An unidentified Royal Fleet Auxiliary, 1917

[Nick Colley]

Folks, attached is an item bearing what appears to be Gould 4C316 censor mark, and it's fully endorsed ! Except the name of the RFA is indecipherable to me. This posting is really an appeal for better eyes and nimbler brains than mine to make sense of it.

The signing officer appears to be D.Campbell, and I've tracked him down as Temporary Sub Lt. Duncan Campbell, RNVR with seniority of 24th April 1916. However, no vessel is listed for him in the October 1917 list I have.

Thanks a lot !

Klueless of Kingston (aka Nick)

[akennedy]

INNISSULVA

[Nick Colley]

Yup, that's the one ! How on earth did you de-crypt THAT ? The site/page http://historicalrfa.org/rfa-innisulva-ships-details has Duncan Campbell in command - even though it states he's RNR, and he's clearly RNVR. The ship is nominally defined as a water-carrier.

I wonder why RFA Innisulva is not in the Navy List. There are many smaller vessels documented in the pertinent section of the List.

Many thanks ! See you at Banstead ?

chrs
N

[Frank Schofield]

Nick

Innisulva (Water carrier) is listed under Auxiliary Small Craft in July 1916 and May 1917 Navy Lists
S/Lt, Ducan Campbell is shown in command as S/Lt RNR, but he is listed under RNVR with seniority of 24th April 1916, the day he was appt to Innisulva
In the seniority list of RNVR officers he has no ship against his name in both the above lists

Frank Schofield

[Nick Colley]

Damn, so it is. So, what's the difference between 'Auxiliary Small Craft' and 'Store Ships and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, also of Small Steam Vessels, Tugs etc, Employed on Harbour Service' ?? Bah, tripped up by naval semantics ?  >:(

chrs
N

[Frank Schofield]

Nick

These small 'I' water carriers are not mentioned in the History of the RFA

Frank Schofield

[akennedy]

I simply typed in Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels and found a long list of them!
Alistair