Official Number: 169996
Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship
Pennant No: B578 / A300
Laid down:
Builder: Burrard, Vancouver, Canada
Launched: 11 March 1944
Into Service: 25 April 1944
Out of service: 1969
Fate: Broken up
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, 16 ships were completed as Stores Issuing Ships as follows: 3 as Ammunition Carriers, 2 as Air Stores Issuing Ships, 2 as Naval Stores Issuing Ships and 9 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, 8 of these ships became RFA’s. They were only armed during WW2.
11 March 1944 launched as a “Victory” type by Vancouver Dry Dock Co Ltd, Vancouver as Yard Nr: 207 named FORT CONSTANTINE for the MoWT.
25 April 1944 completed as a refrigerated VSIS by Burrard Dry Dock Co Ltd, Vancouver and placed under initial management of Ellerman and Bucknall Steamship Co Ltd, London
20 July 1944 at Colombo, Ceylon
8 August 1944 at Colombo, Ceylon Deck Topass Peter Chaudicunjan discharged dead from an aortic aneurysm
10 August 1944 at Colombo, Ceylon with HMAS GAWLER berthed alongside
HMAS GAWLER
14 November 1944 sailed Colombo, Ceylon to Freemantle arriving 1 December 1944
4 December 1944 sailed Freemantle to Melbourne arriving 10 December 1944
16 December 1944 sailed Melbourne to Vancouver arriving 22 January 1945
7 September 1945 arrived at Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands
10 September 1945 sailed Manus Naval Base, Admiralty Islands
12 March 1946 sailed Hong Kong
29 January 1946 berthed at Fremantle, Western Australia
20 June 1946 at Hong Kong as a passenger Chief Steward Charles Christian discharged dead from Hypepyrexia followed by cardiac failure. When Chief Steward Christian collapsed he was taken to HMS VENERABLE where he was pronounced dead
22 September 1946 with HMS CAMPERDOWN, RFA’s FORT ROSALIE (1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN sailed Kure, Japan
1 October 1946 at Kaimon Dake HMAS BATAAN alongside receiving provisions
30 October 1946 sailed Hong Kong for Singapore
7 April 1947 arrived Sydney, NSW from Hong Kong
2 June 1947 arrived Hong Kong from Sydney, NSW
16 July 1947 berthed at Sydney, NSW from Hong Kong
4 September 1947 berthed at Colombo from Sydney, NSW
6 September 1947 sailed Colombo, Ceylon
19 September 1947 sailed Suez
25 September 1947 berthed at Gibraltar
27 September 1947 sailed Gibraltar for Swansea
1 October 1947 berthed at Swansea from Sydney, NSW, Ceylon and Gibraltar with 15 passengers
1948 Managers now W.H. Seager & Co, Cardiff name unchanged
12 August 1948 berthed at Swansea
1949 acquired by the Admiralty
June 1949 brought forward from reserve for refit at Cardiff by C H Bailey Ltd. After refit sailed to Chatham for storing before deployment to the Far East
10 August 1949 Captain A Spencer RFA appointed as Master
22 November 1949 Mr William H MacFarlane RFA appointed at Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer William H MacFarlane RFA
12 August 1949 at Cardiff
5 December 1949 transferred to RFA manning and management
11 January 1950 the Derby Daily Telegraph reported –
13 January 1950 at the General Hospital Colombo, Ceylon Engine Room Serang Soomar Oosman discharged dead from renal failure
21 January 1950 still at Colombo
22 January 1950 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
7 February 1950 at Singapore
18 March 1950 at Singapore
15 April 1950 to 22 April 1950 at Colombo, Ceylon
13 May 1950 Mr Alexander B McIntyre RD RFA (Commander (E) RNR (ret)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 May 1950 arrived Suez when on passage from Colombo to Plymouth
21 May 1950 sailed Port Said for Plymouth
29 May 1950 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound
5 June 1950 at Plymouth
28 June 1950 passed through the Solent while on passage to Southampton from Plymouth
29 June 1950 passed St. Catherines Point
29 June 1950 berthed at Southampton
24 July 1950 berthed at Chatham Dockyard
1 August 1950 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 August 1950 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
8 August 1950 at Gibraltar
12 August 1950 at Malta GC. Captain Samuel Thomas RFA appointed as Master
3 November 1950 at Colombo, Ceylon
23 November 1950 at Bombay, India
21 December 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour and landed 2 DBS seaman
22 January 1951 sailed Portsmouth
6 March 1951 sailed Bermuda with the final remaining stores from the former Naval Dockyard there which had ceased to exist as such as from 1 March 1951
9 April 1951 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway. RFA ROBERT MIDDLETON berthed outboard of her
27 April 1951 sailed from Chatham Dockyard to Folly Point
3 May 1951 sailed from Folly Point down stream in the River Medway
13 May 1951 arrived at Malta
19 May 1951 sailed Suez
25 May 1951 sailed from Aden for Colombo, Ceylon
4 June 1951 arrived Trincomalee, Ceylon
9 June 1951 sailed from Trincomalee, Ceylon
15 June 1951 arrived at Singapore
30 June 1951 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong
21 July 1951 sailed Hong Kong for Singapore
27 July 1951 arrived at Singapore
3 August 1951 sailed Singapore for Colombo, Ceylon
10 August 1951 arrived at Colombo, Ceylon
27 August 1951 sailed Trincomalee, Ceylon
9 September 1951 sailed Aden for Suez
15 September 1951 arrived at Suez
16 October 1951 Captain George F Rutter RD RFA (Commander RNR (ret)) appointed as Master
Captain George F Rutter RD RFA
26 November 1951 the Western Mail newspaper reported –
12 December 1951 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
31 December 1951 arrive Gibraltar
17 May 1952 sailed Malta with His Grace Mgr. Sir Michael Gonzi KBE LL.D, Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta and his Chaplain as passengers
23 July 1952 sailed Sheerness to Malta, Trincomalee, Singapore and Hong Kong with 12 passengers
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 BEAUHARNOIS, FORT ROSALIE (1), GOLD RANGER, WAVE PRINCE, WAVE RULER (1) and WAVE SOVEREIGN
1 June 1953 Captain George Frederick Rutter RD RFA (Commander RNR (ret)) appointed as an Additional Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (OBE) vide the London Gazette of the day on page 2947
29 September 1953 Mr Victor J Cooney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 February 1954 sailed Malta with Vice Admiral and Lady Elizabeth Davis as passengers. Vice Admiral Davis had just ended his appointment as Flag Officer Second in Command Mediterranean Station and Flag Officer (Air) Mediterranean
15 March 1954 Captain James H Chant RFA appointed as relieving Master under 19 March 1954
26 May 1954 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA TEAKOL (2) alongside refuelling her
2 June 1954 sailed from Chatham Dockyard and later passed Dover sailing west bound
7 June 1954 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound
21 June 1954 sailed Aden for Trincomalee, Ceylon
9 August 1954 at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Deck Tindal Sk Mohamed Nakwa discharged dead having suffered from a stroke
7 September 1954 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the Folly Buoys
10 September 1954 sailed from the Folly Buoys down the Medway River
1 November 1954 Mr David L Walls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
28 November 1954 arrived at Malta
3 December 1954 sailed Malta eastbound
12 July 1955 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master
19 August 1955 passed Dover sailing east bound and arrived at Chatham Dockyard
7 September 1955 sailed Chatham for Singapore and Hong Kong with 11 passengers
17 January 1956 berthed at Devonport after a voyage from Hong Kong and Singapore with 10 passengers
3 February 1956 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
4 February 1956 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
16 February 1956 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA TEAKOL (2) alongside refuelling her
18 February 1956 sailed Chatham Dockyard to Trincomalee, Singapore and Hong Kong with 11 passengers
18 March 1956 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
11 July 1956 Mr William J Brown OBE DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
September 1956 converted into a NS/VSIS
3 October 1956 Mr Charles Scott DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 January 1957 passed Dover sailing west bound
16 July 1957 in refit in the King George dry dock at Singapore Dockyard
30 July 1957 Mr V J Cooney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 October 1957 Captain Franklin G Edwards appointed as Master
1957 – 1959 Supported Operation Grapple- the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean – along with 16 other RFA’s
April 1957 a victualling dispute with the Lascar crew resulted in fresh food stores being delivered from Sydney, NSW and the dispute ending within seven days
15 July 1957 in refit in Singapore in the King George Dry Dock
14 January 1958 at Christmas Island Secunny Hoosein Janioo Baba discharged dead – drowned. Firemen P Ramulu and Shauker Narayan and Secunny Adbul Sattar all discharged dead missing from the ships boat presumed drowned
13 June 1958 berthed at Plymouth after a voyage from Hong Kong and Singapore with 12 passengers. Captain Edward E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master
21 September 1958 deployed for duties in connection with Operation Grapple at Christmas Island with 683 tons of cargo
4 April 1959 at Christmas Island HRH the Prince Philip visited the ship and was entertained by the officers in the ships bar – the Constant Inn
17 August 1959 Captain Geoffrey B A Livesey RFA appointed as Master
26 October 1959 arrived at Malta from the UK
9 January 1960 berthed on No: 1 jetty at Devonport from Plymouth Sound
11 January 1960 Mr David C Leathley OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer David C Leathley OBE RFA
15 January 1960 at Devonport on No: 1 jetty with RFA BIRCHOL (2) outboard of her
16 January 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
30 January 1960 sailed from Chatham Dockyard to sea
3 March 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
8 March 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
31 March 1960 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
6 April 1960 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar
28 April 1960 moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
29 April 1960 at Devonport at No: 1 Jetty with RFA ENVOY outboard of her
5 May 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
30 May 1960 berthed at Malta from Gibraltar
16 June 1960 involved in a collision with INS Beas south of Plymouth Sound. Slight damage to the Indian Naval Frigate
16 June 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
22 June 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
8 August 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
12 August 1960 at Devonport while berthed at No: 1 Jetty RFA BIRCHOL (2) berthed outboard of her
15 August 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
16 August 1960 anchored at Great Nore
17 August 1960 moved from the River Medway into Chatham Dockyard
18 August 1960 Commodore Thomas Elder CBE DSC RFA appointed as Master
31 August 1960 sailed from Chatham Dockyard
3 October 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
8 October 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
10 October 1960 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
25 October 1960 sailed Chatham to Malta, Aden and Singapore with 12 passengers
4 November 1960 sailed from Malta for Aden
16 January 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
20 January 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
11 February 1961 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
16 February 1961 at Chatham Dockyard refuelled by RFA TEAKOL (2)
22 February 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway and to sea
11 March 1961 sailed from Malta for Singapore
24 May 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
30 May 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
16 June 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
17 July 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
20 July 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
22 July 1961 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
1 August 1961 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA TEAKOL (2) berthed alongside
2 August 1961 at Chatham Dockyard with C701 and NA242 berthed alongside
4 August 1961 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway sailing later the day back into the River Medway
7 September 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
8 September 1961 Captain Frank A Shaw OBE RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR (Rtd)) appointed as Master
13 September 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
14 September 1961 arrived at an anchored at the Great Nore Anchorage
15 September 1961 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
21 September 1961 at Chatham Dockyard with RFA TEAKOL (2) alongside
29 September 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
6 January 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
8 January 1962 Mr A King RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
11 January 1962 at Devonport RFA BIRCHOL (2) berthed alongside RFA FORT CONSTANTINE to refuel her
15 January 1962 at Devonport on No: 1 jetty with RFA ADVICE berthed alongside her
16 January 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
2 February 1962 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
30 April 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
7 May 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
9 May 1962 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
25 May 1962 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
6 September 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 1 jetty
15 September 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
22 November 1962 arrived from sea into Plymouth Sound and then moved to No: 1 jetty at Devonport
18 December 1962 laid up at Devonport
August 1969 placed on disposal list at Devonport
27 August 1969 and 6 September 1969 offered for sale ‘as is – where is’ at Devonport by the Crown Agents Disposal Corporation, Canada in the Times newspaper of this day –
26 October 1969 arrived at Hamburg, Germany in tow for breaking up by Elkhart & Co GmbH
Notes:
- Prior to RFA service was part of the British Pacific Fleet – hence the B pennant number