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RFA ''Tidespring'' (A75) was a of the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
. As a replenishment oiler, her main purpose was to refuel other ships. The ship had a long career in the RFA, entering service in the early 1960s, and finally being decommissioned in 1991. ''Tidespring'' took part in the Falklands War, particularly in the recapture of South Georgia. At the time, she was carrying M Company of
42 Commando 42 Commando (42 Cdo) (pronounced as Four-Two Commando) is a subordinate unit within the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade. Based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth, personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. ...
Royal Marines. The ship accommodated prisoners of war taken during operations. The Falklands provided a reprieve of ten years for ''Tidespring'' which had been due to decommission in 1982. She eventually sailed from Portsmouth in tow on 20 March 1992 for
the breakers The Breakers is a Gilded Age mansion located at 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, US. It was built between 1893 and 1895 as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. The 70-room man ...
, arriving in
Alang Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Al ...
, India, for demolition on 2 July 1992.


References

Tide-class replenishment oilers Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom Falklands War in South Georgia 1962 ships {{SouthGeorgia-stub