RFA Northmark - Oiler

Laid down in Elbing, Germany on November 14th 1936, Nordmark was a German Fast Fleet Attendant Oiler and Supply Ship. At the end of the war she was captured by the allies and allocated to Britain. She underwent a conversion at Hebburn and was commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Northmark. She spent much of 1946 in reserve first at Milford Haven and then at Falmouth but between 1948 and 1949 she underwent an extensive refit at Portsmouth which saw her fitted with two cargo lifts. She was transferred to the Royal Navy under the name HMS Bulwayo. She was sold for scrap in 1955.

Northmark displaced 15,000 tons (22,500 tons fully loaded) and measured 584ft in length, 72.5ft in breadth and 30ft in draught. She had storage room for 10,000 tons of oil fuel and 306 tons of lubricant as well as supplies of petrol, water, food and clothing. She was armed with two 4 inch anti-aircraft guns, four 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and two 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. She had a complement of 292 and was fitted with two Wagner boilers, giving a speed of 21 knots.

Above: HMS Bulwayo, previously RFA Northmark. Thanks to Dan Muir for providing this picture.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

[Return to Royal Fleet Auxiliary]

© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. First uploaded 21st October 2000. Updated 10th November 2000. Disclaimer.