The Bulawayo Cup

The Bulawayo Cup - Royal Fleet Auxiliary TrophyThe Bulawayo Cup was originally one of a series of trophies presented to HMS Bulawayo by the citizens of Zimbabwe’s (then known as Rhodesia) second city, when the captured German tanker “Nordmark” was commissioned into the Royal Navy and eventually re-named HMS Bulawayo.

 

The Bulawayo Cup was originally one of a series of trophies presented to HMS Bulawayo by the citizens of Zimbabwe’s (then known as Rhodesia) second city, when the captured German tanker “Nordmark” was commissioned into the Royal Navy and eventually re-named HMS Bulawayo.  As well as the cup (there were in fact two cups) there were three silver salvers presented to the ship, one large and two smaller ones.

 

The Bulawayo Cup - Royal Fleet Auxiliary Trophy

 

HMS Bulawayo was used by the Royal Navy to conduct replenishment at sea trials and an enormous amount of useful knowledge was gained from these trials.  The Bulawayo Cup was awarded to the Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, which in the opinion of the “Committee”, had in the previous year, displayed the most conspicuous efficiency in fleet replenishment at sea on the Mediterranean station.

From information received, it seems that this trophy was awarded between 1951 and 1960, and of the ten occasions that it was known to have been awarded, RFA ships won it on eight of these.

 

Winners List:

 

1951 – HMS Vigo

1952 – RFA Blue Ranger

1953 – RFA Fort Duquesne

1954 – RFA Fort Duquesne

1955 – HMS Aisne

1956 – RFA Retainer

1957 – RFA Fort Duquesne

1958 – RFA Tideflow

1959 – Shared between RFA Fort Langley / RFA Fort Duquesne

1960 – Shared jointly by RFA Tide Austral / RFA Fort Duquesne

 

Blue Ranger 1952 Bulawayo Cup

Officers of RFA Blue Ranger display the Bulawayo Cup in the trophy cabinet in their lounge