Official Number:                      132268

Laid down:                             1911 

Builder:                                  Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

Launched:                              24 August 1911

Signal Flags:                          GRCW

Into Service:                           1 December 1914 and 1935

Out of service:                        28 April 1919 and 27 May 1940

Fate:                                     27 May 1940 scuttled 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of several ships requisitioned by the Admiralty for service to augment the ships of the RFA during World War 1 and also during the Abyssianian Campaign

Career Data:

1911 laid down as TSARSKOE SELO

September 1911 completed. Carried 36 x 1^st Class & 20 x 2^nd Class passengers

21 January 1912 arrived at Leghorn

9 May 1912 sailed Windau for Hull

7 October 1912 berthed at Hull from St. Petersburg

27 June 1913 passed Elsinore for Hull

15 March 1914 arrived at Reval

1 December 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a Stores Ship

29 December 1914 ship inspected by the 4th Sea Lord

31 December 1914 sailed Victoria Dock, London to Scapa Flow. Capt Walter J Norton in command

6 January 1915 arrived Scapa Flow and was based there throughout the War 

11 February 1915 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS DEFENCE to store her

HMS DEFENCE

8 November 1915 at Scapa Flow HMS ALBEMARLE berthed alongside

HMS ALBEMARLE

9 November 1915 at Scapa Flow cast off from HMS ALBEMARLE and anchored

20 March 1916 at Scapa Flow berthed alongside HMS WARRIOR

1917 owners became Ellerman’s Wilson Line Ltd, Hull name unchanged

15 May 1918 at Scapa Flow berthed alongside HMS COMMONWEALTH

HMS COMMONWEALTH

11 September 1918 at Scapa Flow berthed alongside HMS ACHILLES

HMS ACHILLES

3 February 1919 at Scapa Flow berthed alongside HMS VINDICTIVE

8 February 1919 served her last customer

9 February 1919 sailed Scapa Flow

11 February 1919 arrived Brunswick Quay, Surrey Docks, London to destore               

28 April 1919 returned to her owners

10 May 1919 sailed London for Smyrna

27 June 1919 sailed Gibraltar for London

2 July 1919 arrived London from Gibraltar

13 August 1919 arrived at Malta when on passage from London to Nororosisk

30 September 1919 the ships Master was Commander F G Bramble

22 February 1921 arrived at Gibraltar when on passage from Hull to Constantinople

2 September 1921 arrived at Hull

1 May 1929 sailed Barcelona for London and Hull

10 December 1930 sailed from Hull for London

3 February 1931 arrived at Hull from Istanbull and Jaffa

28 August 1931 arrived at Hull from New York

7 October 1931 arrived at Hull from New York

10 October 1931 sailed from Hull for Newcastle

24 November 1931 arrived at Hull from Gdynia

14 February 1932 sailed Salonica for Istanbul

8 October 1932 arrived at Hull from New York

27 May 1933 sailed from London

1 July 1934 arrived at New York

29 August 1934 sailed from New York for St John’s, Newfoundland

4 September 1934 sailed from St. John’s Newfoundland

3  February 1935 sailed from Oslo for London

9 September 1935 arrived at London from Hull

30 September 1935 arrived at Copenhagen from Hull

2 October 1935 arrived Oslo from Copenhagen

4 October 1935 sailed Oslo for London

7 October 1935 passed Gravesend from Oslo

31 October 1935 arrived at Port Said from London

1940 purchased by the Admiralty

27 May 1940 scuttled as a blockship at Zeebrugge.