“RELIANT”

Pennant No. A 84          International Callsign GRLK          Registered WEST HARTLEPOOL

Previous Name “Somersby”  (Re-named  23/9/1958).                    Lloyds Identity No. 5292646

Builder Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.

Launched 9^th September 1953                                                            Completed 4^th March 1955

Displacement (Light-ship) 4,447 tons                                (Loaded) 13,737 tons

Measurement Tonnage N.R.T. 3,626                G.R.T. 8,460                DWT 9,290

Dimensions Length O.A. 469 ft.                  Beam 61.5 ft                     Draft 26 ft.

Main Machinery 1 x Doxford 6 cylinder marine diesel engine.       Built by Hawthorn Leslie.

Single shaft.  Speed 18 knots.

Ships Badge Granted in 1971.  Depicts a joining shackle in a studded chain cable, over wavy sea, on a blue background, representing the reliable link in the Fleet Train.

Remarks Originally named “Somersby”, this ship was a grain carrier owned by ‘Ropner Shipping Co.’, trading for two years between the Gulf of Mexico and the U.K.  Ownership transferred to the Admiralty in May 1957.  She became RFA “SOMERSBY” on 11^th August 1957 and served as a stores freighter for a few months.  In 1958 she was extensively converted at (Smith’s Shipyard & Drydock Co.?), North Shields, to be an Air Stores Support Ship to accompany an aircraft carrier battle group.  This conversion work included adding 700 tons of permanent ballast on her tank-tops and the provision of an additional steel deck.  Extra accommodation was provided for embarked stores personnel. An improved electrical generating plant, new RAS winches and stores binning facilities within the holds had to be built into the vessel to enable her to carry out her new role.  Conversion work was completed by 23^rd September 1958, when she was re-named “RELIANT”.

She sailed from Chatham Dockyard on 4^th November 1958, bound for the Far East, where she was based for many years supporting the Fleet in that region, in particular all activities involving aircraft carrier operations.  She carried a vast range of 40,000 different patterns of aircraft spares and naval stores in her six specially designed holds.  She became known within the RFA as ‘The Yacht’, because of her good looks and plush wood panelled officers accommodation complete with sweeping curved staircases.  Possibly also because of her relatively easy lifestyle in the Far East.

Two heavy jackstay transfer rigs operated from both port and starboard sides and she was fitted with a helicopter winching pad over the poop.  She was also equipped with two Naval Stores Tenders, (NST’s), used for transferring stores in harbour or at an anchorage, (and beach parties!).

“RELIANT” was laid up at Rosyth Dockyard in 1976.  She was sold to T.W.Ward, shipbreakers at Inverkeithing and towed the short distance there on 23^rd August 1977.  Her spare propeller was kept intact and now lies as an exhibit at Chatham’s “Historic Dockyard”.  The previous “RELIANT”, (ex “London Importer”), was an RFA Fleet Supply Ship built in 1923 by Furness Shipbuilding and purchased by the Admiralty in 1933.  She had a GRT of 7,938 tons and dimensions of 471 ft x 58 ft x 30 ft draft and a speed of 14 knots.

“RELIANT”

9^th December 1969 to 29^th December 1969

Singapore Chinese Crew

2^nd Officer

I was asked to join this ship, which was lying in Portsmouth Dockyard, for a brief period to relieve the ship’s appointed 2^nd Officer so that he could get away on compassionate leave.  The ship remained alongside throughout my brief stint, as it was approaching and indeed covering the Christmas leave period when the Royal Navy was unlikely to be found at sea.  The Captain had himself gone home for a few days and left the ship in the hands of the 1^st Officer, Who characteristically smoked roll-up fags to the bitter end, until they practically burned his lips!

There was no doctor on board at this time and the last one had left the hospital and medical stores in a bit of a shambles.  I seem to remember that the 1^st Officer and I spent a lot of our time trying to sort out the collection of medical bits and pieces, counting tablets and quantities of medicines and putting the details down in a ledger.

Nothing much happened during my time on board, that I can recall, apart from the routine watchkeeping duties whilst in port.  I missed Christmas at home with my family but the extra money came in handy for keeping our heads above water.  I paid off in Portsmouth, transferring directly to my next ship, which was awaiting me in Portland.