Previous name: Empire Mars
Official Number: 180153
Class: WAVE CLASS Freighting Oiler (unmodified)
Pennant No: X138 / A246
Laid down:
Builder: Laings, Deptford Yard, Sunderland
Launched: 16 November 1944
Into Service: 16 November 1946
Out of service: 30 April 1960
Fate: Broken Up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: A need for fast tankers to bring oil into the country had been envisaged early in the Second World War, but by the time the material had been collected and the Yards had space to build them, the need had largely passed and the original design of diesel-engined ships was abandoned. Instead, the standard 12000t Class being built were given sharper bows and sterns and turbine engines with water tube boilers. In all, 21 of this type were built and were offered to the Admiralty, who wanted faster tankers for the Pacific Fleet Train. The Admiralty took 20 of them (the final vessel being completed commercially for Oil and Molasses Tankers Ltd, London as BEECHWOOD) and renamed them with the WAVE nomenclature. Performance varied considerably from ship to ship and they underwent various modifications in their rigs for RAS work. The 8 best ones were finally given an extensive refit, with extra accommodation added to the Bridge Deck and extra turbo cargo pumps and derricks to make them more satisfactory for Fleet work. Initially expensive to run, they recouped some of their expensive repair bills by earning revenues from charter work after the Korean War. From this Class was evolved the TIDE CLASS oilers.
16 November 1944 launched by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 755 named EMPIRE MARS for the MoWT. Cost £230,926.00 (source contract letter in Tyne & Wear Archives)
20 November 1944 towed from Sunderland to the Tyne arriving on 21 November 1944
17 January 1945 sailed the Tyne to Sunderland arriving on 21 January 1945
18 April 1945 sailed from the Tyne in convoy FS1785 to Southend arriving on 20 April 1945
22 April 1945 sailed Southend in a Liverpool convoy UC65A to New York arriving on 5 May 1945. This convoy also contained EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER) and EMPIRE SALISBURY (later RFA WAVE MASTER)
10 May 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU69 to the Downs arriving 21 May 1945 passing Southend the same day and arriving Gravesend 25 May 1945 with EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER) bound Liverpool
2 June 1945 sailed Gravesend independently to Delaware Capes arriving on 11 June 1945
15 June 1945 sailed Delaware Capes independently passing the Downs on 25 June 1945 and anchoring in the the Thames Estuary the next day. To the Isle of Grain to discharge.
25 June 1945 sailed the Isle of Grain to the Tyne arriving on 29 June 1945
30 June 1945 under repair on the Tyne which was completed on 1 September 1945
2 September 1945 sailed the Tyne to Curacao
19 September 1945 sailed Curacao to Cristobal arriving on 22 September 1945
22 September 1945 transited the Panama Canal
22 September 1945 sailed Balboa to Melbourne, Australia arriving 15 October 1945
19 October 1945 sailed Melbourne, Australia for Abadan arriving 6 November 1945
10 November 1945 sailed Abadan to Suez arriving on 19 November 1945
20 November 1945 sailed Port Said to Malta arriving on 23 November 1945
30 November 1945 sailed Malta to Suez arriving 4 December 1945
4 December 1945 sailed Suez to Abadan arriving 12 December 1945
7 December 1945 passed Aden
14 December 1945 sailed Abadan to Singapore arriving 25 December 1945
1 January 1946 at Singapore for repairs
1 March 1946 arrived at Hong Kong
18 July 1946 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing westbound from Devonport to Cardiff
8 August 1946 the Shields Daily News reported -
16 November 1946 acquired for the Admiralty and renamed Wave Duke
30 January 1947 at Port Said
31 January 1947 sailed from Suez
9 February 1947 at Abadan
18 February 1947 arrived at Aden
20 February 1947 sailed Aden for Abadan
3 March 1947 at Colombo, Ceylon
16 March 1947 at Abadan
24 April 1947 sailed Port Said for Abadan
6 May 1947 sailed Abadan for Port Said
15 May 1947 at Suez
12 June 1947 berthed at No: 2 Tier, Jarrow Slake, River Tyne
15 June 1947 passed Dunnet Head sailing west bound
20 July 1947 arrived Suez having sailed from Abadan
16 August 1947 passed Aden
27 August 1947 sailed Malta for Abadan
11 September 1947 sailed Abadan
23 September 1947 sailed from Port Said
4 October 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
6 October 1947 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
29 January 1948 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He remained on the ship until 18 December 1950
13 March 1948 sailed Curacao
15 April 1948 sailed Curacao for LEFO
29 July 1948 was involved in a collision in thick fog about 50 miles south east of Land's End with the British steamer Esperance Bay which was bound for Brisbane, Australia. Both vessels suffered slight damage and no one was hurt. The Esperance Bay returned to Southampton for examination
ss Esperance Bay
30 July 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
4 August 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
2 September 1948 Captain Ernest W J Rousell RFA appointed as Master
5 October 1948 passed the signal station at Gibraltar sailing eastwards
10 October 1948 arrived at Malta from Devonport
20 October 1948 passed Aden for Abadan
24 December 1948 passed Aden
21 April 1949 sail from Port Said
24 May 1949 arrive at Suez
4 June 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
9 June 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
20 June 1949 sailed Suez
7 July 1949 passed Aden
13 July 1949 arrive at Port Said
30 July 1949 sail Suez
21 August 1949 arrived at Suez
22 August 1949 sail from Port Said
25 August 1949 arrive at Malta
29 August 1949 sail Malta
31 August 1949 arrive Port Said from Malta
1 September 1949 sail Suez
4 September 1949 passed Aden
12 September 1949 sail Abadan
24 September 1949 sailed Port Said
3 November 1949 Captain Richard L Barber MID RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master until 1 December 1949
13 December 1949 Captain Richard L Barber MID RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
19 December 1949 passed Gibraltar when on passage from Devonport
22 December 1949 arrived at Malta
23 December 1949 sailed Malta
26 December 1949 while on passage from Devonport to Abadan arrived at Port Said
27 December 1949 sailed Suez for Abadan
3 January 1950 Captain Percivale H Brooke OBE RFA appointed as Master
Captain Percivale H Brooke OBE RFA
8 January 1950 sailed Abadan for Adelaide
19 January 1950 reported as being within wireless range of Australia
26 January 1950 while on passage to Adelaide and Melbourne from Abadan anchored in Gage Roads, Fremantle to land a sick seaman. Having landed the seaman continued with her voyage to Adelaide
30 January 1950 berthed at Adelaide
3 February 1950 arrived Melbourne, Australia from Abadan to discharge
7 February 1950 sailed Melbourne for Abadan
22 May 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
27 May 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 saw service during the Korean War along with 18 other RFA‘s
9 July 1950 while on passage from Abadan to Devonport arrived at Port Said
19 July 1950 at Plymouth
1 August 1950 from Devonport arrived at Port Said
2 August 1950 arrived at Suez
12 August 1950 berthed at Abadan
29 August 1950 arrived at Malta
3 October 1950 arrived at Port Said
8 November 1950 sailed Suez
11 December 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
16 December 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
17 December 1950 arrived at Palmers Yard, Hebburn, River Tyne
21 December 1950 Mr H C A Brain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 January 1951 still berthed at Palmers Yard at Hebburn, River Tyne
20 February 1951 sailed Suez
2 March 1951 arrived at Abadan
3 March 1951 sailed Abadan for Aden
8 March 1951 arrived at Aden
18 March 1951 arrived at Abadan
21 March 1951 sailed Abadan for Port Said
7 April 1951 sailed Gibraltar for Port Said
8 May 1951 passed Aden
26 May 1951 sail Aden for Abadan
31 May 1951 arrived Abadan
2 June 1951 sailed Abadan for Singapore
3 July 1951 in Singapore outer Roads
6 March 1952 arrived the River Tyne
19 April 1952 berthed at Palmers (Hebburn) on the River Tyne for repairs or refit
1 May 1952 sailed the River Tyne for Curacao
3 January 1953 at Portland, Maine, USA Lascar Seaman Rama Raghow discharged dead - natural causes - heart attack
18 April 1953 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master
27 April 1953 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
7 May 1953 arrived Smith Docks for refit on the River Tyne from Avonmouth
12 June 1953 at North Shields Shipping Office signed on new members of the crew
24 June 1953 sailed the River Tyne for Sheerness
21 July 1953 sailed Ras Tanura for Bombay and Australia
28 July 1953 sailed Bombay
31 July 1953 sailed from Bombay for Colombo, Ceylon
12 August 1953 berthed at Darwin, Australia
28 August 1953 sailed Colombo, Ceylon for Bombay
6 September 1953 sailed Bombay
12 September 1953 sailed Ras Tanura
23 September 1953 sailed Singapore Roads to Kure, Japan
18 October 1953 arrived Trincomalee, Ceylon
22 November 1953 in the Arabian Sea Seaman 1st Class Baboo Sonya discharged dead - drowned
8 December 1953 sailed from Port Said for LEFO
13 January 1954 at Swansea Secunny Email Eusoff discharged dead - natural causes
22 February 1954 sailed Suez
14 March 1954 arrived at Suez
9 April 1954 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound
17 April 1954 sailed Suez
27 April 1954 sailed Mena Al Ahmadi for LEFO
28 May 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Swansea
28 June 1954 Mr Robert A Higgie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Robert A Higgie RFA
14 July 1954 sailed the River Tyne for Bahrein
13 January 1955 two RAF Shackleton aircraft were reported overdue from a training flight over the Atlantic. Diverted to join in the search for them
6 February 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
25 June 1955 berthed at Smith's Dock, River Tyne
11 January 1956 Captain Walter L Holtam RFA appointed as Master
Captain Walter L Holtam RFA
15 July 1956 Mr A M Evans RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 August 1956 at Newcastle Shipping Office discharged the ships officers
28 August 1956 berthed at Swan Hunter (Walker), River Tyne
16 October 1956 berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne
7 February 1957 Captain Allistoun M Macquire-Samson RFA appointed as Master
25 March 1957 sailed Houston for the U.K. with a full cargo of oil and struck a submerged wreck in the Houston Channel and sustained damage. She was still in the Channel 2 weeks later having transhipped her cargo to RFA DERWENTDALE (1)
17 October 1957 arrived at the River Tyne berthing on the Admiraltry Buoys
29 October 1957 berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne with RFA RESURGENT
16 November 1957 berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne with RFA WAVE EMPEROR
24 December 1957 berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne with RFA WAVE COMMANDER
27 December 1957 Mr J P Mair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 March 1958 South East of Tyne Piers Seaman 1st Class Abdoolla Hasson discharged dead - found hanged
22 April 1958 berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne with RFA TIDEREACH
27 May 1958 still berthed on the Admiralty Quay, River Tyne but now without RFA TIDEREACH
26 August 1958 Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA appointed as Master
Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA
6 November 1958 Mr F Barclay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
22 December 1958 sailed Pembroke Dock to Aruba
4 January 1959 sailed Aruba for Invergordon
19 May 1959 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar
13 August 1959 arrived Malta from Bahrein
18 August 1959 sailed Malta for the UK
30 April 1960 destored and laid up at Devonport
1961 still laid up but had been moved to Rosyth
1 November 1969 offered for sale 'as lying' at Devonport Dockyard in the Times of this day
25 December 1969 arrived Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Hierros Ardes