Previous name: Empire Salisbury
Official Number: 180146
Class: WAVE CLASS Replenishment Oiler (modified)
Pennant No: X 133 / A193
Laid down: 1943
Builder: Sir J Laing & Sons, Sunderland
Launched: 20 May 1944
Into Service: December 1946
Out of service: 23 September 1962
Fate: Broken up May 1963
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 12,000t 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.
20 May 1944 launched by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 754 named EMPIRE SALISBURY for the MoWT. Cost £226,951.00 (source - contract letter in Tyne & Wear Archives)
19 June 1944 sailed the Tyne to Sunderland
December 1944 completed and placed under initial management of Eagle Oil and Shipping Co Ltd, London
9 December 1944 sailed the Tyne - returned the next day under tow.
15 December 1944 sailed the Tyne and joined convoy TBC8 arriving at Falmouth on 17 December 1944
25 December 1944 sailed Falmouth in escorted convoy UC050A to New York arriving on 4 January 1945 the convoy also contained EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)
18 January 1945 sailed New York in escorted convoy CU055 to Thames Haven arriving on 29 January 1945 the convoy also contained EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)
6 February 1945 sailed Southend in escorted convoy UC055B to Baltimore arriving on 19 February 1945
5 March 1945 sailed Philadelphia in escorted convoy CU061 to Avonmouth arriving 18 March 1945 also containing EMPIRE LAW (later RFA WAVE CONQUEROR) and EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later RFA WAVE PROTECTOR)
21 March 1945 sailed Avonmouth in escorted convoy UC061A to New York arriving 1 April 1945 also containing EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later RFA WAVE PROTECTOR)
8 April 1945 sailed New York in escorted convoy CU065 to Swansea arriving 19 April 1945 along with EMPIRE PROTECTOR (later RFA WAVE PROTECTOR)
23 April 1945 sailed Swansea in escorted convoy UC65A to Baltimore arriving 5 May 1945 also containing EMPIRE MARS (later RFA WAVE DUKE) and EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)
15 May 1945 sailed Baltimore independently to Philadelphia arriving the next day and then onto New York arriving on 18 May 1945
20 May 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU71 to Southend arriving 30 May 1945
18 July 1945 sailed Thames Haven, passing Southend independently to the Tyne arriving on 20 July 1945
24 July 1945 berthed at Middle Docks, River Tyne
29 August 1945 engaged a fresh crew at the South Shields Shipping Office
4 September 1945 sailed the Tyne independently to Curaçao arriving 25 September 1945
26 September 1945 sailed Curaçao independently to Cristobal arriving 6 October 1945
8 October 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Brisbane arriving 30 October 1945
4 November 1945 sailed Brisbane independently to Abadan arriving 25 November 1945
28 November 1945 sailed Abadan independently to Trincomalee with a schedule arrived of 6 December 1945 but on 5 December 1945 grounded at Trincomalee, Ceylon.
8 December 1945 sailed Trincomalee to Bombay for repairs arriving on 11 December 1945
25 January 1946 sailed Bombay to Abadan arriving 29 January 1946 where she underwent further repairs.
4 February 1946 sailed Abadan to Trincomalee arriving 13 February 1946
17 February 1946 sailed Trincomalee to Abadan arriving 23 February 1946
25 February 1946 sailed Abadan to Suez arriving 6 March 1946
9 March 1946 sailed Suez to Abadan arriving 19 March 1946
20 March 1946 sailed Abadan to Singapore and then to Trincomalee
30 March 1946 sailed Trincomalee to Abadan arriving 7 April 1946
9 April 1946 sailed Abadan to Colombo
16 April 1946 sailed from Colombo to Singapore arriving 22 April 1946
31 July 1946 while on passage from Suez to Devonport passed Gibraltar this day
11 August 1946 sailed Devonport and passed the Lloyds Signal station on the Lizard sailing west
13 August 1946 towed into Liverpool
December 1946 was bought by the Admiralty but remained under civil management
3 May 1947 in collision with the British tanker VIVIEN LOUISE in Lake Timsah, Suez Canal
British Oil tanker Vivien Louise
9 May 1947 on passage from Abadan passed Gibraltar this day
8 June 1947 berthed at Abadan from Devonport
15 September 1947 Captain David A Rees RFA appointed as Master
Captain David A Rees RFA
16 September 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
1 October 1947 Mr George C Dunning RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer George C Dunning RFA
18 November 1947 came under Admiralty management and renamed WAVE MASTER
27 November 1947 Mr Frederick B Hobson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
10 December 1947 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
31 December 1947 sailed Trinidad for LEFO
8 February 1948 sailed Curaçao for LEFO
21 February 1948 passed the Lloyd's Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
24 March 1948 sailed Curaçao for LEFO
12 May 1948 passed the Lloyd's Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
15 May 1948 berthed at Hull from Curaçao
18 September 1948 Captain Edward Mills RFA appointed as Master
11 November 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
14 January 1949 moved from No: 15 Dock, Portsmouth Harbour to No: 3 Basin
18 January 1949 Seaman Robert H C G Promfret appeared before Chichester Magistrates' Court charged with attempted murder - press report -
Press cutting from Hull Daily Mail of the 19 January 1949
24 January 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
3 February 1949 sailed Portsmouth Harbour to the Outer Spit Buoy
11 February 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
28 July 1949 sailed from Abadan
9 August 1949 arrived at Suez when on passage from Abadan to LEFO
10 August 1949 sailed Port Said
22 August 1949 berthed at Hull from Abadan
18 September 1949 sailed Gibraltar for Abadan
24 September 1949 arrived at Port Said
28 September 1949 sailed Suez
1 December 1949 arrived Suez
3 December 1949 sailed Port Said
6 December 1949 arrived at Malta
8 December 1949 sailed Malta for Port Said
15 December 1949 at the British Hospital, Port Said Junior Engineer Officer Farquhar Maclellan RFA discharged dead suffered a fractured base of the skull
18 December 1949 sailed Port Said for Abadan
30 December 1949 sailed Abadan
21 January 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
9 February 1950 Mr J Wilson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
12 April 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour under tow
25 April 1950 passed Gibraltar sailing east bound
1 May 1950 sailed Port Said for Abadan
6 June 1950 arrived Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to discharge
9 June 1950 sailed Melbourne, Victoria for Colombo
3 July 1950 sailed Abadan for LEFO
7 July 1950 Captain Donovan J S Newton MID RFA appointed as Master
16 July 1950 Captain Edward Mills RFA discharged dead onboard HMAS SYDNEY and buried at sea the next day
Captain Mill's death was reported in HMAS Sydney's Report of Proceedings for July 1950
16 September 1950 while on passage from Falmouth to Abadan passed Gibraltar this day
22 September 1950 arrived at Port Said
27 September 1950 sailed Suez for Abadan
7 October 1950 arrived at Abadan from Falmouth
22 September 1950 arrived at Port Said
27 September 1950 sailed Suez for Abadan
1 May 1951 berthed at Wallsend Slipway, River Tyne together with RFA WAVE REGENT
3 May 1951 Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA appointed as Master
Captain Arthur J D Gosney RFA
27 October 1951 when on passage from Balboa to Australia visited Pitcairn Island, Pacific Ocean
9 November 1951 arrived Sydney, NSW, Australia from Balboa to discharge
16 November 1951 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Curaçao
28 December 1951 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 June 1952 berthed at Portsmouth
10 September 1952 in refit in Harland & Wolff on the Clyde
9 December 1952 Mr Keith U Rapley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
4 July 1953 at Darwin, Northern Territories
25 August 1953 berthed Hebburn, River Tyne from the Isle of Grain, River Thames
29 September 1953 HMS SWIFTURE and HMS DIAMOND were involved in a collision about 80 miles south of Iceland during Exercise Mariner. Both ships diverted to Iceland to take on oil from RFA WAVE MASTER before returning to the UK.
9 October 1953 Captain Douglas N J Williams RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master
Captain Douglas N J Williams RFA
13 October 1953 berthed at Palmers Yard, Hebburn, River Tyne from Portsmouth
22 October 1953 at Palmers Yard, Hebburn together with RFA's WAVE KNIGHT (1) & ARNDALE
23 October 1953 sailed Palmers Yard, Hebburn, River Tyne for Sheerness
10 November 1953 arrived at Gibraltar
30 November 1953 arrived at Mena Al Ahmadi
21 November 1953 sailed Suez
13 December 1953 sailed Port Said
17 December 1953 passed Malta
20 December 1953 sailed Gibraltar for Rotterdam
28 December 1953 sailed Rotterdam for Portsmouth
10 January 1954 arrived at Port Said
22 January 1954 arrived at Bahrein
29 January 1954 sailed Bahrein for Port Said
15 February 1954 arrived at Gibraltar
23 March 1954 sailed from Gibraltar
28 March 1954 berthed at Wallsend Slipway, River Tyne from Gibraltar
10 May 1954 Mr G D J Garside RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 August 1954 sailed the River Tyne for Rosyth
31 August 1954 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west bound. Signalled she was on passage to Portsmouth
10 September 1954 passed Dover sailing westbound
19 October 1954 berthed on the River Tyne at No: 2 Tier together with RFA OLNA (2) later sailing the same day for Falmouth
31 December 1954 arrived at Port Said
9 February 1955 sailed Bahrein for Port Said
19 February 1955 arrived at Port Said
28 February 1955 arrived at Malta
16 April 1955 Captain G O W Evans DSC RFA appointed as Master
21 April 1955 Mr J E Kennedy RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
19 May 1955 in refit at Smith's Dock, River Tyne
1 June 1955 sailed the River Tyne for Devonport
24 July 1955 at Bahrein
4 October 1955 arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon
23 October 1955 sailed Singapore
5 November 1955 sailed Bahrein for Colombo, Ceylon
2 December 1955 sailed Singapore for Bombay
8 December 1955 arrived at Bombay
17 December 1955 sailed Bombay
21 December 1955 while in the Persian Gulf HMS LOCH FADA's medical officer transfered to WAVE MASTER to provide assistance to a member of the crew. Arrived at Bahrein this day
22 December 1955 sailed Bahrein
29 December 1955 arrived at Colombo, Ceylon
4 January 1956 sailed Colombo, Ceylon for Bahrein
11 January 1956 sailed Bahrein for Trincomalee, Ceylon
19 January 1956 arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon
22 January 1956 sailed Trincomalee, Ceylon for Bahrein
30 January 1956 sailed Bahrein
4 February 1956 sailed Aden
28 February 1956 arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon
14 March 1956 sailed from Pulo Bukom
18 March 1956 RASed with HMS's ALBION and COSSACK during Operation Welcome
19 March 1956 arrived at Hong Kong
25 March 1956 sailed Hong Kong with RFA FORT CHARLOTTE on Naval exercises
4 July 1956 Captain G B A Livesay RFA appointed as Master
3 August 1956 a Secret signal from the Admiralty to FO Scotland and copied to C in C Med, FO's A.C. & Gibraltar, RNO Invergordon, OIC OFD Invergordon and Wave Master directed that the tanker should sail to Invergordon to load maximum quantity of AVCAT in No. 3 & No. 4 wing tanks & maximum quantity of FFO including bunkers. No's 3 & 4 centre tanks and No. 6 across should remain empty. Overtime could be worked as necessary for continous loading. The ship should then sail to Malta to load diesel in No. 6 across tanks. During the passage to Malta the No. 6 across tanks should be Butterworth washed and hand cleaned as necessary for the reception of the diesel. Starboard forward pipeline and cargo pump to be cleaned and reserved exclusively for diesel
4 October 1956 arrived at Malta
31 October 1956 deployed for Operation Musketeer - the Suez Crisis - along with 34 other RFA’s.
17 July 1956 Mr D Hodge RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 January 1957 off Famagusta, Cyprus refuelled HMS LOFOTEN alongside
2 January 1957 HMS LOFOTEN slipped
12 January 1957 sailed Malta for Cyprus
3 February 1957 Mr K Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 February 1957 arrived Nieuwe Waterweg, Holland
17 February 1957 arrived the River Tees from Rotterdam
26 March 1957 sailed N Waterweg for Hamburg
27 March 1957 arrived at Hamburg, Germany
9 April 1957 sailed Nordenham, Germany
5 September 1957 Captain Henry O L'Estrange DSC RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
supported Operation Grapple - the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean - along with 16 other RFA’s
17 September 1957 deployed on Operation Grapple carrying 261 tons of cargo to Chrismas Island
21 September 1957 assisted in the search for the missing German Sail Training ship PAMIR
3 October 1957 sailed Curacao for Cristobal
21 January 1958 Roy Palmer, aged 31, a crew member of the WAVE MASTER was fined $50 in Singapore Court for receiving $93 and £5 (Fijian) at the Naval Base on 17 January 1958 knowing that it had been stolen from another crew member of the ship.
24 February 1958 to 1 March 1958 involved in fleet exercises with RFA's GOLD RANGER, FORT CHARLOTTE, FORT SANDUSKY, HMS NEWCASTLE and 9 other RN ships
1 April 1958 berthed at Singapore
28 April 1958 arrived at Singapore
6 June 1958 arrived at Bahrein
7 June 1958 arrived at Abadan from Suez
19 June 1958 arrived at Suez
28 June 1958 sailed Gibraltar for Falmouth
1 July 1958 arrived at Falmouth
16 August 1958 Mr J A Macpherson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
19 August 1958 Captain Joe Dines RD RFA (Commander RNR) appointed as Master
20 October 1958 deployed for the second time on Operation Grapple carrying 34 tons 7.5cwt of cargo to Chrismas Island
1 November 1958 berthed at Curaçao
3 November 1958 sailed Curaçao for Cristobal
5 November 1958 transited Panama Canal
18 April 1959 RASed with HMAS VOYAGER
27 April 1959 while on passage from Singapore to Manilla Bay RASed with HMAS MELBOURNE
30 April 1959 off Manilla Bay RAS'ed with HMAS MELBOURNE supplying her with 35,000 gallons of AVCAT
1 May 1959 while on passage to Hong Kong RASed with HMS's CEYLON, CHEVIOT and COSSACK also with HMAS's VOYAGER, TOBRUK and ANZAC
7 June 1959 while on passage from Singapore to North Borneo RASed with HMAS ANZAC during Operation Saddleup
15 September 1959 Captain A Jackson OBE RFA appointed as Master
21 September 1959 Mr R C Veitch RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 April 1960 at anchor off Booby Island, Queensland, Australia
5 April, 1960 RASed with HMS BELFAST, HMS CAVALIER and HMAS VOYAGER
6 April 1960 berthed at Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia with HMAS VOYAGER outboard of her
7 April 1960 sailed from Darwin and RASed with HMAS VOYAGER
11 April 1960 off Singapore RASed with HMS's BELFAST and CAVALIER and HMAS's QUEENSBOROUGH and VOYAGER
23 April 1960 RASed with HMAS QUEENBOROUGH at 06°40N 109°30E
27 April 1960 RASed with HMAS MELBOURNE to port and HMAS QUEENBOROUGH to starboard
30 April 1960 off Manila RASed with HMAS's QUEENBOROUGH and QUIBERON
1 November 1960 on passage with RFA FORT CHARLOTTE from Singapore to Hong Kong and HMS CRANE. RAS'ed with HMS CARDIGAN BAY
22 December 1960 Captain Alf Waters RFA appointed as Master
2 March 1961 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 10 March 1961
22 March 1961 Mr G D J Garside RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 May 1961 RASed with HMAS's MELBOURNE, VOYAGER and QUEENBOROUGH during Exercise Pony Express
7 May 1961 RASed with a number of RN and RAN warships
26 May 1961 RASed with HMS YARMOUTH and HMAS QUEENBOROUGH
27 May 1961 RASed with HMAS QUEENBOROUGH
14 June 1961 RASed astern with HMAS QUEENBOROUGH
July 1961 acted as Support Ship during the Kuwait Crisis along with 12 other RFA’s
17 August 1961 commenced taking part in Operation Tucker Box with RN, RAN and RNZ naval forces
18 August 1961 in the Coral Sea conducted a light jackstay transfer with HMAS ANZAC
19 August 1961 RASed with HMAS ANZAC during Operation Tucker Box supplying 250 tons of FFO
22 August 1961 further RASed with HMAS ANZAC during Operation Tucker Box
29 April 1962 while on passage to Manila RAS'ed with HMAS MELBOURNE
8 May 1962 at Singapore
21 June 1962 RAS'ed with RFA RELIANT (2), RFA RESURGENT and various RN, RAN and RNZN warships during Exercise Home Run while on passage from Hong Kong to Singapore
11 August 1962 at Singapore used by members of the crew of HMAS PARRAMATTA for 'Boarding Party' Exercises
15 August 1962 off Singapore during Exercise Fishex RASed with RN and RAN warships
16 August 1962 RAS'ed with HMAS PARRAMATTA off Balambangam Island
18 August 1962 RAS'ed with HMAS PARRAMATTA and several RN units while on passage to Hong Kong
13 September 1962 during Exercise Tucker Box (II) RAS'ed with HMAS ANZAC supplying 289 tons of FFO. Then engaged in a pump over with RFA WAVE RULER (1) supplying the rest of her cargo before sailing to Singapore
Captain & Ships Officers - 1962
23 September 1962 laid up at Singapore after destoring
December 1962 placed on the Disposal List and subsequently withdrawn
13 December 1962 offered for sale by the Ministry of Transport 'as lying' at Singapore in the Times newspaper (London) this day
February 1963 again placed on the Disposal List
19 February 1963 offered for sale by the Ministry of Transport 'as lying' at Singapore in the Times newspaper (London) this day
May 1963 broken up at Jurong