Official Number: 144350
Class: WAR CLASS Freighting Tanker – 7 cargo tanks
Pennant No: Y7.340 / X93
Signal Letters: KCMI / GTOL / GLDJ
Laid down:
Builder: Armstrong Whitworth
Launched: 9 October 1919
Into Service: 2 March 1920
Out of service: 22 October 1941
Fate: Sunk
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: To combat the alarming losses of British merchant ships during WW1, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act was passed in December 1916, which provided for the appointment of a Shipping Controller with very wide powers “to take such steps as he thinks best for providing and maintaining an efficient supply of shipping”. On 20 December 1916, the first meeting of the Merchant Shipbuilding Advisory Committee took place where it was decided that an extensive shipbuilding programme should be started, the ships to be of a simple design and as far as possible to be of a standard type as regards hulls and engines. These new vessels for the Government were given a standard nomenclature, the prefix to their names being WAR. Eight hundred and twenty one vessels were ordered from U.K. yards and abroad and four hundred and sixteen were completed to Government order, two hundred and seventy nine were sold and transferred to private owners before completion and the remainder were cancelled. Of the 416 completed to Government order, fifteen were transferred to Admiralty service as oilers. They were all modified versions of the A and B Class standard dry cargo ships, known as the Z Class. All had two large dry cargo holds, six of them had five cargo tanks and the remaining nine had seven cargo tanks, specially designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. Most of them were initially under commercial management.
1919 launched for the Shipping Controller, managed by Hunting & Son
1920 transferred to the Admiralty but remained under commercial management
7 March 1920 sailed the Humer
18 March 1920 sailed Gibraltar
14 April 1920 passed Cape Hatteras
2 June 1920 sailed from Trinidad
26 June 1920 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
15 July 1920 arrived at Puerto Mexico
17 July 1920 sailed from Puerto Mexico
22 August 1920 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
23 August 1920 arrived at Southampton
12 September 1920 sailed Port arthur, Texas for Devonport
1 October 1920 arrived at Sheerness from Port Arthur, Texas
13 October 1920 sailed Sheerness for Beaumont, Texas
4 November 1920 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas from Sheerness
21 November 1920 sailed Halifax, Nova Scotia
21 January 1921 sailed from Trinidad
5 February 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
10 February 1921 sailed Sheerness
11 February 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
6 March 1921 sailed Beaumont, Texas for Invergordon
6 May 1921 sailed the River Tyne for Port Arthur
9 May 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
27 May 1921 arrived Port Arthur, Texas from the River Tyne
28 May 1921 sailed Port Arthur, Texas
15 June 1921 arrived at Queentown
19 June 1921 sailed Queenstown to Trinidad
19 August 1921 sailed Port Arthur, Texas to the Clyde
21 September 1921 arrived at Gibraltar in ballast while on passage from the Clyde to Abadan
5 October 1921 arrived at Aden
15 October 1921 at about 6.15am while on a voyage from Abadan to Malta and loaded with a cargo of oil was in collision with a steel tank lighter Friesland outside the entrance of the harbour of Abadan
16 October 1921 sailed Abadan
7 November 1921 at Malta
17 November 1921 sailed from Suez
22 November 1921 arrived at Aden
30 November 1921 berthed at Abadan
19 January 1922 berthed Portsmouth Harbour
21 January 1922 sailed Portsmouth Harbour
6 February 1922 at Gibraltar
13 February 1922 arrived at Port Said from Gibraltar when on passage to Abadan
29 March 1922 arrived at Port Said from Malta
14 May 1922 berthed at Sheerness from Abadan with 10 Royal Naval passengers. Captain Lawrence R Anderson was the Master
Captain Lawrence R Anderson
29 June 1922 sailed Suez
22 July 1922 passed Perim
29 July 1922 at Abadan
29 August 1922 sailed from Suez
27 September 1922 at Port Said
6 October 1922 sailed Port Said for Malta
26 October 1922 sailed from Malta
18 November 1922 sailed from Abadan
5 December 1922 sailed Singapore
14 December 1922 at Hong Kong secured to No 2 buoy
8 January 1923 at Abadan
27 January 1923 arrived at Suez from Abadan
6 February 1923 while at anchor off the North Mole, Gibraltar fouled with the Italian liner PRESIDENTE WILSON which was also at anchor and suffered bad damaged to No 6 tank and the tank deck
Italian liner PRESIDENTE WILSON
Proceedings in the Admiralty Division of the High Court were heard on 5, 11 and 25 June 1923 when their Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty sued the owners of the Presidente Wilson before Mr Justice Hill and Captain Owen Jones CBE and Captain P N Layton CBE both Elder Brothers of Trinity House. Judgement was against their Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Reported in Lloyd’s List Law Reports of 21 June and 12 July 1923
14 February 1923 sailed Gibraltar
4 April 1923 arrived at Glasgow from Baytown
28 April 1923 sailed Glasgow
15 May 1923 sailed Trinidad
2 June 1923 arrived at Glasgow
21 June 1923 sailed Trinidad
10 July 1923 sailed Portland Dockyard
19 July 1923 sailed Portland Dockyard for Tampico
11 August 1923 sailed from Tampico
31 August 1923 arrived at Portland Dockyard from Tampico
4 October 1923 at Tampico sailing on the 6 October 1923
29 October 1923 arrived at Devonport
2 November 1923 sailed Devonport for Trinidad
26 November 1923 sailed Trinidad
23 December 1923 berthed on the River Tyne
22 February 1924 arrived at Trinidad from the River Tyne
20 March 1924 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard to discharge cargo into the new Navy Fuel Depot
24 March 1924 sailed Simonstown Dockyard
3 April 1924 arrived at Mauritius
4 June 1924 sailed Singapore
20 August 1924 passed Perim
26 August 1924 arrived at Suez from Abadan
30 August 1924 berthed at Malta from Abadan
26 September 1924 sailed from Port Said
10 October 1924 at Abadan
12 December 1924 at Singapore
24 December 1924 at Singapore
12 February 1925 at Gibraltar berthed alongside HMS HOOD to refuel her – supplied 1,585 tons of FFO
HMS HOOD
15 April 1925 at Lagos
24 June 1925 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
15 September 1925 at the River Plate
16 November 1925 the Shields Daily News reported –
10 December 1925 sailed Port Said
17 March 1926 Captain Thomas Drever RFA appointed as Master and Mr Percy E G Ogden RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
April 1926 transferred to Admiralty management and was chartered to Anglo Persian Oil Co Ltd, London for two years
22 December 1926 sailed Abadan
2 January 1927 sailed Colombo. Ceylon
10 February 1927 sailed Aden
23 March 1927 sailed Bombay, India
8 June 1927 sailed Colombo, Ceylon
13 June 1927 sailed Madras, India
25 June 1927 sailed Abadan
20 July 1927 sailed Abadan
22 July 1927 while on passage from Abadan to Saffagha, Egypt at 26°29N 53°47E Fireman’s Bhandary Mahamed Essack Ebraim discharged dead from cholera (reported in the ‘Public Health Reports’ published by Association of Schools of Public Health)
10 August 1927 sailed Port Said
16 August 1927 passed Perim
27 August 1927 sailed Abadan
30 September 1927 sailed Bombay, India
9 October 1927 sailed Abadan
8 November 1927 sailed Colombo, Ceylon
30 November 1927 sailed Aden
10 March 1928 at sea at 6°04N 79°58E 3rd Engineer Officer George Jackson Riley RFA discharged dead – disappeared at sea presumed drowned
19 March 1928 the Western Morning News reported that –
28 June 1928 Mr Andrew G Forbes RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Andrew G Forbes RFA
6 August 1928 at Abadan Hospital Casab Sk Dawood Sk Essack discharged dead from pulmonary tuberculosis having entered the hospital on 27 July 1932
1 January 1929 at Hong Kong
16 January 1929 arrived at Singapore from Hong Kong, sailed the following day for Abadan
11 May 1929 berthed at Gibraltar from Port Said to discharge cargo
24 June 1929 Captain William Whiteley RFA appointed as Master
Captain William Whiteley RFA
2 September 1929 at Abadan
6 May 1930 arrived at Suez from Abadan
11 May 1930 arrived Malta from Abadan
18 May 1930 arrived Port Said from Malta
7 July 1930 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour from Devonport
15 July 1930 Mr Leonard H Taylor RFA appointed was Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Leonard H Taylor RFA
2 August 1930 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour for Abadan
26 October 1930 arrived at Singapore from Abadan
5 January 1931 passed Gibraltar
15 January 1931 berthed at Port Victoria
17 January 1931 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
20 January 1931 Captain Charles H Noel RFA appointed as Master
Captain Charles H Noel RFA
7 February 1931 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
13 February 1931 at Gibraltar
19 February 1931 arrived at Malta
26 February 1931 arrived at Port Said when on passage from Portsmouth Harbour to Abadan
28 February 1931 sailed Suez
16 March 1931 sailed Abadan
1 April 1931 sailed from Port Said
16 April 1931 sailed Gibraltar
1 May 1931 transitted the Suez Canal
19 May 1931 sailed Abadan
3 August 1931 passed Gibraltar
7 September 1931 at Chatham
18 October 1931 sailed from Suez
24 October 1931 passed Perim
8 November 1931 sailed Abadan
6 December 1931 sailed Singapore
29 December 1931 sailed Abadan
16 January 1932 arrived at Suez
17 January 1932 sailed Port Said
4 February 1932 Captain Alfred S Jones RFA appointed as Master
10 February 1932 sailed Suez
17 February 1932 passed Perim
12 March 1932 passed Perim
19 March 1932 arrived Suez from Abadan
20 March 1932 sailed Port Said
4 April 1932 at Malta
26 May 1932 at Woodlands, Johore Sailor Yong Ah King discharged dead following an accident
16 July 1932 sailed Port Said
4 August 1932 sailed Abadan
3 September 1932 while on passage to Devonport passed Gibraltar this day
15 September 1932 Captain Reginald C E Neyroud RFA appointed as Master
3 October 1932 at Devonport
6 October 1932 Mr James Paton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 November 1932 while on passage to Abadan arrived at Port Said sailing the same day
22 January 1933 sailed Port Said
2 April 1933 while on passage from Gibraltar arrived at Port Said
7 April 1933 sailed Port Said
21 May 1933 arrived at Singapore from Abadan
14 June 1933 sailed Abadan
10 August 1933 Captain John Ross Gorrie RFA appointed as Master
Captain John Ross Gorrie RFA
20 September 1933 sailed Abadan
5 October 1933 arrived at Suez from Abadan
6 October 1933 sailed from Port Said
19 Ocober 1933 sailed Plymouth
6 November 1933 in Chatham Dockyard
30 December 1933 at Malta
27 December 1933 sailed from Port Said
22 January 1934 sailed from Aden
23 May 1934 Captain Leonard Elford RFA appointed as Master
Captain Leonard Elford RFA
2 June 1934 arrived at Port Said from Malta
11 August 1934 sailed from Abadan
28 August 1934 sailed from Trincomali, Ceylon
18 October 1934 arrived at Port Said from Gibraltar
23 November 1934 arrived at Suez
13 December 1934 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
23 January 1935 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
4 February 1935 arrived at Port Said
11 February 1935 passed Perim when on passage to Abadan
5 March 1935 arrived at Suez from Abadan
21 March 1935 sailed Gibraltar
17 April 1935 sailed Abadan
29 April 1935 sailed from Port Said
12 May 1935 sailed from Abadan
9 July 1935 sailed from Port Said
20 July 1935 sailed from Gibraltar
26 August 1935 arrived at Aden from Gibraltar
6 September 1935 sailed Abadan
17 October 1935 at Haifa
8 November 1935 arrived at Port Said
29 December 1935 arrived at Port Said
16 January 1936 arrived at Abadan
17 January 1936 Mr James E Hawthorn RFA appointed was Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer James E Hawthorn RFA
2 March 1936 at Alexandria
5 March 1936 at Alexandria
6 April 1936 in the Victoria Dry Dock at Singapore
18 July 1936 sailed Malta
13 August 1936 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
17 August 1936 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
22 August 1936 berthed at Gibraltar in ballast while on passage from Portsmouth Harbour to Port Said
12 December 1936 arrived at Suez from Abadan
28 December 1936 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour and Captain Murray W Westlake RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master
Captain Murray W Westlake RFA
31 December 1936 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
14 January 1937 arrived at Port Said
7 February 1937 arrived at Aden from Kobe, Japan
30 March 1937 at Smiths Dock, North Shields for refit
29 April 1937 manned as an RFA at North Shields
16 June `1937 sailed from Aden for Abadan
15 September 1937 berthed at Malta from Port Said
29 October 1937 at the British Hospital, Port Said Fireman Wong Hup discharged dead from natural causes – Dysentery
4 November 1937 berthed at Malta
31 January 1938 berthed at Gibraltar from Abadan and Malta to discharge cargo
23 March 1938 berthed at Malta from Port Said
11 April 1938 arrived West Hartlepool from Chatham for repair by T W Greenwell & Co
29 April 1938 arrived at Sheerness
6 May 1938 sailed from Sheerness for Abadan
1 August 1938 Captain W R Parker RFA appointed as Master
23 March 1939 arrived at the River Tyne from Gibraltar
1 April 1939 berthed at Wallsend Slipway, River Tyne
6 April 1939 sailed the Tyne for Rosyth where she was placed in semi-commission at Rosyth with 2 Officers and 8 Ratings on Yard Craft Agreement.
28 August 1939 Mr T Perrett RFA appointed was Chief Engineer Officer
29 August 1939 Captain Reginald P Harris RFA appointed as Master
Captain Reginal P Harris RFA
28 December 1939 Captain Alfred L Jones RFA appointed as Master
18 January 1940 Captain William J Shipton RFA appointed as Master
Captain William J Shipton RFA
29 June 1941 at 59°15’N 3°25’W missed by a torpedo – details from the Admiralty War Diary of this day – page 543
28 August 1941 to 15 October 1941 on the Tyne at South Shields for refit.
15 September 1941 Mr William C Elliott RFA appointed was Chief Engineer Officer
29 September 1941 Captain Stanley M Woodward RFA appointed as Master
Captain Stanley M Woodward RFA
6 November 1941 sailed Immingham to the Humber arrived 8 November 1941
8 November 1941 sailed the Humber to Rosyth arriving the next day
11 November 1941 to 15 November 1941 at Grangemouth
19 November 1941 sailed from Methil in convoy FS 650 towards Southend cargo for the destroyer force at Harwich
22 November 1941 while in the above convoy was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth at 52°35.45N 2°09.30E by German E-Boat S104 captained by Oblt.z.S. Rebensburg. The tug SUPERMAN arrived to take her in tow to Yarmouth but she broke her back and sank in position 52°35.45N 02°09.30E. Her crew of 45 were all saved.