RFA Bayleaf (A109)

RFA Bayleaf (A109) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom, which served with the fleet for 30 years, tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world.

She was involved in the Falklands War in 1982, the Gulf War in 1991, and from January 2003 to April 2003 she was deployed for Operation Telic (Op TELIC), the codename for the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq. Bayleaf had three Leaf-class sisters RFA Oakleaf, RFA Brambleleaf and RFA Orangeleaf and all four were originally designed as commercial tankers and underwent major conversions to bring them up to RFA standards and equip them for naval support.

She was the third Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel to bear the name.

Construction
Bayleaf was one of four ships ordered from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in 1973, and laid down in 1975 as the Hudson Sound. When the ordering company ran into financial difficulties, the ships were laid up, and later were offered for sale or charter. The ship was finally launched on 27 October 1981, the Lady Sponsor was Mrs Angela Pritchard, the wife of Mr K Pritchard, Director General of the Naval Stores and Transport, Ministry of Defence (MoD). In January 1982 Captain A.E. Hunter, RFA, was appointed as Master and between 20 to 23 March she ran trials and when completed on 25 March she was then bareboat chartered to the MoD and renamed Bayleaf.

1980s
She was almost immediately put into active service, and sailed to Gibraltar and Ascension Island en route for service in "Operation Corporate" – the Falklands War – in company with the amphibious warfare ship HMS Intrepid (L11). She arrived in the Total Exclusion Zone on 9 June 1982, finally returning to Devonport on 31 August.

On 30 September 1982 Bayleaf sailed from HMNB Devonport in support of the Dartmouth Training Squadron's Mediterranean deployment. She arrived at Gibraltar on 4 October and then throughout the months of October and November she called at the italian city of Naples, followed by Brindisi in Southern Italy, then onto Salonika in Greece, next to Istanbul in Turkey and then the city and seaport of Trieste in Italy, before returning to the United Kingdom, arriving at Plymouth on 24 November. In December 1982 she sailed Plymouth to Liverpool and entered refit, exiting March 1983, then sailed Liverpool to Plymouth to re equip. Bayleaf spent two weeks in April undergoing Basic Operational Sea Training (BOST) at Portland and spent May in the Mediterranean taking part in Exercise “Distant Drum”. Between June and August, Bayleaf sailed from HMNB Portsmouth to Singapore and back, via Port Said and Bahrain. By the end of 1983 she was back in Gibraltar.

1990s
In January 1991 she sailed from the UK to relieve RFA Orangeleaf during "Operation Granby" – the First Gulf War.

On 1 March 1997 she collided with the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia while carrying out a replenishment at sea (RAS) off Karachi.

2000s
In 2001 Bayleaf was purchased outright by the MoD.

On 28 June 2001 she deployed to relieve Leaf-class tanker sister ship RFA Orangeleaf and was permanently based in the Gulf. During June and August she performed replenishment at sea (RAS) with various RN, HMCS, USN and other Allied ships, returning to either anchor off Dubai or berthing at Port Rashid. In September she took part in Exercise Argonaut 2001, which included Exercise Saif Sareea, together with the Invincible-class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R06), fourteen other Royal Navy warships and the RFA’s replenishment ships RFA Fort Victoria, RFA Fort Rosalie and RFA Fort Austin, the Round Table class landing ship logistics RFA Sir Tristram, RFA Sir Bedivere, RFA Sir Percivale and RFA Sir Galahad (II), sister ship RFA Oakleaf and forward repair ship RFA Diligence.

On 5 September 2002 she provided humanitarian aid, rescuing five crew from the Guinean cargo ship MV Falcon which sank in the Indian Ocean and landed them at Dubai.

From January 2003 to April 2003 she was deployed for "Operation Telic" – the Second Gulf War. On 2 June she began refit at Singapore and on 23 June Captain Alistair Swatridge, RFA, was appointed as Commanding Officer. Over 11, 12 and 17 August, Bayleaf underwent post refit sea trials and between 8 to 10 September underwent FOST in South China Sea. Between October 2003 and April 2006 she deployed from and berthed at Dubai, Port Rashid and Jebel Ali, taking part in exercise Khunjar Hadd between 5 and 9 June 2004 and conducting replenishment at sea (RAS) with many RN, RFA, RNZN, RAN, USN and other Allied naval vessels including with the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA-4) and the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) on 19 February 2006, in the Persian Gulf. She arrived at Sembawang, Singapore, on 8 May 2006 for a refit. On 28 August Captain (X) Kim Watts, RFA, was appointed as Commanding Officer, then on 14 September she sailed out of Kepple Yard, Singapore for sea trials and then onto Sembawang, arriving 15 September 2006.

On 1 November 2008 she sailed from HMNB Devonport and entered Cammell Laird, Merseyside, three days later, for a £9.1 m refit. On 7 April 2009, Captain Charles F. Simmons, RFA, was appointed as Commanding Officer and on 5 June she sailed from Birkenhead, on completion of the refit, to HMNB Devonport. Later in June Bayleaf then sailed to Loch Striven, a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, to undertake various trials there. On 17 July Captain (X) Nigel Budd, RFA, was appointed as Commanding Officer.

In autumn 2009 Bayleaf underwent FOST at Portland and upon completion sailed to Soudha Bay, Crete, before transiting the Suez Canal arriving at Bahrain on 18 November.

2010s
In January 2010 she deployed as the Gulf Tanker, Captain S.P. Donkersly, RFA, was appointed as the new Commanding Officer on 21 April 2010 and during May, June and July she RAS’ed with many RN, RAN, USN and various other Allied naval vessels.

Following the reductions to the Royal Navy fleet outlined in the 2010 "Strategic Defence and Security Review", published in October 2010, it was decided that Bayleaf would be paid off in April 2011.

On 20 October 2010 Captain Charles F. Simmons, RFA, was appointed as Commanding Officer and Bayleaf continued with various duties until 13 February 2011 when she sailed from Dubai eventually arriving at HMNB Portsmouth on 15 April 2011.

Decommissioning and fate
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ensign was lowered for the final time on 20 April 2011 for Bayleaf, she was removed from the RFA Flotilla and a ceremony was held to commemorate all she and her crew have achieved since 1982.

LEYAL Ship Recycling Ltd, a Turkish company, were awarded preferred bidder status for the disposal of the vessel in 2012. Following this, the ex-RFA Bayleaf was towed out of Portsmouth on 2 August 2012. She arrived in Aliağa, Turkey, on 22 August where the ship was broken up. On 10 December it was reported she had been dismantled and recycled, taking four months to complete.