Previous name: Mount Royal, HMS Marlborough, RFA Rangol
Subsequent name: British Maple
Official Number: 109498
Class: Emergency Wartime Purchase LEAF Group Freighting Tanker
Pennant No: Y7.174
Signal Letters: JNPD (1919)
Laid down:
Builder: C S Swan & Hunter Ltd., Wallsend
Launched: 17 August 1898
Into Service: 6 July 1915 (as RFA Rangol)
Out of service: 4 October 1919 sold to Commercial interests and renamed
Fate: Arrived for breaking up on 25 January 1933
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: During WW1, eighteen vessels of varying types were acquired second hand and converted or purchased and converted while on the stocks or in a few cases building as tankers. Some were converted after serving with the Dummy Battleship Squadron by the insertion of cylindrical tanks into their holds. All were originally intended to operate as RFA’s, however owing to reasons of international law and the operation of the US Neutrality Act, these oilers became Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, being renamed with the LEAF nomenclature and placed under civilian management, although operationally they remained under Admiralty control
17 August 1898 launched by C.S. Swan & Hunter Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 230 named for the Beaver Line service of Elder Dempster & Co Ltd, Liverpool as Mount Royal
18 August 1898 the Lloyds List newspaper reported –
November 1898 completed as a cargo liner
30 November 1898 sailed on her maiden voyage from the Tyne to New Orleans
22 December 1898 arrived at New Orleans
3 January 1899 sailed New Orleans for Liverpool
21 January 1899 arrived at Liverpool
4 February 1899 sailed Liverpool for New Orleans
2 March 1899 arrived at New Orleans
25 March 1899 cleared New Orleans
26 April 1899 sailed Gravesend
19 May 1899 first voyage from the Tyne to Montreal
27 June 1899 sailed from London for Montreal
3 July 1899 first voyage from London to Quebec. Completed 2 round trips
22 July 1899 at Montreal Able Seaman B S McKenzie discharged dead – found drowned
15 August 1899 sailed Montreal to Gravesend
17 September 1899 arrived London from Montreal, Canada
20 October 1899 sailed Liverpool for Naples
5 November 1899 first voyage from Naples, Italy to Cape Town, South Africa as a Boer War Transport.
1 December 1899 arrived at Cape Town with 345 mules from Gibraltar and 1,902 mules from Naples
2 December 1899 sailed Cape Town for Port Elizabeth
5 December 1899 berthed at Port Elizabeth
6 December 1899 arrived at East London from Port Elizabeth
29 December 1899 the North British Daily Mail newspaper reported …
5 January 1900 sailed Las Palmas for Liverpool
1 February 1900 sailed Liverpool for St Vincent CV arriving 21 February 1900 as a Boer War Transport
22 March 1900 at 32°00S 16°00E steering North West
4 June 1900 at Hospital, Port Elizabeth Able Seaman Robert Brickley discharged dead – fracture of spine
23 July 1900 first voyage from New Orleans to Cape Town as a Boer War transport. Completed six round voyages in all
24 July 1900 at 24°55N 49°17W Fireman James Philbean found missing from the ship at sea – discharged dead
28 August 1900 arrived at Algoa Bay from Table Bay
22 December 1900 arrived on the River Tyne from Bremerhaven
24 December 1900 at Tynemouth Jubilee Infirmary, North Shields Able Seaman Herman Braemninger discharged dead – from injuries suffered when he fell down the ships hold
25 December 1900 sailed Shields for New Orleans passing Flamborough Head south bound
26 December 1900 passed Dover
17 January 1901 arrived New Orleans
31 January 1901 sailed from New Orleans for Table Bay
5 February 1901 at 23°42N 32°10W passenger Charles Raglan discharged dead – natural causes
15 March 1901 arrived at Port Natal
28 July 1901 sailed New Orleans with 1,000 remounts for Cape Town
2 October 1901 arrived at New Orleans from Algoa Bay
6 November 1901 at Cuxhaven on the River Elbe the Sea Pilot H. Skode collapsed and died from a heart attack
21 December 1901 arrived at New Orleans from Natal
13 January 1902 sailed New Orleans for Cape Town with 1,040 horses on board
16 July 1902 arrived St Vincent, Cape Verde
25 July 1902 arrived at Port Elizabeth, South Africa
28 August 1902 sailed from Barry, South Wales
25 November 1902 sailed from the River Tyne
21 December 1902 arrived at New Orleans
5 February 1903 the Shields Daily News reported –
18 February 1903 sailed the River Tyne
2 March 1903 when on passage from the River Tyne to Port Eads put back to Roath Basin, Cariff after suffering damage from severe weather
6 April 1903 acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway Co, Liverpool name unchanged
7 May 1903 sailed Quebec for Cardiff
27 June 1903 arrived Montreal from London
19 July 1903 passed Gravesend while on passage from Montreal to London
18 September 1903 sailed London for Montreal
1 October 1903 arrived Quebec from London
9 October 1903 passed Cape Ray
9 November 1903 entered dry dock at Cardiff with damage to the keel which occurred in September 1903
16 November 1903 on board Hamadryad Hospital ship, Cardiff Able Seaman Robert Thomas discharged dead from accidental injury
17 December 1903 in the Commercial Dry Dock, Cardiff
8 January 1904 arrived at Galveston from Cardiff
17 March 1904 passed Dover when on passage from the River Tyne to New Orleans
26 March 1904 Chief Cook Salvatore Portelli discharged dead – consumption
8 September 1904 arrived the Mersey from Montreal
20 October 1904 when on passage from Liverpool to Montreal passed Fastnet
20 November 1904 while on passage from Montreal to Liverpool passed Brow Head
21 November 1904 arrived at Liverpool
17 March 1905 arrived at New Orleans from the River Tyne
23 May 1905 sailed Liverpool for Canada
23 June 1905 arrived at Liverpool from Montreal
11 July 1905 sailed Liverpool
12 July 1905 passed Laishtrahull when on passage from Liverpool to Montreal
19 May 1906 arrived at Antwerp from London for Montreal, Canada
19 June 1906 arrived at Liverpool from Montreal and Quebec
22 September 1906 passed Prawle Point when on passage from Montreal to London
15 November 1906 sailed Gravesend for New Orleans
16 November 1906 passed St Catherines Point
10 December 1906 passed Sand Key
13 December 1906 arrived at Galveston
1907 converted to carry 1500 x 3rd Class passengers in just 10 days
May 1907 sailed on her first voyage from London to Canada
6 July 1907 at Skeena River Steward Archie Willis discharged dead – drowned
3 October 1907 sailed Gravesend for Montreal via Antwerp
6 December 1907 sailed Antwerp for St. John’s, Novia Scotia with over 300 passengers
10 December 1907 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard
December 1907 suffering machinery breakdown while about 250 miles west of Fastnet during very heavy weather. Reported as missing while crossing the North Atlantic
3 January 1908 the Shields Daily News reported …
7 January 1908 berthed at Queenstown, Ireland. Her passengers were transfered to ss Montrose which sailed from Queenstown on the 11 January 1908. The ss Montrose was then reported as missing when it failed to arrive at St. John’s on the 21 January 1908. Arrived late
7 January 1908 at 51°31W 8°57W passenger Jacob Faut (child) discharged dead – pneumonia
8 June 1908 passed Fame Point when on passage to Montreal, Canada
20 July 1908 arrived at Quebec, Canada from London
2 September 1908 arrived at Quebec on passage from Antwerp to Montreal
2 October 1908 passed North Foreland while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal
20 March 1909 sailed from Newport News for Bremen
11 July 1909 while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal passed Cape Ray
31 August 1909 while on passage from London and Antwerp to Montreal passed Heath Point
1 October 1909 while on passage from London to Montreal radioed giving her position as 125 miles west of the Lizard
29 October 1909 while on passage from Montreal to London radioed giving her position as 100 miles west of Brow Head
12 May 1910 sailed Gravesend via Antwerp for Montreal
27 May 1911 at 45°51N 52°25W passenger Joseph Walach discharged dead – natural causes
2 June 1910 arrived Quebec
7 June 1910 sailed Montreal for London
17 June 1910 passed Belle Isle
21 June 1910 passed Gravesend
28 July 1910 arrived at Bristol from Montreal and Quebec
28 March 1913 at 50°06N 3°55W passenger Kasimir Mietla (infant) discharged dead – pneumonia
24 June 1913 arrived at Bristol from Montreal and Quebec
16 September 1913 arrived at Liverpool from New York
16 October 1913 at 53°35N 33°24W passenger Rudolph Weich (child) discharged dead – chicken pox
26 October 1913 arrived at Bristol from Montreal and Quebec
28 October 1914 was hired by the Admiralty for conversion into the Dummy Battleship HMS MARLBOROUGH, on completion of which she was based at Loch Ewe.
6 July 1915, with the disbandment of the DBS Squadron she had cylindrical tanks inserted into her holds and served as the oiler RFA RANGOL,
10 July 1916 purchased by the Admiralty
21 October 1916 arrived at Liverpool from Montreal and Quebec
17 November 1916 her management was transferred to Lane and MacAndrew and she became the oiler transport renamed MAPLELEAF
4 May 1917 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas
11 June 1917 arrived at Greenock
19 September 1917 sailed from New York in convoy escorted by HMS CORNWALL
3 October 1917 arrived at Liverpool
21 October 1917 she was narrowly missed by a torpedo in the Atlantic.
07 November 1917 she was transferred to the Shipping Controller
4 January 1918 berthed at London from Port Arthur, Texas with one passenger. The Master was Captain Llewellyn Nicholas
18 March 1918 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy escorted by HMS BAYANO
9 August 1918 arrived at Greenock, River Clyde from Port Arthur, Texas with one passenger (DBS?)
21 October 1918 at Sea Chief Cook Fred James Nixon discharged dead – through natural causes
25 October 1918 Fireman James Wilson discharged dead – through natural causes – buried at sea in the presence of the Commisioned Escort Ship HMS CORONADO at 49°36N 12°36W
Commisioned Escort Ship HMS CORONADO
27 November 1918 sailed Plymouth for Port Arthur, Texas
13 December 1918 arrived at Charles SC from Plymouth
16 January 1919 sailed Norfolk VA for Lough Swilly
3 February 1919 arrived at Greenock
15 July 1919 the Director of Tranport & Shipping, Admiralty reported that RFA MAPLELEAF had been sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd.
19 October 1919 renamed BRITISH MAPLE
20 November 1919 sailed Newport News for Rotterdam
27 November 1919 sailed Halifax, NS
10 December 1919 in W/T communications with Lands End Radio
11 December 1919 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard towing the s.s. War Zephyr
12 December 1919 arrived at Plymouth Sound towing s.s. War Zephyr. The tow had lasted over one week from a position 1,000 miles west of The Lizard after the War Zephyr’s main shaft had broken. The tow had parted once during the week in very heavy weather
15 December 1919 berthed at Rotterdam
12 January 1920 sailed Dartmouth for Tampico
19 February 1920 sailed Newport News for Alexandria
14 March 1920 arrived at Port Said from Tampico
29 March 1920 at Dixie Hospital, Hampton, Virginia Fireman Samuel Bowning discharged dead – natural causes
3 April 1920 anchored at Gibraltar from Tampico for orders
18 April 1920 sailed Fayal for Newport News
16 June 1920 arrived at Gibraltar from Newport when on passage to Alexandria
22 October 1920 sailed the River Tyne for Newport News
15 November 1920 the Master and crew of Mapleleaf took proceedings against the Master and crew of the War Zephyr (see above) in the Admiralty Division of the High Court
25 November 1920 sailed New Orleans for Rotterdam
3 December 1920 sailed Newport News
29 December 1920 the Western Times reported –
20 January 1921 arrived at Halifax from Dartmouth
28 January 1921 berthed at Newport News
7 February 1921 sailed Tampico for Newport News
16 February 1921 sailed Newport News for Dartmouth
15 March 1921 sailed from Hull in ballast to Newport News
26 March 1921 at a hospital at Newport News, USA 2nd Steward Thomas Sergenson Rathbone discharged dead from natural causes. He had, in November 1918, served on RFA Orangeleaf (1)
2nd Steward Thomas Sergenson Rathbone
7 April 1921 signaled the US Naval Communications Service that the ship was at 32°38N 78°59W
28 April 1921 sailed Newport News
9 May 1921 on passage from Tampico for Avonmouth
12 May 1921 berthed at Avonmouth from Newport News with 3 DBS
13 May 1921 signed a new crew at the Shipping Office at Avonmouth
16 May 1921 sailed Avonmouth
4 June 1921 arrived Norfolk, VA from Avonmouth
12 June 1921 berthed at Port Eads
15 June 1921 sailed New Orleans
21 June 1921 arrived at Newport News from New Orleans
9 July 1921 berthed at Hull from New Orleans
1 September 1921 arrived at Newport News and sailed the same day
19 September 1921 arrived at Thameshaven
24 September 1921 arrived at the River Tyne
6 June 1922 arrived at Hamble in Southampton Water to act as a bunker depot ship
10 December 1932 sold for £3,500 for demolition at Rosyth by Metal Industries Ltd
27 December 1932.arrived Rosyth
25 January 1933 breaking up commenced
12 May 1933 the remaining hulk was transferred to Charlestown to hold oil residues.
1934 was transferred back to Rosyth
6 March 1935 demolition was finally completed
Notes:
When Elder Dempster sold their Canadian interests (Beaver Line) to the Canadian Pacific Railway Co for the sum of £1,417,500, a total of 14 ships plus 3 tugs were involved in the deal and these were as follows: LAKE CHAMPLAIN (RFA RUTHENIA), LAKE ERIE(RFA SAXOL), LAKE MANITOBA, LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE, MONTCALM (RFA CRENELLA), MONTEAGLE, MONTEREY, MONTEZUMA (RFA ABADOL), MONTORT, MONTREAL, MOUNT ROYAL(RANGOL), MOUNT TEMPLE & MONTROSE and the 3 Liverpool tugs AFRICAN, BEAVER & OTTER