The renaming of ships is sometimes very confusing, especially when it comes to tracing their history, this one is particularly so. She was launched as the Rosedale on August 1st 1905, at the Richardson, Duck & Co. Ltd yard, Stockton-on-Tees. Renamed Arvonian on the 1st of September, when she was bought by the Golden Cross Line, Cardiff for £30,550. Taken over by the Royal Navy in November 1917, and re-named H.M.S. Bendish. On 18th December, she was renamed “USS Santee” as an U.S. Navy decoy, or "Q" ship. Re-named H.M.S. Bendish (again) and sent to Gibraltar for more “Q” ship operations. She was decommissioned on 8 April 1918. Renamed Arvonian, (again) in July 1919. In November 1919 she was sold to the Rondda Shipping & Coal Exporting Co. Ltd, re-named Brookvale where she stayed till 1928, then re-named Spidola, and a new Russian owner. But the story doesn’t end there!!! In 1943 she was captured by the Germans and re-named Rudau. After the war (1947) re-named Spidola (again) owned by a Costa Rican company. Sold to German owners, (Walter Ritscher) and she was finally broken up at Hamburg, in 1958, at the grand old age of 53. Sorry but I don’t have her last name under the German flag. She was torpedoed in the first world war, attacked by the R.A.F. in WW II, Also ran aground in WW II. And ran aground and sank in 1948. (Photographed as the Arvonian) Regards Tony.
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