RFA Nigeria

 

 
 
Nigeria-07

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 –

 

10 5 1901 Lloyds List Nigeria

 

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 –

15 2 02 Nigeria Shields

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

hmsiphigeniampl

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.