View source for RFA Wave Laird

{{Short description|1946 Wave-class oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 |image=RFA Wave Laird.jpg
 |image_caption=
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
 |hide_header=
 |country=United Kingdom
 |flag=[[File:British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg|60px|RFA Ensign]]
 |name=*SS ''Empire Dunbar'' (1946)
       *RFA ''Wave Laird'' (1946-70)
 |namesake=
 |ordered=
 |builder=Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, [[Sunderland, Co Durham|Sunderland]]
 |yard_number=767
 |laid_down=
 |launched=3 April 1946
 |acquired=
 |completed=30 September 1946
 |commissioned=30 September 1946
 |decommissioned=1961
 |identification=*United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 180967
                 *Pennant number X129 (1946– )
                 *Pennant Number A119 ( –1970)
 |registry=London, United Kingdom
 |in_service=
 |out_of_service=
 |struck=
 |reinstated=
 |honours=Korea (1950–51)
 |fate=Scrapped at [[Gandia]], [[Spain]] in March 1970
 |notes=
 |owner=*[[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]] (1946)
        *[[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] (1946-64)
        *[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (1964-70)
 |operator=[[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 |hide_header=
 |header_caption=
 |class=
 |tonnage=*{{GRT|8,187}}
          *{{NRT|4,562}}
 |displacement=16,650 [[long ton]]s full load
 |length=*{{convert|493|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} overall
         *{{convert|465|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}} between perpendiculars
 |beam={{convert|64|ft|1|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
 |draught={{convert|28|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
 |depth={{convert|35|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
 |propulsion=2 x [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick-type]] double reduction geared steam turbines, {{convert|6800|hp|kW|abbr=on}}.
 |speed={{convert|15|kn|km/h}}
 |range=
 |complement=
 |sensors=
 |EW=
 |armament=
 |armour=
 |armor=
 |notes=
 }}
}}

'''RFA ''Wave Laird'' (A119)''' was an {{GRT|8,187}} [[Wave class oiler|Wave-class]] fleet support [[tank ship|tanker]] of the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]. She was built in 1946 as '''''Empire Dunbar''''' by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, [[Sunderland, Co Durham]] for the [[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]] and completed at ''Wave Laird''. She served until 1961 when she was laid up at [[HMNB Devonport]]. ''Wave Laird'' was scrapped in 1970 in Spain.

==Description==
The ship was built in 1946 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, [[Sunderland, Co Durham|Sunderland]].<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | last1=Mitchell|first1=W.H.|last2=Sawyer|first2=L.A. | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| page = 154| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }}</ref> She was yard number 767.<ref name=RFA>{{cite web |url=https://historicalrfa.uk/rfa-wave-laird/|title=RFA Wave Laird |publisher=Royal Fleet Auxiliary Historical Society |access-date=16 July 2011}}</ref>
The ship was {{convert|493|ft|8|in|m|2}} long overall ({{convert|465|ft|0|in|m|2}} between perpendiculars<ref name=Times011169>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Public Notices |date=1 November 1969 |page=11 |issue=57706 |column=F }}</ref>), with a beam of {{convert|64|ft|1|in|m|2}}.<ref name=Ships/> She had a draught of {{convert|28|ft|6|in|m|2}},{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} and a depth of {{convert|35|ft|6|in|m|2}}. She was assessed as {{GRT|8,187|disp=long}}, {{NRT|4,562}}.<ref name=Times011169/> Fully loaded, she displaced 16,650 tons.<ref name=FR/>

The ship was propelled by two [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick-type]] double reduction geared steam turbines, which were fed by three drum boilers.<ref name=FR>{{cite web |url=http://military-genealogy.forcesreunited.org.uk/2438/RFA_Wave_Laird |title=RFA Wave Laird |publisher=Forces Reunited |access-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> {{convert|6800|shp|kW}}. The turbines were built by Richardsons Westgarth Ltd. They drove a single screw propeller,<ref name=Times011169/> and could propel the ship at {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=FR/>

==History==
'''Empire Dunbar'''  was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland for the [[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]].<ref name=Ships/> She was launched on 3 April 1946 and completed on 30 September 1946 as RFA ''Wave Laird'' for the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]].<ref name=RFA/> Her port of registry was [[London]].<ref name=Photo>As shown by [http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~treevecwll/wave2_files/image018.jpg this photograph].</ref> She was allocated the United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 180967 and the [[Pennant number]] X129. This was later changed to A119.<ref name=RFA/>

''Wave Laird'' suffered a number of problems shortly after entering service. In October 1946, her steering gear failed on a voyage from Sunderland to the [[River Tyne|Tyne]] and she was towed into port. In December 1946, boiler problems delayed her departure from [[Isle of Portland|Portland]], [[Dorset]] for [[Trinidad]]. On 17 March 1947, boiler problems left her adrift in gale-force winds {{convert|20|nmi|km}} off the [[Tasker Rock]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. Assistance was requested as the ship suffered heavy damage, which had to be repaired before her cargo was able to be discharged at [[Old Kilpatrick]]. 
On 10 November 1949, ''Wave Laird'' was on a voyage from [[Abadan]], Iran to [[Malta]] when she was caught in a storm. A deckhand sustained fatal injuries. He was buried at [[Kalkara Naval Cemetery]] in Malta. The funeral was attended by officers and crew from {{Ship|RFA|Nasprite|A252|6}}, {{Ship|RFA|Rowenol|A284|6}} and ''Wave Laird'' and the Secretary of the Malta Branch of the [[National Union of Seamen]].<ref name=RFA/>

''Wave Laird'' was on active service in [[Korea]] from 25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953. She was awarded a [[battle honour]]. On 19 July 1951, she was involved in a collision with the [[Royal Interocean Line|Royal Interocean Line's]] [[ocean liner]] {{SS|Boissevain||2}} off Singapore. In January 1954, ''Wave Laird'' was one of the naval vessels supporting the [[Royal Yacht]] {{SS|Gothic|1947|2}} in Australia. On 31 October 1956, ''Wave Laird'' was one of 35 Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships deployed as part of [[Operation Musketeer (1956)|Operation Musketeer]]. From 16–29 September 1960, she was deployed off Iceland in support of the [[Royal Navy]], which was caught up in the [[Cod Wars]].<ref name=RFA/> ''Wave Laird'' was featured on a [[postcard]] produced by Valentine's, [[Dundee]]. The card showed ''Wave Laird'' refuelling {{HMS|Scorpion|D64|6}} at sea.<ref name=Postcard>{{cite web |url=http://www.rfaaplymouth.org/rfaaphotoarchive/displayimage.php?album=6&pid=499 |title=RFA WAVE LAIRD 1946-1970 |publisher=Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association, Plymouth Branch |access-date=16 July 2011}}</ref>

''Wave Laird'' was laid up in reserve at [[HMNB Devonport]] in 1961.<ref name=RFA/> She was advertised for sale by tender in November 1969 "as lying at HMNB Devonport".<ref name=Times011169/> She departed from Devonport under tow on 26 January 1970, bound for [[Gibraltar]], from where she departed on 25 February under tow for [[Gandia]], Spain. ''Wave Laird'' was scrapped in March 1970 by Hierros Ardes, Gandia.<ref name=RFA/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.historicalrfa.org/images/stories/WaveLaird.jpg Colour photo of ''Wave Laird'']

{{Empire ships}}
{{Wave class oiler}}
{{1947 shipwrecks}}
{{1951 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wave Laird}}
[[Category:1946 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Wear]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wave-class oilers]]
[[Category:Tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1947]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1951]]