Reproduced with permission of the MOD
Previous name: Montebello Park
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 180495
Class: CANADIAN FORT CLASS Stores Ship
Pennant No: A230 B532
Laid down: 22 June 1944
Builder: Victoria MD, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Launched: 31 October 1944
Completed: 28 December 1944
Into RFA Service: 18 May 1954
Out of service: 1970
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
19 March 1945 sailed New York in escorted convoy HX345 to Liverpool arriving on 2 April 1945 before RFA service and as Montebello Park. RFA AMHERST before RFA service as Fort Amherst also sailed in this convoy
2 May 1945 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON300 to Halifax arriving 18 May 1945 before RFA service and as Montebello Park
18 May 1945 to be an Air Stores Issuing Ship, acquired by the MoWT, renamed FORT LANGLEY and placed under initial management of Alfred Holt & Co, Liverpool. On completion she was completely stored at Victoria with British and USN aircraft spares and sailed direct to join the Pacific Fleet Train, arriving in time for the closing stages of the War against Japan. She also ferried reserve aircraft and spares for Fleet Air Arm Squadrons from Sydney to Manus or Leyte.
24 June 1945 sailed San Francisco to Pearl Harbour
3 July 1945 sailed Pearl Harbour to Manus arriving 16 July 1945
16 September 1945 sailed Manus to Brisbane arriving 23 September 1945
21 October 1945 sailed Brisbane to Sydney, NSW arriving the next day
23 October 1945 sailed from SYndey, NSW for Singapore
3 July 1947 at Sydney, NSW
16 September 1947 sailed Sydney, NSW for Singapore
1948 Managers became George Nisbet & Co, Glasgow
29 April 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
31 July 1949 arrived at Port Said
2 August 1949 sailed from Suez
16 September 1949 at Hong Kong
20 October 1949 arrived at Mombassa
30 November 1949 arrived at Malta
12 January 1950 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound
19 January 1950 arrived at Port Said while on passage from Plymouth to Lake Timsah
17 February 1950 sailed Lake Timsah for Malta
20 February 1950 arrived at Malta
24 February 1950 sailed Malta for Plymouth
1 March 1950 passed Gibraltar
18 April 1950 at Greenock, River Clyde
19 April 1950 sailed Glasgow for Devonport
21 April 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
6 May 1950 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound when on passage from Devonport to Trincomalee, Ceylon
10 May 1950 arrived at Malta
17 May 1950 arrived at Port Said
19 May 1950 sailed Suez for Trincomalee, Ceylon
1 June 1950 arrived Trincomalee, Ceylon
25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 saw service during the Korean War
5 November 1950 berthed at Perth, Western Australia
25 November 1950 sailed Port of Fremantle for Melbourne after loading stores
3 February 1951 arrived at Gage Roads, Port of Fremantle from Melbourne
8 July 1951 at Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow Sailor’s Cook Chan Chow discharged dead from cancer of the throat
28 July 1951 anchored Holy Loch
25 January 1953 at the Royal Naval Asian Hospital, Singapore Greaser Ip Chun discharged dead from pneumonia and other matters all natural causes
11Sptember 1953 at 60 Buoy, Sasebo Harbour with HMAS CULGOA alongside being reammunitioned
HMAS CULGOA
5 November 1953 arrived Hong Kong from Sasebo then sailed to Leith for refit
22 February 1954 Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA appointed as Master
Captain Rowland K Hill OBE RFA
23 February 1954 transferred to Admiralty ownership, name unchanged
3 May 1954 Mr A B Tate RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
May 1954 transferred to RFA management and converted into an ASIS
22 December 1954 the Officers and crew made a donation of $405 to the Singapore Flood Relief Fund
15 November 1955 Mr L Cochrane RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 May 1957 Captain Hubert G Carkeet RFA appointed as Master
17 April 1958 Fireman’s Boy Fai Ling discharged dead apparently from a heart attack
27 June 1958 Captain George S Perry RFA appointed as Master
6 August 1958 Captain D A C Butler RFA appointed as Master
22 August 1958 the West Lothian Courier newspaper reported …
12 December 1958 Second Officer Philip H Banks RFA discharged dead. Buried in Kalkara Royal Naval Cemetery, Malta.
31 December 1958 in Grand Harbour, Malta the ships motor boat was pulling away from the Gozo landing steps when about 20 yards off shore the boats engine stopped. An examination found that the body of Steward Ronal Walker (19) of HMS VICTORIOUS had become entangled in the propellor. Police and a diver from HMS FORTH were called and recovered the body.
1959 along with RFA FORT DUQUESNE she was the winner of the annual Bulawayo Cup for the most conspicuous efficiency in replenishment-at-sea in the Mediterranean area
13 January 1959 RASed with HMS BERMUDA off Malta
20 January 1959 RASed with HMS BERMUDA off La Spezia
21 January 1959 the Doctor from HMS BERMUDA transfered by light jackstay to treat an injured crew member returning to HMS BERMUDA later that day
9 March 1959 RASed with HMS CENTAUR off Malta
HMS CENTAUR
17 June 1959 berthed at Malta after taking part in exercise Sardex with units of the Royal Navy and RFA’s Fort DUQUESNE, WAVE SOVERIGN and WAVE VICTOR
10 October 1959 with HMS’s BIRMINGHAM, DAINTY, DARING and HMS/m TALLY HO and RFA’s TIDE AUSTRAL and RFA FORT DUQUESNE sailed Malta to take part in Anglo-Spanish exercises in the Western Mediterranean
HMS BIRMINGHAM
11 January 1960 Mr B C Jeremiah RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 January 1960 Captain Frank C Holt RFA appointed as Master
Captain Frank C Holt RFA
14 February 1960 Captain Russell G Edmonds RFA appointed as Master
4 May 1960 Captain Norman R McLeod RFA appointed as Master
Captain Norman R McLeod RFA
14 September 1960 Captain J D G Gray RFA appointed as Master
October 1960 RASed with HMS CAPRICE off Pulau Tiomen
20 July 1961 at Devonport at Plymouth Sound with NAV THROSK berthed alongside
RFA FORT LANGLEY with NAV THROSK alongside
from the ANRS Collection
24 July 1961 at Devonport at Plymouth Sound with NAV THROSK berthed alongside
27 July 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Capital Ship Trott
4 August 1961 at Devonport moved from Capital Ship Trott to Plymouth Sound
15 September 1961 Mr W P Garrick RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 November 1961 sailed from Plymouth Sound on ‘D’ Buoy to sea
29 April 1962 while on passage to Manila RAS’ed with HMAS MELBOURNE
1 March 1963 at Devonport berthed at Millbay Docks having arrived from sea
21 April 1963 Captain Robert H Venning RFA appointed as Master
14 August 1963 Mr J W Ritchie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 September 1963 at 0°12N 68°42E Assistant Steward Chan Wan Lang discharged dead from natural causes
1964 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her
6 March 1964 during exercise Jet supplied HMAS YARRA with ammunition by jackstay transfer
7 November 1964 Captain Alf Waters RFA appointed as Master
9 November 1964 Mr N Bothwell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 June 1965 the ship was searched on arrival at Hong Kong by Customs who found 135lbs of opium. The ship had arrived from Singapore. Three of the Chinese crew were arrested. This was reported in the Liverpool Echo newspaper –
12 August 1965 off the Johore Shoal Buoy supplied HMAS YARRA with ammunition by jackstay transfer
9 December 1965 together with RFA FORT DUQUESNE berthed at Fremantle, Western Australia and secured to the North Wharf
11 December 1965 together with RFA FORT DUQUESNE sailed from Fremantle for Carnarvon
April 1966 a proposal to fit air conditioning to the ship for the safe transportation of Polaris missiles east of Suez was rejected by the Amiralty Board – PRO ADM 1/28354 refers
15 July 1966 Captain William R Town RFA appointed as Master
12 June 1966 together with RFA’s TIDESPRING (1) and FORT DUNVEGAN at anchor off the eastern side of Pu Tioman
26 August 1966 Mr W B Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 November 1966 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
1967 was converted at Chatham Dockyard for the freighting of missiles and other Polaris material supporting the Navy’s fleet of Polaris-armed submarines
17 January 1967 at Chatham Dockyard moved to No: 9 Dry Dock but was kept afloat
1 August 1967 sailed Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway and then to Sheerness where her compass was swung and later she sailed to sea
25 August 1967 Captain D de Vere Moulds RFA appointed as Master
21 September 1967 Mr P W Scott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 November 1967 berthed at the US Naval Supply Centre at Charleston, South Carolina to commence a Polaris material support shuttle service between the USA and RNAD Coulport, Scotland. This was reported in the Liverpool Echo newspaper –
4 December 1967 at Glasgow (see note 2)
31 December 1967 Captain John Logan RFA appointed as Master
Captain John Logan RFA
15 January 1968 during a ‘hurricane’ which hit Scotland a crane near the Firth of Clyde Dry Dock crashed onto Fort Langley causing damage to the superstructure. No one was injured
2 July 1968 Mr Peter Otway RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
2 May 1969 Mr Ronald C Putt MID RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
5 May 1969 sailed Portland for RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long arriving 8 May 1969
9 May 1969 sailed RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long for Portland arriving 11 May 1969
16 May 1969 sailed Portland for RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long arriving 19 May 1969
21 May 1969 sailed RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long for Bermuda arriving 3 June 1969
12 June 1969 sailed Bermuda for Charlestown NC arriving 15 June 1969
19 June 1969 sailed Charlestown NC for RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long arriving 3 July 1969
18 July 1969 sailed RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long for Bermuda arriving 1 August 1969
8 August 1969 sailed Bermuda for Charlestown NC arriving 12 August 1969
16 August 1969 sailed Charlestown NC for RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long arriving 30 August 1969
16 September 1969 sailed RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long for Bermuda arriving 30 September 1969
3 October 1969 sailed Bermuda for Charlestown NC arriving 6 October 1969
11 October 1969 sailed Charlestown NC to RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long arriving 27 October 1969
4 November 1969 sailed RNAD, Coulport, Loch Long for Devonport arriving 6 November 1969 to destore pending disposal.
February 1970 laid up, purchased by Marine Salvage Co Ltd, Port Colbourne, Ontario then resold to Spanish breakers
17 July 1970 sailed Devonport in tow for the breakers
21 July 1970 arrived at Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Hierros Arbulu
August 1970 demolition begun
Notes: –
- Served in the British Pacfic Fleet Train – hence the ‘B’ pennant number
- From the Discharge Book of Geoff Cushnet