Official Number: 166254
Laid down:
Builder: Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd., Dundee
Pennant No: 4.250 / B210
Launched: 29 June 1938
Into Service: 15 October 1939
Out of service: July 1946
Fate: 11 December 1970 broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during during WW2 to augument the ships of the RFA
Career Data:
29 June 1938 launched by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd., Dundee as Yard Nr: 368 named Glenearn for Glen Line Ltd., (A Holt & Co., Managers), Liverpool
November 1938 completed
September 1939 was used to carry troops and supplies to France
15 October 1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a fast Fleet Supply Ship
22 October 1939 arrived Palmer’s Yard, Hebburn for conversion for her new role
25 April 1940 was commissioned as HMS GLENEARN but was initially returned to her owners “until required”
2 July 1940 recalled to Liverpool for further conversion into an Infantry Assault Ship
13 December 1940 commissioned as such at Liverpool – name unchanged
25 December 1940 Signalman Albert Earnest William Tamplin D/JX144779 discharged dead. He is buried in Liverpool (Anfield) Cemetery in Section 5 C of E Coll grave 82
26 December 1940 sailed Liverpool independently for Inverary arriving the next day
11 January 1941 sailed Inverary independently for the River Clyde arriving the next day
16 January 1941 sailed the River Clyde independently for Inverary arriving the same day
28 January 1941 sailed the River Clyde with a Naval Crew and Cape Town
11 February 1941 sailed Freetown for Cape Town escorted by HMS DORSETSHIRE
19 February 1941 arrived at Cape Town
21 February 1941 sailed Cape Town for Durban – but did not call there – thence to Suez arriving 7 March 1941
13 April 1941 sailed Port Said independently to Alexandria arriving the next day
19 & 20 April 1941 at Bardia, Cyrenaca the 2 ships made the first-ever Commando Assault from specialisted ships when they formed part of Commando Assault Z Force
22 April 1941 sailed Alexandria to assist in the evacuation of Greece on Operation Demon and enroute she was hit on the foc’sle by a bomb but remained operational
24 April 1941 sailed in convoy from Suda Bay, Crete escorted by RN & RAN warships – hit by bombs dropped by JU.88’s causing a fire in the foc’sle. Brought under control
26 April 1941 damaged at dawn south of Nauplia by near-miss bombs which unseated her machinery and on completion of her embarkation she had to be towed to Crete by the destroyer HMS GRIFFIN and from there to Alexandria. The entire evacuation force carried 50,672 troops back to Egypt
10 June 1941 arrived at Suez damaged with Lt Cdr T Hood RNR Rtd in command
July 1941 was hit by the burning transport GEORGIC at the Red Sea end of the Suez Canal
1 August 1941 sailed Suez under tow of CITY OF KIMBERLY for Bombay
28 December 1941 arrived Colombo for repairs
26 December 1943 Marine William Lake CH/X 111375 Royal Marines discharged dead. He is buried in Mansfield (Nottingham Road) Cemetery in Section A grave 11908
6 June 1944 now serving as a Landing Ship Infantry (Large) she participated in Operation Overlord – the Normandy Landings
HMS GLENEARN
1945 joined the Pacific Fleet in the Far East
4 February 1945 sailed Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea
2 March 1945 sailed San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, Philippines to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea in Convoy IG-11 and as Convoy Commander
April 1945 damaged by a fuel explosion and was repaired at Sydney
9 April 1945 Able Seaman Lawrence Milner Jackson D/JX 554628 discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on Panel 94 Column 1, Plymouth Naval Memorial
10 April 1945 Lieutenant Commander (E) Alexander Charles Lyons Aitken MBE RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 3 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. Leading Seaman Frederick Haywood D/J 115423 discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on Panel 93 Column 3, Plymouth Naval Memorial. Petty Officer Stoker Thomas M Roy D/JX 92531 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 8 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea.
11 April 1945 Able Seaman Albert W Barnard D/XJ 567353 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 4 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. Petty Officer Henry E Jones Royal Naval Reserve D/X7897C discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 7 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. Able Seaman Leslie Rowe D/JX 309728 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 5 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. Able Seaman Donald Frederick Schorfield D/JX 648720 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 6 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
15 April 1945 Commander Richard Everard Hardman-Jones MID RN discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 11 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea. Leading Stoker Austin Phillips D/KX91896 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 10 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
16 April 1945 Seaman James McIlhargey Royal Naval Patrol Service LT/JX 696232 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 12 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
18 April 1945 Ordinary Seaman Cyril E W Arnold D/JX 566646 discharged dead. He is buried in Grave FF A 13 of Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
3 September 1945 Seaman Kenneth Gowing LT/JW 544407, Royal Naval Patrol Service, discharged dead. He is buried in Brisbane (Lutwyche) Cemetery he is buried in Section 73 Grave 6
17 September 1945 with the ending of WW2 went to Hainan Island along with the Hospital Ship GERUSALEMME and recovered 700 ex PoW’s and transported them to Hong Kong
2 October 1945 sailed Shanghai for Hong Kong with approximately 400 internees arriving 6 October 1945
January 1946 sailed Ceylon for Kure, Japan arriving 1 February 1946. The ship remained at Jure until June 1946 accommodating the Port Party there to establish the British Commonwealth Occupation Force of Japan
July 1946 released for return to her owners
August 1946 reconversion for commericial service commenced at Smith’s Dock on the River Tyne which took over a year
December 1947 returned to her owners and name reverted to Glenearn and she served on her owner’s Far East route carrying 10 x 1st Class and 2 x 2nd Class passengers
5 September 1949 sailed London Docks for Singapore
10 January 1952 sailed London Docks for Singapore
2 April 1954 sailed London Docks for Singapore
3 October 1958 sailed London Docks for Penang and Singapore
8 July 1959 sailed London Docks for Port Swettenham, Malaysia
4 April 1960 sailed London Docks for Singapore
11 December 1970 arrived Kaohsiung for demolition
Notes:
- As an LSI(L) she stowed 24 LCA’s under davits for putting troops ashore and also had 3 LCM’s deck stowed for laning vehicles and rquipment
- Was initially requisitioned along with her sister ships GLENGYLE, GLENROY and BRECONSHIRE as commissioned transports
- Served with the British Pacific Fleet Train – hence the B-Pennant Nr.