The above image would appear to be the ship when she was in commission as HMS Bulawayo

Previous name:                         Westerwald  Nordmark
Subsequent name:                    HMS Bulawayo

Class:

Pennant No:                              A121

Laid down:                                14 November 1936

Builder:                                     Schichau, Elbing

Launched:                                 5 October 1937
Into Service:                              9 May 1945
Out of service:                          1947 to Royal Navy

Fate:                                          Scrapped

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

As a German Naval Auxiliary

16 January 1939 commissioned into the German Navy. Her Commanding Officer was KKpt R. Peter Grau

July 1939 deployed with the Gneisenau off the island of Maderia

22 August 1939 deployed from Germany to support the German Pocket Battleship Deutschland in the North Atlantic

30 August 1939 RASed with the Deutschland at 50°05N 38°15W

9 September 1939 met Deutschland and supplied stores

11 September 1939 off the coast of Greenland 

25 October 1939  having changed her name to Nordmark she refuelled and restored the Deutschland

31 October 1939 with the Deutschland at 62°00N 56°00W

6 November 1939 with Deutschland

13 November 1939 received orders to return to Germany

17 November 1939 reported to the German Consulate at Trondheim, Norway that she had been stopped by the Norwegian Navy torpedo boat off Hidrifi Island. The ship was sailing in Norwegian territorial waters and acting as a merchant vessel on the orders from the German High Command

18 November 1939 allowed to proceed after stating she was a German Government vessel with weapons for self defence only

20 November 1939 taken under escort of German Naval vessels to transit the Great Belt territorial waters as the Danish Government had blocked passage between 54°47N & 54°51N

22 November 1939 entered Swinemunde – thence after seven days to Danzig shipyards

12 March 1940 sailed Danzig on sea trials and entered Swinemunde with the German Cruiser Emden and the Battleship Lutzow – became icebound

6 April 1940 sailed Bremerhaven disguised as the Norweigian supply ship Thorshoevdli

8 April 1940 at 62°03N 23°00E with a U-Boat

11 April 1940 in the Artic Ocean at 67°46N 13°49E refuelled the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst

Start of May 1940 at 78°12N 01°23E

16 May 1940 off Jan Mayen Island refuelled the commercial raider ‘Widder’ during the laters break out into the North Atlantic with 400 tons of fuel oil. Nordmark had suffered damage to her bow and stern from ice

The German commercial raider Widder

4 June 1940 at 72°00N 5°00E

29 June 1940 at Trondheim Fjiod with damaged bows and port propellor. Suppied the German tanker Dithmarschen with 950 tons of fuel oil

12 July 1940 hull and propellor repaired

19 July 1940 sailed Stavenger escorted by five minesweepers

23 July 1940 arrived at Hamburg. The Captain Peter Grau was awarded a bar to his Iron Cross for good services

27 July 1940 damaged during an air raid near the Jutland coast.

27 August 1940 sailed Hamburg for Bremerhaven arriving the same day

10 September 1940 sailed Bremerhaven

12 September 1940 until 21 May, 1941 supplied the Admiral Scheer

12 September 1940 arrived at Gotenhafen

17 September 1940 sailed Gotenhafen

23 October 1940 sailed Gdynia

26 October 1940 arrived south west of Jan Mayen Island at 69°53N 13°09W

9 and 10 November 1940 re-supplied the German submarine U65 when on it’s 5th patrol when approximately 360 nmiles NNW of Saint Peter & Pauls Rocks in position 06°27 N, 31°09W – supplies consisted of 106.6 tons of diesel, 2.6 tons of lubricating oil,  1.3 tons of general provisions and 7 tons of water

16 November 1940 met Admiral Scheer and refuelled her with 1327 tons of fuel oil

28 and 29 November 1940 in the same location as above supplied the same submarine with 18.7 tons of diesel, 6.6 tons of lubricating oil, 1.4 tons of general provisions, 10 tons of water and 6 torpedoes

7 to 9 December 1940 again re-supplied the same submarine when approximately 330 nmiles WNW of Saint Peter & Pauls Rocks in position 1°57N 34°45W with 46.3 tons of diesel, 2.8 tons of lubricating oil, 0.9 tons of general provisions and 4 tons of water. Also supplied various machine repair parts and repaired some of the machinery on the submarine

14 December 1940 met Admiral Scheer at 01°58N 35°04W supplying her with 1142 tons of fuel oil

30 December 1940 met Admiral Scheer at 25°56S 13°56W supplying her with 656 tons of fuel oil

2 January 1941 met and supplied the commercial raider ‘Thor’

6 January 1941 met and refuelled the Admiral Scheer with 247 tons of fuel

24 January 1941 met and refuelled the Admiral Scheer with 524 tons of fuel, 6 tons of ammunition and 51 tons of provisions

26 January 1941 met and refuelled the prize Sandefjord with 153 tons of fuel, 11 tons of provisions and 119 tons of water

7 February 1941 met and refuelled the commercial raider ‘Kormoran’ off the Cape Verde Islands while disguised as an American ship Dixie supplying 1,339 tons of fuel and 15 torpedoes

15 February 1941 met and refuelled the commercial raider ‘Pinguin’

18 February 1941 met and refuelled the German supply ship Alstertor with 185 tons of fuel

8 March 1941 met and refuelled the Battleship Admiral Scheer with approximatly 1900 tons of fuel, 124 tons of lubricant and 50 tons of provisions

German Battleship Admiral Scheer

11 March 1941 at 24°13S 15°43W

14 March 1941 Able Seaman Arthur Herbert Freeman a British merchant seaman and a prisoner held on the ship and originally captured on the ss Afric Star shot dead by German guards during a fire and what they (the Germans) perceived as an attempt to take over the ship .  He is buried at VILLENAVE D’ORNON (ST. BRICE) COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Bordeaux, France

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

19 March 1941 at 02°52N 30°58W

30 to 31 March 1941 re-supplied the German submarine U106  when approximately 130 nmiles NNW of Saint Peter & Pauls Rocks in position 02°51N, 30°15W – supplies consisted of 199.8 tons of diesel, 2.8 tons of lubricating oil,  1.4 tons of general provisions, 7 tons of water and 12 torpedoes

1 April 1941 to 4 April 1941 met the tanker Ill and received 4,500 tons of fuel

8 April 1941 at 02°58W 30°59W met and refuelled the German submarine U105 

9 April 1941 again re-supplied the German submarine U106  when approximately 160 nmiles NNW of Saint Peter & Pauls Rocks in position 02°51N, 27°33W – supplies consisted of 20.8 tons of diesel, 1 ton of lubricating oil,  1 ton of general provisions, 1 tons of water and 1 torpedo

13 April 1941 at 23°48S 20°39W

14 April 1941 while purporting to be an American tanker Prairie spotted by an seaplane from HMS ALCANTARA in the South Atlantic Ocean – challenged, accepted as genuine and allowed to continue on her voyage. Later it was found she was not the American ship named Prairie.

16 April 1941 supplied an Italian submarine Archimede in the South Atlantic Ocean with 123.6 tons of diesel, 3.2 tons lubricating oil and fresh water and 1 ton of general provisions and 0.5 tons of other items

16 and 17 April 1941 supplied another Italian submarine Guglielmotti in the South Atlantic Ocean with 150.2 tons of diesel, 6 tons of lubricating oil and fresh water and 1.2 tons of general provisions

17 April 1941 supplied a third Italian submarine Ferraris in the South Atlantic Ocean with 133.2 tons of diesel, 7 tons of lubricating oil,15 tons of fresh water, 2 tons of general provisions 675 litres of distilled water and 0.3 tons of other items

20 April 1941 at 27°41S 12°22W met and refuelled the commercial raider ‘Atlantis’

21 April 1941 ar 27°37S 12°04W refuelled the commercial raider Kormoran with 300+ tons of fuel oil

23 April 1941 supplied a fourth Italian submarine Perla in the South Atlantic Ocean in “Andalusien” (26°00S 18°00W) providing 81.5 tons of diesel, 7 tons of lubricating oil, 6.5 tons of water and nearly 1.5 tons of provisions which included 0.31 tons of other stores

26 April 1941 refuelled the German supply ship Alstertor with 178 tons of fuel oil

27 April 1941 refuelled the raider Atlantis with 439 tons of water, 50 tons of provisions and 8 tons of munitions

3 to 4 May 1941 supplied the German submarines U 105 & U107 when NW of Saint Peter & Pauls Rocks – supplies to U107 consisted of 1.9 tons of diesel, 1.7 tons of lubricating oil in cans,  7 tons of water

9 May 1941 at 07°00N 31°00W – sailed to return to Germany

11 May 1941 at 18°23N 37°05W

14 May 1941 while returning to Germany from the South Atlantic one of her British prisoners died – Chief Engineer Officer Robert Scott Carruthers of the ss Craftsman who had been wounded when his ship was attacked and sunk by the German commercial raider ‘Kormoran’ on the 9 April 1941

Chief Engineer Officer Robert S Carruthers

Mr Carruthers was buried at sea with full military honours and is remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

17 May 1941 at 44°30N 12°30W

19 May 1941 at 49°36N 00°02W and while returning to Germany her passage was via the English Channel under escort of ships of the German Navy and Airforce with no attack from British forces

20 May 1941 injured prisoners from ss Craftsman (including the ships Master who had been blinded) were discharged at Cuxhaven. Berthed later at Hamburg.  Her deployment had lasted 212 days 16 hours and 25 minutes duting which the ship had covered a total of 33,664 nmiles and duting this period she had undertaken 41 refuelling or replenishments for 24 seperate vessels

12 March 1942 to April 1945 Operations in Norway

29 March 1942 arrived at Bergen, Norway

As the German supply ship Nordmark

31 March 1942 arrived at Trondheim Fjord, Norway

25 May 1942  sailed Sundal Fjord for Rombakenfjord, Norway

January 1943 refuelled the Hipper and the Lutzow in Kaafjord, Norway. She also refuelled the Cruiser Koln, the repair ship Neumark and five destroyers

February 1943 refuelled the Lutzow, destroyers Z-6 and Z-31 again plus the minesweepers M-3, M-81 and M-401 together with one other ship

March 1943 refuelled the Tirpitz at Kaafjord and a number of destroyers

April 1943 refuelled the Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Lutzow, and the destroyers Z-4, Z-5, Z-15, Z-20, Z28 and Z31 toegther with torpedo boats and destroyers. The ships Captain – Fregattenkapitan Peter Grau – left the ship to take up a fresh appointment in Italy

May 1943 refuelled the battleships again and brought up ammunition from Narvik. The ships tanks were refilled by smaller tankers bringing fuel up from Kiel. Two of these were the Obrestadt and the Bromberg

June 1943 her tanks were again replenished by the small tanker Saarburg after which the battleships Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lutzow were refuelled

24 June 1943 moved from Kaafjord to Alten Fjord for oiling at sea exercises with the torpedo boat flotilla and the 5th Destroyer flotilla consisting of the destroyers Z-14, Z-15, Z-28 and Z-31. Returned to Kaafjord and anchored.

During the last week of June 1943 she replenished her tanks from the tanker Adria and again refuelled the Tirpitz and the T20 & T-21

July 1943 a new Commanding Officer was appointed – Korvettenkapitan Fritz Janke – he had previously been in command of the supply ship Karten

11 January 1945 sailed from Narvik escorted by four ships of the 7th Flotilla

17 January 1945 arrived at Trondheim to be used as a harbour depot ship

25 January 1945 sailed from Tronheim for Narvik

15 April 1945 south again for Trondheim arriving late on the same day

17 April 1945 sailed from Trondheim escorted by the minesweeper M-302 & M-361 to Alesund

End of April 1945 arrived at Copenhagen

9 May 1945 captured by British forces at Copenhagen

4 June 1945 due to shortage of tankers the Admiralty directed that she was to be sailed to Rosyth as soon as possible with minimal German crew. Her RN crew was to be provided from HMS DIADEM and the Polish Ship ORBI. If this was not possible she was to sail with her German crew but under a guard from HMS DIADEM and the ORBI – source Admiralty War Diary of this date page 1051

5 June 1945 refuelled

6 June 1945 sailed from Copenhagen for Rosyth

8 June 1945 arrived Rosyth escorted by HMS DIADEM and the Polish Ship ORBI – source Admiralty War Diary of this date page 66.

25 June 1945 arrived at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne

30 November 1945 repairs and conversion completed

14 December 1945 the ships football team played a local team at Smith Dock Park

As a British Naval Auxiliary

January 1946 renamed Northmark and considered for RFA Service

11 January 1946 Captain John Smith RD RNR  appointed as Commanding Officer

February 1946 sailed from the River Tyne for Milford Haven

4 May 1946 Stoker 1st Class Edward Walker D/KX 153047 discharged dead. He is buried in Milford Haven Cemetery in Section A grave 148

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

27 May 1946 sailed Milford Haven for Falmouth

13 June 1947 suffered boiler trouble at Pembroke Dock

30 June 1947 Captain Kenneth A Short DSO Royal Navy appointed as Commanding Officer

7 July 1946 sailed Falmouth for Portsmouth and entered No: 14 dock in the Dockyard

July 1947 on completion of refit was commissioned as HMS BULAWAYO

HMS BULAWAYO shortly after commissioning

29 September 1947 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

15 October 1947 Captain Frederick G Drake DSC RFA appointed to the ship for Oiling at Sea trials

1 December 1947 arrived at Sheerness from Portland

13 January 1948 the Times Newspaper reported –

18 February 1948 sailed Sheerness to Point-a-Pierre, Trinidad arriving on 1 March 1948 to load.

4 March 1948 sailed Trinidad to Sheerness. A total of four of these round trips were made arriving at Sheerness on 15 March 1948

20 March 1948 Leading Signalman Ernest D Cook JX 142225 discharged dead. Sailed Sheerness to Trinidad

18 June 1948 RASed with HMS VANGUARD

HMS VANGUARD RAS’s with HMS BULAWAYO

29 June 1948 arrived Sheerness from Trinidad then to Chatham for a refit

24 July 1948 announced that the Home Fleet’s Autumn Cruise to the West Indies and to South Africa. Among the ships taking part were to be HMS’s DUKE OF YORK (Flagshire of Vice Admiral Sir Rhoderick R McGrigor KCB), THESEUS, VENGEANCE, DIADEM, SOLEBAY, BULAWAYO and RFA FORT BEAUHARNOIS

End of August 1948 sailed Chatham

13 September 1948 off Portland undertook a practice RAS with HMS JUTLAND

23 September 1948 entered Portland Harbour

14 October 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour and entered for repairs

24 October 1948 arrived at Devonport

1 January 1949 Commissioned Boatswain William Howard Leaman Royal Navy appointed an Ordinary Member of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Years Honours List of this day

14 January 1949 at Portsmouth Dockyard moved berths from No: 3 Basin  to No: 15 dry dock

2 February 1949 at Portsmouth Dockyard moved berths from No: 15 dry dock to No: 3 Basin

11 March 1949 Officers Cook Peter Burdett appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court charged with larceny – he was remanded on bail for 14 days

24 March 1949 before Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court Officers Cook Peter Burdett from the ship pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of trousers and was fined £5

6 April 1949 at Portsmouth Dockyard a fire was discovered in the cable bringing shore power to the ship. The Dockyard Fire Service was called and extinguished the blaze

August 1949 Captain Donald Fuller Royal Navy appointed as Commanding Officer

19 August 1949 the ships company dance was held at the Embassy Ballroom, Fawcett Road, Portsmouth

26 September 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

29 September 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

30 September 1949 the Portsmouth Evening News newspaper reported: –

3 October 1949 Commander in Chief Portsmouth Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis GCB, KBE, DSO visited the ship

11 October 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

13 October 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

17 October 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

24 October 1949 arrived at  Devonport

25 October 1949 sailed Devonport to Gibraltar arriving on 29 October.

31 October 1949 sailed Gibraltar to Malta GC

10 November 1949 berthed at Malta

22 November 1949 off Malta RASed with HMS GRAVELINES (trough method) – training RAS – only 47 tons of FFO transferred

HMS GRAVELINES

23 November 1949 off Malta RASed with HMS GRAVELINES (trough method) – training RAS – only 24 tons of FFO transferred

29 November 1949 sailed Malta for alongside replenshment with HMS St AUSTELL BAY

2 February 1950 arrived at Gibraltar

6 March 1950 at Palma Bay with the Mediterrean Fleet

22 March 1950 arrived at Gibraltar

27 March 1950 sailed Gibraltar to Sheerness

1 April 1950 arrived at Sheerness

20 April 1950 Captain H Murray-Clark, Royal Navy was appointed as Commanding Officer

5 May 1950 sailed Sheerness

October 1950 into reserve at the Gare Loch Scotland and used as Headquarters Ship, Reserve Fleet, Clyde Division

19 January 1952 Captain D H Connell-Fuller, Royal Navy was appointed as Commanding Officer

21 January 1952 at the Gare Loch with HMS ZEEBRUGGE berthed alongside

30 January 1952 at the Gare Loch with HMS ZEEBRUGGE berthed alongside

4 October 1955 arrived for breaking up at Dalmuir, Scotland

26 January 1956 arrived at Troon and was beached on arrival

13 February 1956 breaking up commenced

16 May 1956 demolition completed