ss Nigeria before service as an RFA
Subsequent name: Niger
Official Number: 114747
Class: Accommodation Ship
Pennant No: Y8.70
Laid down:
Builder: Raylton Dixon, Middlesborough
Launched: 6 May 1901
Into Service: 8 November 1916
Out of service: 1920
Fate: 1931 Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to supplement the ships of the RFA
6 May 1901 Launched by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough as Yard Nr 479 named NIGERIA for the African Steamship Company (Elder Dempster, Managers) London
10 May 1901 the Lloyds List newspaper reported –
August 1901 completed with accommodation for 108 first class and 52 second class passengers
30 August 1901 at London registered as NIGERIA under reference 182/01 in the Registry Book
18 September 1901 sailed Liverpool on her maiden voyage for West African Ports
10 November 1901 sailed Freetown, Sierra Leone for Liverpool
20 November 1901 arrived at Plymouth from West African ports
21 November 1901 sailed from Plymouth for Liverpool
4 February 1902 sailed Sierra Leone for Plymouth and Liverpool
15 February 1902 arrived at Plymouth from West Africa. This was reported in the Shields Daily News thus –
17 February 1902 arrived at Liverpool
8 March 1902 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
22 April 1902 sailed Lagos, Nigeria for Liverpool
10 May 1902 arrived at Liverpool
15 April 1903 sailed Teneriffe for the River Congo
27 May 1903 passed Teneriffe north bound while on passage from West Africa
2 June 1903 berthed at Southampton from West Africa
27 June 1903 sailed Liverpool for West Africa
10 August 1903 sailed Canary Islands for Maderia
11 August 1903 sailed Maderia for Liverpool
17 August 1903 arrived at Liverpool
5 September 1903 sailed Liverpool for West Africa
19 September 1903 berthed at Sekondi from Liverpool
26 October 1903 arrived Plymouth from West Africa then sailed the same day for Liverpool
25 November 1903 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
16 December 1903 sailed Lagos, Nigeria for Liverpool
3 February 1904 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
11 March 1904 off the Longship Channel passenger William J Bawden discharged dead – natural causes
13 April 1904 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
28 May 1904 arrived at Plymouth
11 July 1904 sailed Lagos, Nigeria for Liverpool
22 July 1904 sailed Canary Islands for Plymouth and Liverpool
21 October 1904 berthed at Liverpool
2 September 1905 when on passage from Accra to Liverpool passed Sierra Leone
11 September 1905 arrived Las Palmas
20 September 1905 arrived Liverpool
9 June 1906 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
31 August 1906 arrived at Sekondi from Liverpool
18 November 1906 arrived at Sekondi from Liverpool
30 November 1906 sailed Sierra Leone for Liverpool
28 December 1906 sailed Old Calabar for Liverpool
31 December 1906 off Accra Clerk Jospeh Ellis Bruce discharged dead – natural causes
20 July 1907 arrived at Liverpool from West African ports
10 August 1907 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
25 August 1907 arrived at Sekondi
29 September 1907 sailed Libreville
14 October 1907 sailed Sierra Leone
19 October 1907 sailed from Grand Canaria for Liverpool
4 January 1908 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
1 February 1908 arrived at Plymouth from West African ports and sailed the same day for Liverpool
2 February 1908 arrived at Liverpool
23 February 1908 sailed from Liverpool for West African ports
11 July 1908 sailed Libreville for Liverpool
5 September 1908 sailed Liverpool for West African ports. Captain J Hughes was the Master with 54 passengers
14 November 1908 sailed from Grand Canaria for Liverpool
23 November 1908 berthed at Liverpool from West African ports
28 November 1908 sailed Liverpool to West African ports. Captain J Hughes was Master with 57 passengers
29 April 1909 arrived at Liverpool from West African ports
21 May 1909 arrived at Grand Canaria from Liverpool
9 July 1909 sailed Grand Canaria for Liverpool
31 July 1909 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
12 September 1909 sailed Lagos, Nigeria for Liverpool
20 October 1909 sailed Liverpool for West African ports. Captain J H Lawson was the Master with 82 passengers
18 December 1909 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard when on passage from Plymouth to Liverpool
5 January 1910 sailed Liverpool for West African ports
31 January 1910 sailed Forcados for Bonny
2 November 1910 sailed Liverpool for West African ports. Captain R Minto was Master with 73 passengers and 9 soldiers
2 January 1911 arrived Plymouth from West African ports and sailed the same day for Liverpool
11 January 1911 sailed Liverpool for West African ports. Captain R Minto was Master with 67 passengers and 13 soldiers
17 January 1911 arrived at Lisbon from Liverpool
23 January 1911 arrived at Sierra Leone from Lisbon
29 March 1911 sailed Liverpool to West African ports. Captain R Minto was Master with 63 passengers and 11 soldiers
14 June 1911 sailed Liverpool to West African ports. Captain R Minto was Master with 58 passengers and 4 soldiers
1 September 1911 sailed Liverpool for West African ports. Captain R Minto was Master with 71 passengers, 26 soldiers and 4 Government servants
3 January 1912 sailed Liverpool to West African ports. Captain Fred Davis was Master with 78 passengers, 14 soldiers and 2 Government servants
10 January 1912 arrived at Las Palmas
2 June 1912 arrived at Sierra Leone
23 October 1912 sailed Liverpool to West African ports. Captain J B Wright was Master with 72 passengers, 13 soldiers and 2 Government servants
2 November 1912 sailed Sierra Leone
22 January 1913 arrived Sierra Leone
12 April 1913 arrived Sierra Leone
29 June 1913 arrived Sierra Leone
2 July 1913 arrived at Sekondi
17 August 1913 arrived at Plymouth
17 September 1913 arrived ar Sierra Leone
3 November 1913 arrived at Liverpool from Calabar
1 December 1913 arrived at Sierra Leone from Liverpool
6 December 1913 arrived at Lagos, Nigeria
12 January 1914 sailed Canary Islands for Liverpool
24 February 1915 sailed Liverpool for Sierra Leone, Accra and other West African ports with 50 passengers. Captain Robert K Pooley was Master
8 August 1915 sailed Falmouth for the Belgian Congo with 72 passengers. Captain Alfred J Day was Master
24 November 1915 sailed Liverpool for Sierra Leone, Accra, and other West African ports with 40 passengers. Captain James Tyrer was Master
15 March 1916 sailed Liverpool for Sierra Leone, Accra, Lagos and other West African ports with 43 passengers. Captain W E Griffiths was Master
24 May 1916 sailed Liverpool for Sierra Leone, Accra, Lagos and other West African ports with 59 passengers. Captain Robert K Pooley was Master
4 September 1916 sailed Liverpool for Sierra Leone, Accra, Lagos and other West African ports with 60 passengers. Captain J C Shooter was Master
8 November 1916 chartered by the Admiralty for service as an accommodation ship
23 January 1917 Steward William Gainford Bunn discharged dead – meningitus
9 March 1917 while serving as an accommodation ship was extensively damaged at Romanoff, Murmansk when a fire broke out aboard her. She was scuttled then later refloated and repaired.
1 April 1917 HMS IPHIGENIA berthed alongside wreck of RFA NIGERIA
HMS IPHIGENIA
3 April 1917 salvage work commenced by crew from HMS IPHIGENIA
8 April 1917 tug No: 8 berthed alongside the wreck
13 April 1917 tug Sunderland made fast to wreck and moved her into stream. Both anchors let go
14 April 1917 diving operations commenced on ships propellors
17 April 1917 working party from HMS IPHIGENIA and the tug Sutherland employed in picking up wreck’s starboard anchor
21 April 1917 working parties from HMS’s GLORY and VINDICTIVE engaged onboard in salvage work. SS Tarbatness berthed alongside the wreck
28 April 1917 tugs St Cyr, Earl Essex and Sinessow made fast to wreck
29 April 1917 small fire discovered in No: 2 hold of the wreck (reserve bunker) – extinguished
10 May 1917 wreck moved to billett off Murmansk Pier with assistance of HMT Sunderland
14 May 1917 working parties engaged on clearing the holds of the wreck
18 May 1917 HMS IPHIGENIA cast off from wreck
26 May 1917 working party from HMS IPHIGENIA onboard
1918 converted to cargo service for the Shipping Controller (Elder Dempster – Managers)
1920 purchased by Mr Clause Langdon, London
1921 purchased by Cie Marseillaise de Navigation a Vapeur (Cie Fraissinet, Managers) Marseilles and renamed NIGER
1931 sold to Italian breakers for 250,000 Francs
30 October 1931 arrived for breaking up at Genoa.
Ships of the same name
Nigeria. Cruiser, 8,000 tons 555.5 x 62 feet, by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow and launched on the 18 July 1939. Armed with 12 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch and 6 torpedo tubes. Sold to the Indian Navy on the 29 August 1957 and renamed Mysore. Paid off on the 29 August 1985, broken up in 1986.
Battle Honours for this Vessel: ATLANTIC 1941, NORWAY 1941, ATLANTIC 1942, MALTA CONVOYS 1942, SABANG 1944, BURMA 1944-5, EAST INDIES 1945.