Official Number:                        132589

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead

Launched:                                10 June 1911

Into Service:                             1940

Out of service:                          March 1946

Fate:                                       29 September 1953  scrapped

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

10 June 1911 launched by Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead as Yard Nr 771 named CHENAB for Nourse Line (James Nourse & Co, Managers) London

August 1911 completed

5 August 1911 sailed Liverpool for Calcutta

20 November 1911 arrived Havana

16 December 1911 arrived Port Said from Havana for Calcutta

30 May 1912 sailed Calcutta

15 October 1912 sailed Durban for the West Indies

29 April 1913 arrived Durban from Jamaica

20 May 1913 arrived Calcutta

2 June 1913 sailed Calcutta for the West Indies

August 1913 while on passage from Demerara to Calcutta struck Stoney Point near Mazeppa Point causing considerable damage. Reached Durban, South Africa with a number of ballast tanks having been breached and full of water

6 June 1915 at Colombo from Torrevieja

4 July 1915 arrived at Calcutta from Colombo

6 January 1919 sailed Accra for Table Bay

28 June 1919 arrived Plymouth from Bombay

1930 purchased by Wm McKnight Docherty, London name unchanged                          

1931 purchased by Cie de Nav Libano-Syrienne, Beirut and renamed VILLE DE BEYROUTH

1936 purchased by Soc Orientales de Nav (Khedival Mail Steamship & Graving Dock Co  Ltd, Managers) Beirut name unchanged

1939 renamed AL RAWDAH by her owners.

1940 requisitioned by the Ministry of Shipping (British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Managers) London name unchanged. For a short period she was used as a Military Base and Prison Ship for Irish Republican internees and prisoners while moored off Killyleagh in Stranford Lough

Press Cutting from the Hull Daily Mail 10 October 1940

13 June 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG34F to Liverpool arriving on 19 June 1940

11 February 1941 100 persons interned on the ship at Strangford Lough were transferred this day to Belfast Prison

4 June 1941 at a Lodging House at Coatbridge G S Boy Sk Bhouda Sk Abdoolla discharged dead from pneumonia

9 June 1941 transferred to the Admiralty for service as an Accommodation Ship name unchanged

19 August 1942 at Holyloch 1st Mate Harold Thomas Newman Tompson discharged dead – drowned

19 September 1942 at Southern General Hospital, Glasgow Chief Steward Richard Bailey discharged dead from a stroke

29 January 1943 at the Holyloch Carpenter John Richardson Robson discharged dead from carbon monoxide poisoning during pumping out of the forepeak tank

11 October 1943 at Western Infirmary, Glasgow Bhandary Mahed Syed x Abdul Hamid discharged dead from cancer of the bowels

2 September 1944 at Glasgow Lascar Seaman Manjoor Sk x Bhelloo Sk discharged dead from pneumonia

1945 based in Holy Loch as an accommodation ship attached to 3rd Submarine Flotilla

March 1946 accommodation Ship service ended and was returned to her owners, name  unchanged.

23 June 1953 sailed Alexandria in tow of tug TRADESMAN after sale for scrap

25 July 1953 arrived Rosyth in tow

29 September 1953 was transferred to Charlestown for final demolition by Metal Industries Ltd