Reproduced with permission of the MOD

lower image kindly donated by Stan McCabe

Previous name:                        Tiderace
      

Official Number:                       186336                                                                  

Class:                                      TIDE CLASS Fleet Replenishment Tanker

Pennant No:                             A97
 
Laid down:                               30 August 1953
Builder:                                     L Thompson, North Sands

Launched:                                30 August 1954
Into Service:                             25 January 1956
Out of service:                          November 1975
Fate:                                         Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data: The 4 ships in this Class were the first Admiralty-designed purpose-built Fleet replenishment tankers intended for enduring front-line support. They evolved from the valuable practical experience gained from HMS BULAWAYO, RFA OLNA(2) and from a number of the WAVE CLASS tankers. Their forward defensive armament fit was a gun platform designed to carry a 4-inch gun and it’s director. Single 20mm Oerlikon mounts were fitted to both bridge wings and twin 40mm Bofors, together with their directors, could be mounted to port and starboard of the funnel. Accommodation was also provided for DEMS Ratings, although in practice these guns were not mounted. All 4 vessels gave valuable world-wide service and were the pioneers of aspects of RFA life which later became standard. 3 of them were near Suez when the Suez Conflict broke out in 1956. One of them was short on fuel and was ordered back to Malta to replenish her tanks. Unfortunately the wrong one returned and it was discovered that in two of them their names were too similar so they were renamed in 1958.

30 August 1954 launched at Sunderland by Lady Elizabeth Davis wife of Vice Admiral William W Davis,CB, DSO and bar, then Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. Reported by the Sunderland Daily Echo & Shipping Gazette – 

11 September 1954 towed from the River Wear to the Tyne for the installation of her engines by the tugs Southsider, Tynesider and Joffre

25 September 1954 berthed at North East Marine, River Tyne

16 October 1954 returned Sunderland in tow for completion

4 January 1955 Mr R N Foster RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 September 1955 Captain John M Humphrey OBE DSC MID RFA appointed as Master

24 January 1956 arrived at the River Tyne from Sunderland

31 January 1956 engaged a crew at the South Shields Shipping Office

4 March 1956 arrived Aden from Mena al Ahmadi

21 March 1956 arrived at Suez

22 March 1956 sailed Port Said

28 March 1956 passed Gibraltar sailing west bound

1 April 1956 arrived Sheerness

3 April 1956 at the Isle of Grain

4 April 1956 sailed from the Isle of Grain for the River Tyne

6 April 1956 arrived the River Tyne berthing at Palmer’s Hebburn

7 April 1956 discharged the crew at the Newcastle Shipping Office

10 April 1956 at Palmer’s Hebburn on Tyne

30 April 1956 sailed Devonport for Malta

3 May 1956 sailed Gibraltar for Malta

2 June 1956 sailed Malta for Istanbul

21 June 1956 sailed from Malta

3 July 1956 sailed from Malta for Izmir

11 July 1956 arrived at Malta

16 July 1956 sailed from Malta

25 July 1956 arrived Malta from Augusta

27 July 1956 signal from C in C Mediterrean at the end of Convoy Exercise MEDASWEX sail for Cyprus

31 July 1956 at noon arrived off Famagusta, Cyprus to top up RFA BROWN RANGER

14 August 1956 arrived at Malta

1 September 1956 sailed Malta for Palermo

6 September 1956 involved in the supply of water to Malta from Sicily to help the islands lack of fresh water

RFA Tiderace at Grand Harbour, Malta on 6 October 1956 on the buoys astern of RFA Tiderange with RFA Retainer on her starboard quarter

15 October 1956 arrived at Malta

16 October 1956 sailed from Malta to sea

18 October 1956 entered Grand Harbour Malta from sea

1 November 1956 was deployed on Operation Musketeer – the Suez Crisis – until 16 November 1956 the entire crew qualified for Naval General Service Medal with the “Near East” clasp

2 December 1956 arrived at the River Tyne from Devonport berthing on the Admiralty Quay

15 December 1956 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA WAVE RULER (1)

18 December 1956 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA WAVE RULER (1)

27 December 1956  berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne

5 January 1957  berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne

16 January 1957 sailed the River Tyne on trials

10 February 1957 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne

26 August 1957 arrived at Trieste, Italy with HMS KENYA and other ships of the Mediterrean Fleet on a summer cruise

5 January 1958 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound

21 January 1958 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA’s  RESURGENT and WAVE KNIGHT (1)

1 February 1958 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA’s  RESURGENT and WAVE KNIGHT (1)

5 February 1958 Captain Albert  E Curtain OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR (Rtd)) appointed as Master

11 February 1958 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA’s  RESURGENT and WAVE KNIGHT (1)

13 February 1958 berthed at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne together with RFA’s  RESURGENT and WAVE KNIGHT (1)

23 February 1958 sailed Portland for Malta

16 April 1958 RASed with HMS BERMUDA later arriving at Malta

25 April 1958 RASed with HMS BERMUDA off Sardinia

HMS BERMUDA

2 May 1958 arrived at Malta

24 June 1958 berthed at Malta

28 June 1958 renamed RFA TIDEFLOW at Malta in order to obviate confusion with her sister TIDERANGE

6 August 1958 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta

12 August 1958 wins ‘Bulawayo Cup’ for 1958 – presented to the ship by Admiral Sir Charles Lambe GCB , CVO,; C in C Mediterranean at Grand Harbour, Malta

19 August 1958 sailed from Malta

26 September 1958 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta

28 October 1958 RASed with HMS BERMUDA while on passage between Cyprus and Malta

3 November 1958 arrived at Malta

8 November 1958 sailed Malta for Toulon, France

13 November 1958 RASed with HMS BERMUDA astern and HMS SHEFFIELD to port while on passage to Toulon, France

21 November 1958 arrived at Malta from Toulon with HMS’s SHEFFIELD, BERMUDA, SAINTES and ARMADA after taking part in an Exercise Medaswex 27 with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy and French Navy

9 December 1958 sailed from Grand Harbour, Malta

27 December 1958 sailed from Grand Harbour, Malta

4 January 1959 arrived at the River Tyne from Malta

6 January 1959 berthed at Palmer’s Yard, Hebburn on Tyne in refit while discharged officers at Newcastle Shipping Office, River Tyne

18 January 1959 Mr D G Edgar RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 January 1959 at Palmer’s Yard, Hebburn on Tyne in refit

28 February 1959 at Palmer’s Yard, Hebburn on Tyne in refit

4 March 1959 sailed from the River Tyne for Devonport

11 May 1959 Captain Albert E Curtain OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

16 July 1959 at Buenos Aires Fireman Guisippi Grech discharged dead – natural causes

21 August 1959 at Falmouth

31 August 1959 moved from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

2 September 1959 moved from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

3 September 1959 involved in a collision with a sloop Pastime in Portland Harbour, Dorset

4 November 1959 moved from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

26 November 1959 Captain Henry O L’Estrange DSC RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1 December 1959 at Newcastle on Tyne

14 February 1960 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta

22 March 1960 sailed Grand Harbour, Malta for Athens

11 May 1960 together with HMS’s BELFAST, ALBION and three RN frigates arrived at Hong Kong

25 May 1960 Mr Ken Robinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 August 1960 together with HMS ALBION and RFA’s WAVE MASTER, RETAINER, FORT DUNVEGAN and GOLD RANGER entered Telok Tekek

2 September 1960 while off Hong Kong RASed with HMS ALBION and HMAS VAMPIRE

10 September 1960 while off Sandarkan Harbour RASed with HMAS VAMPIRE and QUIBERON

3 October 1960 RASed with HMS SALISBURY and HMAS’s VAMPIRE and QUIBERON

4 October 1960 RASed with HMS’s ALBION and SALISBURY and HMAS’s VAMPIRE and QUIBERON

6 October 1960 RASed with HMS ALBION

13 October 1960 berthed at Trincomalee harbour with HMAS VAMPIRE and QUIBERON moored alongside

11 December 1960 at 37°54N 08°16E Able Seaman Alfred Wood discharged dead – suffered a fractured skull

12 December 1960 the Aberdeen Evening Express reported (if slightly  inaccurately)  that –

17 December 1960 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty. RFA EDDYNESS moored alongside

19 December 1960 moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound 

28 December 1960 Captain T G Hill RFA appointed as Master

6 March 1961 in refit at Rosyth Dockyard. The ship was visited by the First Lord of the Admiralty (Lord Carrington) and the Fourth Sea Lord (Vice Admiral John Villiers OBE) 

16 May 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Gravesend mooring 

25 May 1961 moved at Devonport from Gravesend mooring to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

29 May 1961 moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

1 June 1961 off the Isle of Wight RASed with HMS’s HERMES and RHYL

9 June 1961 RASed with HMS HERMES

16 June 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

21 June 1961 Devonport on Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty with RFA BIRCHOL (2) berthed alongside

22 June 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Gravesend mooring

23 June 1961 at Devonport on Gravesend mooring with RFA EDDYNESS berthed alongside

30 June 1961 moved at Devonport from Gravesend mooring to Plymouth Sound

28 July 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Gravesend mooring

2 August 1961 at Devonport on Gravesend mooring with RFA BIRCHOL (2) berthed alongside

3 August 1961 RFA EDDYNESS moved from alongside RFA TIDEFLOW on Gravesend Moorings to Turnchapel

4 August 1961 moved at Devonport from Gravesend mooring to Plymouth Sound

August 1961 visited Oslo and her Master was one of the guests at dinner in the Summer Palace which was hosted by King Olav V

22 August 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

23 August 1961 RFA EDDYNESS berthed alongside RFA TIDEFLOW when on Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

24 August 1961 RFA EDDYNESS moved from alongside RFA TIDEFLOW to Turnchapel before RFA TIDEFLOW moved from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

2 September 1961 at Devonport at Plymouth Sound with RFA EDDYNESS berthed alongside

9 September 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to No: 6 buoy

20 September 1961 moved at Devonport from No: 6 buoy to Plymouth Sound

21 September 1961 moved at Devonport from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

22 September 1961 at Devonport at Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty with RFA EDDYFIRTH berthed alongside

26 September 1961 moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Gravesend mooring

11 October 1961 moved at Devonport from Gravesend mooring to moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

4 December 1961 moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Gravesend mooring

5 December 1961 in collision with the frigate HMS FALMOUTH during anti-submarine warfare exercises in Lyme Bay off the Dorset coast but sustained only minor superficial damage although the frigate returned to Portland Harbour

8 December 1961 at Devonport when on Yonderbury Oil Fuel Jetty received RFA EDDYFIRTH alongside

9 December 1961 at Devonport when on Yonderbury Oil Fuel Jetty RFA EDDYFIRTH moved to Plymouth Sound

11 December 1961 moved at Devonport from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to Plymouth Sound

3 January 1962 Mr G J Mathews RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1962 Captain Sydney S F Dalgleish OBE RFA appointed as Master

March 1962 at Palmers Yard, Hebburn on Tyne in refit

3 May 1962  entered Plymouth Sound from sea and berthed on ‘C’ buoy

7 May 1962 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea

26 May 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound tp Gravesend Mooring

31 May 1962 the Captain of HMS FALMOUTH (a Commander Royal Navy) and one other officer (a Lieutenant Royal Navy) appeared before a Court Martial at HMS Drake where it was alleged they had hazarded their ship which resulted in the collision (see above) – the Commander was found not guilty. The Lieutenant was found guilty and reprimanded however this was appealed and the conviction and the sentence were quashed

5 June 1962 at Devonport moved from Gravesend Mooring to Plymouth Sound

5 July 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 6 buoy

9 July 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 6 buoy to Plymouth Sound

11 July 1962 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea

24 July 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

25 July 1962 at Devonport moved from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to No: 7 wharf

7 August 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 7 wharf to Plymouth Sound

October 1962 berthed at Gibraltar on the south arm of the Dockyard

1 November 1962 berthed at Devonport

4 November 1962 Captain A R Wheeler RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

14 December 1962 Mr Thomas L Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 December 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty

20 December 1962 at Devonport moved from Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty to No: 8 wharf

4 April 1963 together with HMS CENTAUR the ship crossed the Equator

with thanks to RFA Nostalgia and Kenneth Shirra

27 April 1963 Mr V J Cooney RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 July 1963 sailed the River Tyne after refit

8 July 1963 at Portland for A/S projectile transfers

11 July 1963 at Devonport for minor repairs and stores

18 July 1963 RASed with RFA BROWN RANGER off Malta for exercise

25 July 1963 at Aden for loading and after shifting berth to Little Aden loaded Avcat and Avgas

27 July 1963 sailed from Little Aden

5 August 1963 arrived at Singapore and transfered part of her cargo to RFA TIDESURGE (1)

9 September 1963 RAS’ed with HMS ALBION while on passage to Hong Kong

19 September 1963 was hit by HMS LOCH KILLISPORT during a RAS

29 September 1963 RAS’ed with HMS ALBION and HMS BARROSA off Labuan

13 December 1963 RAS’ed with HMNZS TARANAKI while on passage from Guam to Hong Kong

20 May 1964 RAS’ed with HMNZS TARANAKI while on passage from Nagaski to Subic Bay

26 May 1964 in the South China Sea the ship’s surgeon – Dr H N Rutherfurd – assisted in an operation on HMS HAMPSHIRE

27 May 1964 the Times newspaper reported –

27 May 1964 at Singapore following a mechanical breakdown. Unable to join with RFA’s TIDESPRING (1), WAVE SOVEREIGN, RELIANT (2), FORT ROSALIE (1) and FORT CHARLOTTE and HMAS SUPPLY which formed Task Group 490.7 in Naval Exercises

16 June 1964 sailed Singapore with HMS DIDO and HMAS YARRA to take part in exercise Sword Cut III

24 June 1964 RAS’ed with HMAS YARRA prior to arrival at Subic Bay

HMAS YARRA

7 August 1964 at the British Military Hospital, Hong Kong Donkeyman Greaser Ernest Bert Sheppard discharged dead – natural causes. He is buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery in Plot S Row 21A Grave 11643

8 September 1964 at Smith’s Dock, North Shields for refit until 11 October 1964

25 September 1964 Captain George Robson RFA appointed as Master

14 December 1964 at Rosyth

10 February 1965 at Rosyth

April 1965 RASed with HMS TIGER off Narvik, Norway

28 July 1965 RASed with HMS TIGER (astern), HMS BERWICK (to Port) and HMS DIDO (to Starboard) in the Noth Sea off the River Tyne

2 September 1965 Mr H W Jackinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 October 1965 Captain Henry O L’Estrange DSC RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master

2 December 1965 the Daily Mirror newspaper reported …

23 December 1965 landed 800 drums of aviation spriit (AVCAT) at Dar es Salaam for Zambia causing a diplomatic dispute with Tanzania

5 April 1966 deployed with HMS’s ARK ROYAL, RHYL and LOWESTOFT supported by RFA FORT DUQUESNE and RFA PEARLEAF (2)  in the Mozambique Channel

11 June 1966 in the Singapore Strait RASed with HMAS DERWENT

13 June 1966 off Undan Light refuelled HMAS CURLEW with fuel and fresh water

28 June 1966 off One Fathom Bank RASed with HMAS DERWENT

6 August 1966 off Labuan undertook practice RASing with HMAS PARRAMATTA which had recently come out of refit with a fresh crew

10 August 1966 Captain C G Butterworth RFA appointed as Master

3 November 1966 Humanitarian aid – assisted the P & O cargo ship KARMALA off Aden and transferred her Doctor to examine one of her crew suffering from suspected appendicitis The patient was sent ashore by launch for hospital treatment

29 December 1966 Mr G Thompson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 January 1967 Captain Archibald Proudlock RFA appointed as Master

3 November 1967 one of fourteen RFA’s involved in the withdrawl of British Forces from Aden

16 April 1968 Captain Nicholas B J Stapleton RD RFA appointed as Master

Captain Nicholas B J Stapleton RD RFA

3 June 1968 while on passage from Vung Tau to the Johore Shoal Buoy off Singapore RASed with HMAS’s SYDNEY and ANZAC

19 June 1968 Mr D Meikle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

31 July 1968 with RFA REGENT and RN, RAN and RNZN ships engaged in a 36 hour Exercise – “Bagpipes” – in the practice area off Singapore

1 August 1968 to 5 August 1968 with RFA REGENT and RN, RAN and RNZN ships engaged in an Exercise – “Slug Pie” – in the practice area off Singapore

15 September 1968 3rd Engineer Robert MacDonald Henderson RFA aged 33 years discharged dead. The remains of 3rd Engineer Henderson were landed at Darwin, Australia. He was subsequently buried at sea off Charles Point, Darwin, Australia at 12.15S 130.37½E on the 20 September 1968 with a service conducted by Rev. Gerald B Muston, a Chaplain of the Royal Australian Naval Reserve

8 November 1968 at Singapore

22 May 1969 at Liverpool

1 February 1970 at Liverpool

5 March 1970 berthed on the Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty with RFA GREEN ROVER outboard of her

15 April 1970 while part of the Beria Patrol was put on standby to assist if Apollo 13 space craft’s landing site was changed to the Indian Ocean. RFA ENNERDALE (2) also put on similar standby.

7 June 1970 visited RAF Gan and after sinking of RFA ENNERDALE (2) on 1 June 1970 at Mahe, Seychelles acted as accomodation and survey base

10 June 1970 at Mahe, Seychelles took over as Radio Guard from HMS ANDROMEDA on her sailing

16 June 1970 at Mahe, Seychelles handed over the position of Radio Guard to RFA STROMNESS

October 1970 humanitarian aid – in a joint operation with a USN helicopter off South Vietnam she landed a badly injured sailor from the British cargo ship TREVAYLOR

8 November 1970 at Bahrein

June 1971 with HMS GURKHA visisted Jamestown, St. Helena

8 August 1971 at Sydney, NSW the Navigating Officer (Lieutenant Commander J O Morrice RAN) and the Captain designate (Captain V A Parker RAN) from HMAS SUPPLY visited the ship for sea experience on a Tide Class tanker. They disembarked at Jervis Bay on 11 August 1971

10 August 1971 to 14 August 1971 involved in Exercise Southern Clime One together with RFA’s RELIANT (2) and OLNA (3) and various RN and RAN units 

31 October 1971 took part in the final steam past of the Far East Fleet in the Singapore Straits after the closure of the naval base there along with 7 other RFA’s

15 November 1971 in the Persian Gulf R/V with HMS MINERVA

22 November 1971 at Bahrein

11 January 1972 with HMS ARGONAUT visited Tristan da Cunha

19 February 1972 at the River Clyde

March 1972 in refit at Elderslie Dock, Glasgow

29 August 1972 visited Tristan da Cunha

September 1972 visited Jamestown, St. Helena

November 1972 deployed  in Joint Maritime Course JMC166

4 to 5 July 1973 visited Pitcairn Island, Pacific delivering four bags of mail and 20 drums of fuel for Pitcairn Government stock. Delivered also two Royal Engineers to undertake surveying in preparation of Operation Pallium (landing/harbour/hill of difficulty improvements)

11 February 1974 with HMS HERMES, HMS MOHAWK, HNOMS Stavanger involved supporting a seach for the trawler Gaul over an area of 177,000 square miles off Northern Norway

15 February 1974 the search was called off without any trace of the trawler being found

June 1974 deployed  off Rosyth in Joint Maritime Course JMC742

8 July 1974 while engaged in replenishment with HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS WHITBY off Plymouth became the subject of attention of a Russian Spy Trawler and a Whisky Class Russian submarine

27 August 1974 sailed from Yonderbury Oil Fuel Depot, Devonport  to Cawsands Bay

11 October 1974 sailed from Yonderbury Oil Fuel Depot, Devonport  to sea

14 October 1974 sailed from ‘D’ Buoy, Plymouth Sound to sea

25 October 1974 sailed from sea to Cawsand Bay

26 October 1974 moved from Cawsand Bay to CST2

30 October 1974 moved from CST2 to Cawsand Bay

1 November 1974 sailed from Cawsand Bay to sea

8 November 1974 arrived at Devonport from the sea

11 November 1974 sailed from Devonport to sea

5 December 1974 at the River Tyne

15 July 1975 at Plymouth

September 1975 deployed in Joint Maritime Course JMC752

November 1975 laid up at Devonport

8 January 1976 placed on the Disposal List

17 January 1976 offered for sale ‘as lying’ at Devonport Dockyard in The Times of this day

4 May 1976 sailed Devonport in tow of Dutch tug AFON GOCH

10 May 1976 arrived at Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Messrs Remasa at Santuru, Viscaya