east
17 December 1955 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
21 December 1955 at Chatham Dockyard – refuelled by RFA TEAKOL (2)
3 January 1956 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the Medway River
14 April 1956 Mr J Wilson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 May 1956 at 35°20N 37°50W 2nd Engineer Douglas Hermann Buckley RFA discharged dead from 2nd and 3rd degree scalds
23 June 1956 arrived at Port London, Christmas Island to support Operation Grapple- the British H-bomb test in the Pacific Ocean – after a voyage via Panama and Honolulu. Served with 16 other RFA’s during the test period.
RFA Fort Beauharnois at Christmas Island
3 January 1956 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
17 September 1956 arrived at Honolulu
24 April 1957 the Liverpool Echo newspaper reported –
1 May 1957 sailed Melbourne, Australia having loaded provisions for Operation Grapple on Christmas Island
1 July 1957 Air Vice Marshal W E Oulton, Commander Task Force Grapple, Christmas Island awarded commendantions to Chief Engineer Officer John Wilson RFA and Inspector of Storehousemen George Alfred Stagg both for zeal and outstanding devotion to duty
3 October 1957 berthed at Cardiff
4 October 1957 the Western Mail newspaper reported –
18 November 1957 Commodore Thomas Elder CBE DSC RFA appointed as Master
29 November 1957 Mr Allan D Harris RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
30 December 1957 sailed from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 Jetty, Devonport Dockyard
22 January 1958 sailed from No: 1 Jetty, Devonport Dockyard to Plymouth Sound and deployed for duties in support of Operation Grapple on Christmas Island with 933 tons 15cwts of cargo
22 July 1958 Captain William R Parker RFA appointed as Master
22 August 1958 present at Christmas Island during atomic bomb tests
22 January 1959 Arrived Leith for refit and while there suffered a fire aboard,
16 February 1959 Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA appointed as Master
Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA
10 April 1959 in Imperial Dry Dock at Leith
11 April 1959 the Liverpool Echo newspaper reported –
20 April 1959 the Liverpool Echo newspaper reported
1 May 1959 deployed for the second time for duties in support of Operation Grapple on Christmas Island with 15 tons 2.75cwts of cargo
15 July 1959 together with USS Current (ARS 22) involved in the salvaging of MV Beaverbank stranded at the English Harbour entrance to Fanning Island at 3°51N 159°22W. Salvaged by 24 July 1959
USS Current (ARS 22)
20 December 1959 Mr Hugh C F Sweenie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1960 was employed carrying stores and official passengers to the Mediterranean and Far East
16 May 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
24 May 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to No: 9 wharf
5 June 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 9 wharf to Plymouth Sound
8 July 1960 berthed at Malta from Chatham
25 July 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
29 July 1960 at Devonport moved from Yonderbury Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound
6 August 1960 Captain Douglas G Cox OBE RFA appointed as Master
16 August 1960 sailed Chatham Dockyard to Aden and Singapore with 8 passengers
2 November 1960 sailed Malta to Gibraltar
3 November 1960 challenged by HMS BERMUDA ‘What ship where bound’
10 November 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
15 November 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
30 November 1960 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
14 December 1960 sailed Chatham to Malta and Singapore with 6 passengers
23 December 1960 berthed at Malta from Chatham
10 March 1961 grounded in fog at Yealm Head, 7 miles east of Plymouth later arrived at Plymouth Sound and moved to No: 1 jetty at Devonport
15 March 1961 at 44°54N 8°32W Ships Writer Robert Colin Louis Hughes discharged dead with heart failure while being invalided home on HMT Nevasa
15 March 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
20 March 1961 Captain Alfred M Uglow RFA appointed as Master until 30 March 1961
26 June 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
30 June 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
20 July 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
26 October 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
1 November 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
2 November 1961 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover
3 November 1961 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
7 November 1961 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA TEAKOL(2) alongside refuelling her
17 November 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
12 December 1961 Captain Douglas S Norrington OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
13 December 1961 at sea at 37°35N 09°17E Seaman 1 Sk Fakir Abdulrehman discharged dead – natural causes – heart failure – buried at sea
19 December 1961 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 December 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
1 January 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
19 February 1962 berthed Devonport on No: 1 jetty from Gibraltar and Malta with an eight month old donkey as cargo. The animal had been presented by HMS PHOENICIA, Malta to HMS EXCELLENT, Whale Island as a mascot
24 February 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
15 March 1962 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
23 April 1962 laid up at Malta transferred to the MoT for disposal
July 1962 placed on the Disposal List
23 July 1962 advertised for sale ‘as lying’ at Malta in The Times of this day
8 November 1962 arrived La Spezia for demolition by Cantieri Navali Santa Maria
Notes:
- Prior to RFA service was a member of the British Pacific Fleet – hence the B pennant number
- From the Discharge Book of Fred W J Raddon