Lower image courtesy of Rossbay – NAV Gatling at Lisahally
Subsequent name:
Official Number 180827
Class: GATLING CLASS Armament Stores Carrier
Pennant No: A376
Laid down:
Builder: Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew
Launched: 9 July 1945
Into Service: 25 October 1945
Out of service: January 1970
Fate: Scrapped 2 March 1970
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Information: – One of a group of five coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships These five ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction to the requirements of the Naval Armament Department. They were designed for Pacific Operations to carry ammunition from larger ships offshore which were of too deep a draught to go close inshore to the coastal areas or small harbours and had their bottoms strengthened to permit grounding when loaded if required. This was a 1943 plan connected with a future invasion of Japan. As there was no requirement to carry large naval guns they were provided with two cargo holds. The order for them was placed in October 1944 and none of them was completed before the end of hostilities, which meant that only one of them (GATLING) was needed to proceed to the Far east to assist in the rehabilitation of Singapore. GATLING and NORDENFELT were completed to mercantile standards and were registered and classed with Lloyds Register and were run on National Maritime Board conditions, while the other three were on “Yard Craft” Dockyard agreements and were completed with naval style accommodation.
9 July 1945 launched by Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr: 1085 named GATLING
25 October 1945 completed to Mercantile Standards
9 June 1946 arrived Singapore to assist in that port’s rehabilitation
9 August 1948 berthed at Trincomalee
23 August 1948 Mr Charles F Richards appointed as Chief Engineer Officer when the ship was at Trincomalee. He remained as Chief Engineer Officer until 8 October 1949 at Trincomalee when he was discharged sick
4 September 1948 berthed at Karachi
17 November 1948 at Bombay
14 December 1948 at Cochin – Chief Officer A Hawkins promoted and appointed as Master
15 November 1949 Captain Alfred M Conrade appointed as Master while the ship was at Trincomalee
Captain Alfred M Conrade
23 November 1949 Mr R Wallsworth appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 February 1950 arrived at Port Said
15 March 1950 arrived at Malta
5 April 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
4 May 1950 arrived at Tyne Dock Engineering on the River Tyne from Portsmouth
11 May 1950 Captain Walter H E G Praill appointed as Master
17 May 1950 Mr J P Dean appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
26 May 1950 berthed at Tyne Dock Engineering, River Tyne
29 July 1950 berthed at Rosyth
12 August 1950 arrived at South Shields
25 August 1950 at Milford Haven
28 August 1950 Mr D Williams appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 October 1950 berthed at Belfast
3 November 1950 at Rosyth
1 July 1952 passed the Lloyds Signal station on Flamorough Head sailing south bound
30 December 1952 Captain Walter H E G Praill appointed as Master
18 April 1953 Mr W T Green appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 June 1953 took part in the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead along with other RFA’s in Line ‘H’
5 July 1955 while on passage to Portsmouth and 10 miles south of Portland found the body of a man floating in the sea. Recovered the body and he was landed at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar
5 March 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Bull Point
3 October 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Bull Point
3 June 1965 from sea into the Medway River and then entered Chatham Dockyard
January 1970 on the Disposal List
2 March 1970 arrived Passage West in tow for demolition by Haulbowline Industries Ltd.
Notes:
- Based at Naval Armaments Depots at Singapore and Priddy’s Hard between 1945 and 1959