RFA Mixol

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                   Whitebrook.  Irene M

Class:

Pennant No:                            X 02  /  X43  /  A143

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Caledon Ship Building & Eng Co., Dundee

Launched:                                17 July 1916
Into Service:                             October 1916 
Out of service:                          1948
Fate:                                       Sold commercially

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

6 March 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ripley RD RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

1 September 1916 Lieutenant William H Harvey RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 17 August 1917 to take command of RFA Vitol and subsequently RFA Dredgol. He was demobilised on 28 January 1920

19 September 1916 4th Engineer Albert T Warne RFA was appointed to RFA Mixol. He was appointed as 3rd Engineer on 31 January 1917 and 2nd Engineer on the 27 July 1917. He was also appointed Engineer Sub-Lieutenant RNR

Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR

Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR’s discharge book

Note the ship’s rubber stamp shows it’s name as HMS Mixol Royal Fleet Auxiliary

17 May 1917 Fireman P Shinnock logged as deserted while the ship was at Glasgow

12 August 1917 Lieutenant William J D Read RNR appointed in command He signed off on 16 May 1918 to take command of RFA Thermol where he signed off on 31 December 1919.

20 September 1917 Ship’s Cook  H Humphreys logged as deserted.

18 March 1918 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Albert T Warne RNR discharged at Scapa Flow to RFA Burma

16 May 1918 Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR appointed in command. He signed off on 23 January 1919 when he took command of RFA Black Dragon in Gibraltar.

Lieutenant D E A Jones RNR

1 November 1919 Captain H Young Third RFA appointed Master until 31 March 1920. He then took command of RFA Philol

1 April 1920 Chief Officer W Seymour Biggs RFA appointed as Acting Master until 16 April 1920

18 April 1920 Captain W Watson RFA appointed as Master – resigned from Admiralty Service 28 April 1920

28 April 1920 Captain R D Williams RFA appointed as Master previously on RFA Appleleaf.

7 August 1920 Master, Officers and crew signed a Home Trade Agreement

30 October 1920 on Yard Craft Agreement

3 September 1939 in reserve at Devonport

13 September 1939 sailed Rosyth for Scapa Flow under the escort of HMS Matabele – arrived on 14 September 1939

7 May 1940 Captain E Mills RFA appointed as Master

26 May 1940 Mr F Easey, RFA, Chief Engineer Officer discharged dead. He is buried in the New MacHar Cemetery, Aberdeenshire

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

1 September 1940 refuelling HMS Hood alongside at Scapa Flow

11 November 1940 Mr L Cowell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 December 1940 sailed Methil in convoy EN35 to Oban – arrived on 6 December 1940

7 December 1940 arrived  the Clyde

10 March 1941 under repair at the Clyde

November 1941 Captain Edward E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master

13 November 1941 Captain Ernest W J Rousell RFA appointed as Master

25 February 1942 Mr R B Burgh RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 September 1942 Captain E M Rae RFA appointed as Master

2 January 1943 Mr J Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 March 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN401 to Methil  – arrived on 7 March 1943

6 May 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN225 to Scapa Flow  – arrived on 7 May 1943

19 February 1944 Mr Clifford N Ansell OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 April 1944 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN572 to Methil  – arrived 20 April 1944

28 December 1945 HM King George VI inspected the Master, Officers and men of the Mixol and the Black Ranger on the quarter deck of HMS Rodney while reviewing the Home Fleet in the Firth of Forth off Rosyth.

14 February 1946 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master

16 April 1946 Mr J Hall RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 August 1947 Mr G A Calvert RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 September 1947 Captain Douglas S Norrington RD RFA (Lieut-Commander RNR) appointed as Master

1948 sold to Rethymnis Kulukundis (Counties Ship Management Co) and renamed Whitebrook

1951 sold to Nolido Navigation Co, Panama and renamed IRENE M

1953 appeared in the Lloyds casualty lists when her boilers failed completely in the English Channel near the Royal Sovereign Lightship, she sent out an SOS and was towed into the Thames by Dover tugs

27 December 1953 arrived at Antwerp for breaking up