RFA Teakol (1)
Subsequent name: San Dario
Official Number: 142290
Class: SECOND 1000t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler
Pennant No: X70
Laid down:
Builder: Short Brothers, Pallion
Launched: 17 August 1917
Into Service: January 1918
Out of service: 1920
Fate: Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a further programme of tanker construction for the newly-formed RFA Service. Eventually there were eighteen ships in this Class, twelve of which were named after trees with the OL suffix, while the remainder had names connected with the oil industry also with the OL suffix. Four of the Class were diesel engined and were sold after the Armistice but the rest, being triple expansion steamers, had long and successful lives
29 July 1917 Engineer Lieutenant C Newton RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He was demobilised 29 July 1919
17 August 1917 launched by Short Bros & Co Ltd, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 412 named TEAKOL (1)
1 December 1917 Lieutenant Sidney J Twyman RNR appointed in command. He remain in command until 1 March 1918 when he was appointed to RFA Petrella on 18 March 1918.
31 January 1918 Donkeyman Bertie John Nugent Ketteringham MMR 92723 discharged to Chatham Hospital. He had signed on on 1 January 1918. He died in the Seaman's Hospital, Greenwich on 3 July 1918 of pneumonia and is buried in the Greenwich Royal Naval Cemetery in Plot C, Row M, Grave 51
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
7 February 1918 Able Seaman Edward Hepburn logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on the ship on 1 January 1918
1 March 1918 Lieutenant Frederick F Hazell RNR appointed in Command - he was demobilized on 25 September 1919
Lieutenant Frederick F Hazell RNR
24 July 1918 Second Officer John Collins RFA appeared before a Court Martial charged with (a) being found drunk on board and (b) did use threatening language to his superior officer. The accused pleaded Guilty to both offences and he was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and to be dismissed his ship
13 August 1918 the Police Gazette of this day listed among those who were wanted for Deserting or being Absentees from H M Services - Able Seaman J E Buller MMR and Greaser F Thorn MMR both of this ship
7 January 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS TORCH refuelling her with 7 tons of FFO
HMS TORCH
5 May 1919 Engineer Lieutenant David E Morgan RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Engineer Lieutenant David E Morgan RNR
14 March 1919 Sub-Lieutenant Frederick Thomson Douglas RNR, aged 40, discharged dead. He was killed when he fell while attempting to board a moving train at Platform 2, Queens Street Railway Station, Glasgow when returning to his ship which was berthed at Burntisland, Fife. Seven carriages past over him before the train could be stopped. He had signed on on 18 December 1917. He was buried at East Kilbride Cemetery, Lanarkshire in grave H 521
14 April 1919 Greaser Francis McConville and Greaser George W Hodgson MMR 881803 (also known as Hunter) both logged as deserting from the ship. McConville had signed on the ship on the 25 July 1918 and Hodgson had signed on the ship on the 18 December 1918 having previously served on RFA's KURUMBA and SLAVOL
Greaser George W Hodgson MMR 881803
5 June 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS CASTOR refuelling her
18 June 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her with 37 tons FFO
HMS VINDICTIVE
23 June 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS VINDICTIVE refuelling her with 55 tons FFO
8 July 1919 at Rosyth alongside HMS CASTOR refuelling her
August 1919 Engineer Lieutenant George McA Brown RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 August 1919 Greaser Robert McMorran logged as deserting. He had signed on on 19 May 1919
25 September 1919 Chief Officer Rutherford Dodds RFA promoted to Captain and took command. He remain in command until 4 March 1920. He had signed on originally on the 11 June 1919
Captain Rutherford Dodds RFA
14 November 1919 Engineer Lieutenant John W Mould RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 November 1919 at Rosyth with HMS CASTOR alongside refuelling her with 120 tons of FFO
29 January 1920 sold to Shell Tankers (Eagle Oil) renamed "San Dario" and ceased to be an RFA
November 1922 re-engined with 2 x T. 3 cyl 9½” 15½” & 26” x 18” by Ailsa Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Troon. 85 nhp. Speed 7 knots. Twin screws
11 April 1923 sailed Southampton
16 April 1923 sailed Granton for Thameshaven
9 August 1923 arrived at Skerryvore, Belfast from London
7 July 1924 arrived at Plymouth
25 July 1924 sailed Plymouth
7 November 1924 Captain Harry Young Third discharged dead - natural causes - heart failure. Captain H Y Third had served as Master on a number of RFA's during and just after World War 1
5 May 1925 arrived at Aberdeen from Thameshaven
17 November 1925 the Scotsman newspaper reported -
3 June 1926 berthed at Hull from Shellhaven with a cargo of motor spirit
24 August 1926 berthed at Aberdeen from Hull with a cargo of motor spirit
7 November 1926 berthed at Aberdeen from Rosyth
10 November 1926 berthed at Granton
29 November 1926 sailed Granton to Rosyth
4 March 1927 berthed at Granton from Thameshaven
28 July 1927 arrived at Jarrow, River Tyne from Hull
26 August 1927 the Essex Chronicle reported -
4 April 1928 sailed Aberdeen
1 May 1928 berthed at Granton from Aberdeen
4 October 1928 arrived at Granton from Thameshaven
14 February 1929 sailed Hull for Jarrow in ballast
30 April 1929 berthed at Hull from London with a cargo of fuel oil
18 May 1929 arrived at Granton from Thameshaven
1930 owners restyled as Eagle Oil & Shipping Co Ltd, London
11 February 1930 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
18 March 1930 in collision with motor steamer Adlington Court while berthing at Jarrow. Both vessels suffered damage
22 April 1931 sailed Hull for London with a cargo of creosote
15 September 1932 arrived at Avonmouth to load cargo
10 November 1935 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
17 December 1935 sailed Avonmouth Docks for Belfast
9 March 1936 berthed at Avonmouth Docks for bunkers
20 November 1936 while weatherbound at anchor at Milford Haven and in ballast was hit by a trawler 'Thomas Deas' and was holed in no: 5 tank, port side
2 February 1937 at Avonmouth Docks arrived from Swansea
23 May 1939 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
Spent most of her World War 2 service on 'inland' water work from Liverpool on the Manchester ship canal with very occasional voyages to Avonmouth, Holyhead, Stornoway, Milford Haven, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Kyle of Loch Alsh and Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde
4 April 1940 in refit at Liverpool
6 February 1941 in refit at Liverpool
13 April 1941 as San Dario sailed the Clyde in convoy WN114 to Methil arriving on 16 April 1941
30 March 1945 in collision with the BI ship Chupra in the Irish Sea
20 January 1950 berthed at Avonmouth from Heysham
30 January 1950 berthed at Avonmouth from Heysham
2 February 1950 arrived at Heysham from Avonmouth
30 September 1957 broken up at Grays, Essex by T.W. Ward Ltd
Notes:
She had to be re-engined as Lloyds refused to classify the Swedish machinery and ultimately the Admiralty refunded £54,000 to the Eagle Oil Transport Co Ltd, who nonetheless retained the ship!
RFA Teakol (2)
Official Number 181547
Class: 1500t OL CLASS Harbour Tanker
Pennant No: X 294 / A167
Laid down: 27 May 1946
Builder: Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew
Launched: 14 November 1946
Into Service: 14 January 1947
Out of service: 1969
Fate: Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: There were 4 ships in this Class, all Admiralty-designed as harbour oilers. A fifth vessel, the ex-German LISELOTTE ESSBERGERwhich had been captured at Trondheim in April 1945 and was taken as a War Prize, was handed over to the MOWT and was renamed EMPIRE TEGYIKA. In 1947 she was transferred to the Admiralty and was renamed THORNOL, but remained under commercial management and was never RFA-manned
27 September 1944 ordered
27 May 1946 laid down
14 November 1946 launched by Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew as Yard Nr 1093 named TEAKOL
9 December 1946 Captain Donovan J S Newton MID RFA appointed as Master
14 January 1947 completed
26 April 1947 sailed the Hawthorne Leslie, River Tyne for Rosyth
20 July 1947 Mr F Johnstone RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 November 1947 Captain Arthur E Craze RFA appointed as Master
7 June 1948 Captain John Mc Angus RFA appointed as Master
Captain John Mc Angus RFA
15 August 1948 at Sheerness Able Seaman Wilfred Taylor discharged dead - missing presumed drowned
24 August 1948 the Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencia newspaper reported ...
20 September 1948 at Portland alongside HMS JUTLAND refuelling her
29 October 1948 Mr E A H Chantler RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 November 1948 passed Lloyds Signal Station, Lizard sailing east bound
13 June 1949 berthed at Dundee from Rosyth to load cargo
17 June 1949 sailed Dundee for Rosyth
1 March 1950 arrived the River Tyne from Plymouth
3 March 1950 sailed the River Tyne for Plymouth
10 March 1950 Mr Arthur L Barr RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Arthur L Barr RFA
23 September 1950 moored alongside the oil hulk Valiant at Wilcove when the 3rd Engineer Officer saw a man removing lead pipe from the Valiant. Subsequently two men, one the watchmen from the Valiant, appeared at Torpoint Magistrates' Court charged with larceny and malicious damage. They pleaded Guilty. One man, a recidivist, was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment and the other was fined £10
16 October 1950 Captain James H Chant RFA appointed as Master
17 November 1950 Mr J B Russell OBE RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
13 December 1950 Captain William F Curlett RFA appointed as Master
12 January 1951 passed St Catherines Point sailing east bound
12 September 1951 Captain H R Davies RFA appointed as Master
24 October 1951 Mr Wallace G Downing RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 February 1952 at Chatham alongside HMS PLYM refuelling her - 97 tons
12 March 1952 at Chatham alongside HMS PLYM refuelling her - approximately 500 tons supplied
13 May 1952 arrived at the River Tyne from Rosyth
21 June 1952 sailed Portsmouth
3 August 1952 Captain J W Cunningham RFA appointed as Master
20 February 1953 Mr S Turner RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 July 1953 Captain J Coull RFA appointed as Master
15 September 1953 Mr J J Moore RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
29 May 1954 Captain F S Samson RFA appointed as Master
3 July 1954 Mr Thomas L Morton RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 February 1955 Mr T B Willis RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
9 March 1955 at Harwich with HMS ODDURATE alongside being refuelled
18 April 1955 Captain Iorwerth B Roberts RFA appointed as Master
6 October 1955 off Sheerness Dockyard off loaded FFO from HMS SUPERB before this cruiser entered Chatham Dockyard for refit
11 December 1955 passed Flamorough Head sailing north bound
12 December 1955 arrived the River Tyne from Sheerness
12 March 1956 Mr R J Brown RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 August 1956 Captain George Baker RFA appointed as Master
28 October 1957 Mr W J Plastow RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
31 December 1957 arrived at Immingham from the Isle of Grain
1 January 1958 Captain Archibald M M Telfer RFA appointed as Master
6 June 1958 Mr F A Ford RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 May 1959 Captain Basil V Dobbie RFA appointed as Master
8 July 1960 Captain E D J Evans RFA appointed as Master
13 June 1961 Captain C G D Barker RFA appointed as Master
23 November 1962 Captain P J McCarthy RFA appointed as Master
14 January 1963 Mr A P V Falzon RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
25 April 1963 Captain J Gulessarian RFA appointed as Master
27 July 1964 Mr P W Scott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 September 1964 Captain G O W Evans DSC RFA appointed as Master
1965 laid up at Devonport
12 July 1969 offered for sale by the Board of Trade in The Times at the same time as RFA Oakol (2) and RFA Birchol (2). All three ships were lying at Devonport Dockyard and were offered 'as lying'
20 September 1969 sailed Devonport in tow
22 September 1969 arrived for breaking up at Antwerp by Jos de Smedt
Notes:
1. Spent her entire service in Home Waters