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                 RAFA Tide Austral - HMAS Supply

                        1955 - 1962   -   1962 - 1985

                     Crew List NSW:     Crew List ACT-NT-OS:     Crew List QLD: 

                Crew List VIC:     Crew List TAS:     CrewList SA:     Crew List WA: 

Ship Deployments 

East Africa 1973 = Mururoa Atomic Test 1973

HMAS SUPPLY was built as a war operations requirement for the RAN as a result of a Government direction in 1951 ordering the armed services to prepare for possible mobilisation by 1953. Subsequently the easing of the international situation rendered her employment as a unit of the RAN unnecessary when she was completed in 1955.

The tanker was operated by the British Admiralty with a civilian crew as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary under the name TIDE AUSTRAL from 1955 to 1962. Her service under Admiralty control included various charter periods including two years (1956-58) when she was employed at the Admiralty's discretion, operating in direct payment of a debt incurred for the taking over of Shell Tankers Ltd building berths.

In 1962 the Naval Board decided to add TIDE AUSTRAL to the Australian Fleet and to commission her, contrary to the Royal Navy's practice with oilers, as a White ensign vessel manned by a naval crew. She commissioned (as HMAS TIDE AUSTRAL) at Southampton on 15th August 1962 under the command of Captain Geoffrey V. Gladstone, DSC and Bar, RAN. At a ceremony at Portsmouth on 7th September 1962 the ship was renamed SUPPLY by Mrs O.H. Becher, wife of Rear-Admiral Otto H. Becher, CBE, DSO, DSC and Bar, Australian Naval Representative, United Kingdom. SUPPLY sailed from Portsmouth on 1st October 1962 bound for Sydney, where she arrived on 6th December 1962.
Since joining the Australian Fleet SUPPLY has served as a Fleet Oiler during exercises and training operations, mainly in Australian and New Guinea waters and in the Far East. She underwent a long refit from December 1970 to November 1971. The ship participated in an exercise at Pearl Harbour in September 1972, in which ships of the RAN, USN, US Coastguard, Canadian Armed Forces and RNZN took part.

In February 1973 HMA Ships PERTH, DERWENT and SUPPLY were constituted as a Task Group to make a goodwill cruise of a number of countries bordering the Indian Ocean. After visits by the Task Group to Port Louis, Mauritius and Mombassa, Kenya, SUPPLY detached on 16th March. After visiting Port Victoria, Mahe Island in the Seychelles Group the ship returned to Australia.

During July and August 1973 SUPPLY supported the RNZN frigates OTAGO and CANTERBURY (the latter after she had relieved OTAGO) which observed the French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll.

HMAS SUPPLY was paid off on December 16 1985 

For those ex crew members who can remember the round house in the galley, a circular room roughly in the middle of the galley was originally designed as the gun bay of a 4" gun for defence of the ship, the gun being located on the deck immediately aft of the canteen. After international tensions eased throughout Asia the armament was no longer required and so the circular room was incorporated into the ships galley.  

Other items of information have been forwarded from time to time, one of which is the story of a certain item of deck cargo which accompanied Supply to Australia. This item was a ships anchor for the German Battleship Bismark, although this anchor had never been fitted to the ship it was a spare and apparently sent to Australia. Rumour has it that the anchor was last heard of in storage at Moorebank NSW.

The ship also had what was referred to as a "War Prop" fitted to the Tank deck Stbd side aft, this prop was a 4 bladed type but never used. (Wonder what happened to it )

Rumour has it that the Prop was bought by a Chief EM by the name of Fred Bray who put it in his back yard. Fred was Navy through and through, they say he had a flag pole in his front yard and conducted his version of Colours every morning at 08:00, he also had two dogs called Warramunga and Bataan. There were also other items bought back from the UK on the homeward voyage which included a couple of cars.

Thanks go to Sam Walker for supplying me with a copy of some Daily Orders from the Mururoa voyage, these will appear in the near future on the Mururoa page.

The ship was finally disposed of in 1989 and was rumoured to have been towed to South Korea where she was scrapped.

 HMAS Tide Austral at sea off Portsmouth England 1962

The mail must go through

 

HMAS Supply's launch meets with HMAS ONSLOW

mid Indian Ocean 1973 to collect their mail

Ships Company of RAFA Tide Austral 1955 to 1962

Third Officer Rex Cooper  1959 - 1961 lookout@rfa-association.org 

Radio Officer  Leslie Wilkie  1960 - 1961 wilkie8@wilkie8.karoo.co.uk

James Nelson Junior Engineer 1959 - 1961 j-nelson@tiscali.co.uk 

George Milburn 3rd Officer 1961 george.milburn@btconnect.com 

Andy Hunter Engineer     59 - 60    AHunter112@cogeco.ca 

David Burgess 59 - 60  Jnr Engineer davidarthurburgess@btopenworld.com 

Martyn Hobbs Senior Apprentice 1955 - 1956 martyn.hobbs@tiscali.co.uk

 

Far left Chief Officer Norman 'Toots' McLeod - Far right Mike Corner

Can anyone name the rest as it would be appreciated

    Officers and and family members anboard  RAFA Tide Austral at Southhampton in 1959

    L to R: Alf De Sousa Engineer, Dick Davis (XO), Richard his son, Eric 'Peter' May (Navigator), Mrs Davis, Neil 'Jimpy' Walker (Second Officer), Rex Cooper OBE( Who supplied the photo), John Hart (Electrical Officer), Joan Davis (XO's daughter) The last Officer is not known.

                                            

                                     Radio Staff aboard RAFA Tide Austral 1960

      L to R: 2nd Officer Eric Gilbert RFA, LTO A. Toogood RN, Snr Radio Officer Mark Sutton,    

                                      LRO ??? RN, 3rd Officer Les Wilkie RFA.

                  Ships Captains of the Tide Class Tanker

    HMAS Supply

    Captain G.V. Gladstone DSC* RAN                                    15.08.1962

    Captain W.J. Dovers DSC RAN                                           22.12.1964

    Commander H.K. Duncan  RAN                                          22.11.1965

    Captain N.E. McDonald RAN                                               10.01.1966

    Commander J. Lancaster RAN                                           05.12.1966

    Captain B.S. Murray RAN                                                     05.01.1967

    Captain D.H.D. Smyth RAN                                                  13.12.1967

    Captain H.E. Bailey DSC RAN                                             06.01.1970

    Commander J.L. Curtis RAN                                               21.06.1971

    Captain V.A. Parker RAN                                                      18.10.1971

    Captain R.G. Loosli CBE RAN                                            13.12.1972

    Captain B.H. Loxton RAN                                                    14.01.1974

    Captain J.D. Stevens RAN                                                   16.12.1974

    Captain B.L. Cleary RAN                                                      13.12.1975

    Captain J.B. Snow RAN                                                        08.02.1977

    Captain D.J. Martin RAN                                                       04.08.1978

    Captain P.H. James RAN                                                     19.01.1979

    Captain I.D.G. MacDougall RAN                                         29.09.1980

    Captain B. Nobles RAN                                                        26.01.1882

    Commander T.W. Jones RAN                                             08.06.1983

    Captain P.D. McKay RAN                                                     02.08.1983

     Captain L.M. Sulman RAN                                                   18.02.1985

      Tide Class Fast Fleet Tankers

      The Tide Class Fast Fleet Tankers were tasked replenishing Royal Navy warships with Fuel Oil, Diesel, AVCAT, lubricating oils and fresh water, thereby allowing them to act independently of shore support and remain at sea for long periods of time. They were designed to replenish three ships simultaneously- one to port (preferably an aircraft carrier), one to starboard and one at the aft.

      The class was built in two distinct groups: Tidereach, Tideflow, Tide Surge and Tide Austral were constructed between 1953 and 1956. Displacing 26,000 tons, the 'early Tides' had a complement of around 90 and were powered by three Babcock and Wilcox boilers, producing a speed of 17 knots. A further two vessels - Tidepool and Tidespring - were completed to a modified design between 1961 and 1963. They were slightly larger, displacing 27,400 tons, measured 177 metres in length and also had a speed of 17 knots. The hull was strenghtened to enable them to operate in frozen waters but more significantly they were the first RFA tankers built with a flight deck, a hanger and workshops and were capable of supporting three Wessex helicopters. The hanger was located on the port side of the funnel and could hold 3 helicopters. The starboard side had a garage that could be used for vehicles or as a hanger for 3 more helicopters. The helicopters had the dual role of transferring stores and equipment to other ships and providing anti-submarine defence for a convoy. They also carried two liberty boats on davits at the aft of the ship, and forward of the hanger there was even a swimming pool!

      RAFA Tide Austral Port Said 1956

      The design of the two later vessels, Tidespring and Tidepool, was similar to that later used for the 

      OL Class of Tankers 

       Tideflow was originally named Tiderace, and Tidesurge was named Tiderange. During the Suez conflict the Tiderace, the Tidereach and the Tiderange were all near Suez when one was short on oil and was directed to return to Malta to reload her tanks - the wrong one returned and it was realised that their names were all very similar and so hence the change of the Race to the Flow and the Range to the Surge. The name changes took place in 1958. (Thanks to Chris White for passing this on) 

      Gulf War 1

      During the time of the first Gulf War (1980) HMAS Supply was deployed to the Middle East area of operations during the transit voyage from Fleet Base East to Fremantle W A, Supply sustained severe damage to her forward cargo hold and hatchway. Her crew worked hard to repair what damage there was and clean up the mess during their stopover in Albany 

         

       

      Eventually Supply made it to her area of operation to refuel units of the RAN and USN before returning via Pakistan, to Australia

      As there were thos aboard Supply that had not partaken in the age old ritual of the Crossing The Line ceremony the ships entertainment committee proceeded to hold one of the auspicious occasions, as can be seen from the photo below much fun was had by all even Capt McDougal in the foreground who copped it.

      Is it possible that some of us can remember names that far back

      Who are the King & Queen

      While during the stopover there was an official handover of duties

       

      Capt P H James hands over to Capt Ian McDougal

                             ' Pride of The Fleet '                                                      

                                   " Bubbles and the " Technical Big Band "

                                          'Blue' Lindores STBD Guitar, Pete Foote Drums

                                  who entertained the troops during the deployment 

       

      The end of an era HMAS Supply alongside the Dolphins Mothball Fleet 1986

      For More Information Contact:
      Naval Tankermen Association ( Secretary/Treasurer )                                                  

      108 East Street 

      Bega NSW 2550  tanker73@bigpond.net.au

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