Subsequent name:                    STRATTON CROFT,   ARAB NAVIGATOR

Official Number:                        133128                                                                

Class:                                        INNIS CLASS Water Carrier

Pennant No:                              X 324

Laid down:
Builder:                                     Chalmers & Co Ltd, Rutherglen
Launched:                                 2 April 1913

Into Service:                              16 September 1915
Out of service:                           February 1921
Fate:                                          Wrecked

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:   There was originally a Class of eighteen vessels with the INNIS prefix to their names, and the first twelve vessels were ordered in 1912, followed shortly afterwards by orders for a further six vessels. Only six of the Class saw Admiralty service as Water Carriers during WW1

2 April 1913 launched by William Chalmers & Co Ltd, Rutherglen as Yard Nr: 164 named INNISSHANNON for Coasting Motor Shipping Co. Ltd., (John M. Paton, Manager) Glasgow

23 June 1913 registered at Glasgow as INNISSHANNON and entered as 50/13 in the Registry

12 July 1913 arrived Preston with a cargo of wood pulp

7 August 1913 sailed Ardrossan for Exeter with a cargo of pig iron

15 October 1913 arrived Troon from Dublin

3 January 1914 sailed Weston Point on the Manchester Ship Canal for Glasgow with a cargo of salt

3 August 1914 arrived Roath Dock, Cardiff

16 September 1915 purchased by the Admiralty name unchanged

21 October 1916 at Cromarty alongside HMS ACHILLES refuelling her with 137 tons of FFO

HMS ACHILLES

30 October 1916 at Cromarty alongside HMS ACHILLES refuelling her with 108 tons of FFO

24 November 1916 Sub Lieutenant Donald McKinnon RNVR appointed as Commanding Officer

23 October 1919 at Invergordon alongside HMS CASTOR refuelling her with 113 tons of FFO

14 October 1920 handed over to the Disposal Board

23 February 1921 purchased for £5,250 by Max S. Hilton, London name unchanged

6 May 1924 purchased by C. Shaw Lovell & Sons Ltd (Algernon H. Philpot, Manager) London name unchanged

25 November 1926 at Antwerp Docks involved in a collision with a Latvian ship Skauts

3 November 1929 arrived at Paris from Amsterdam

1 July 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound

5 July 1930 sailed from Newport, Wales docks

26 October 1930 off the West Hinder Light Vessel Able Seaman Frederick Earl Donovan discharged dead – fell over the side and drowned

24 August 1934 was berthed at Exeter when Gordon Raymond Townsend aged 5 years and 6 months fell into the River Exe under the bows of the ship and sank. Mark Osborne of 25 Coombe Street, Exeter jumped into the river and dived under the ships hull. He found the boys body and brought him to the surface where he applied artificial respiration and revived the child. This rescue was considered particularly difficuly due to the current and suction

6 November 1934 at the Exeter Guildhall the Mayor (Mr T J W Templeman) presented Mr Mark Osborne a Royal Humane Society Certificate for rescue. The Mayor reported that Mr Osborne had previously rescued 23 persons from the River or Canal and had previously received awards from the Royal Humane Society and had in 1919 been placed on the Roll of Heroes of the Carnegie Hero Trust Fund and had been awarded their certificate

27 September 1935 arrived at Penryn from Plymouth

20 April 1937 sailed Hull to Middlesborough in ballast

18 March 1938 arrived at Plymouth from Southampton

11 June 1938 passed the Flamborough Head Lloyds Signal Station sailing south

29 November 1938 berthed at Blyth in the South Harbour

1 December 1938 berthed at the River Tyne

9 March 1939 arrived at Seaham

15 July 1945 sailed after sheltering in Mounts Bay

30 July 1945 arrived at Hayle from Barry

16 February 1946 arrived at Howdon Dock, Leith 

27 April 1946 arrived at Grangemouth from Ipswich

30 April 1946 sailed Grangemouth for Middlesborough in ballast

7 June 1946 sailed Montrose to Grangemouth in ballast

10 April 1946 arrived at Aberdeen from Grangemouth in ballast

9 July 1947 purchased by United Coasters Ltd., (George A. Tom & Co Ltd, Managers) London name unchanged

6 August 1947 sailed Railway Dock, Hull with a cargo of fruit

12 January 1948 renamed STRATTON CROFT by her owners

2 July 1948 arrived at Blyth from Hull

22 July 1948 arrived on the River Tyne from Middlesborough

7 October 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound

11 March 1949 sailed Gravesend

6 April 1949 sailed Blyth

29 November 1949 sailed Blyth for the River Tyne

3 December 1949 berthed at Tyne Dock

6 December 1949 arrived on the River Tyne

9 December 1949 sailed the River Tyne for Calais, France but had to put back due to very heavy weather

20 January 1950 purchased by Sheikh Ali Mohamed Omer Bazara, trading as the Arab Navigation & Transport Co, Aden name unchanged

15 May 1950 renamed ARAB NAVIGATOR by her owners

3 August 1952 wrecked amongst the Farasan Isklands south of Jeddah in the Red Sea after an engine breakdown

27 November 1952 register closed