Official Number:                      131763

Laid down:

Builder:                                  Cammell, Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead

Pennant Nr:                            M12

Launched:                              26 May 1910

Into Service:                           26 October 1914 and 1941

Out of service:                        October 1919 and 1945

Fate:                                     12 November 1950  broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 and WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data

26 May 1910 launched by Cammell, Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead as Yard Nr   named CAESAREA for London & South Western Railway Co, London. Her name was the old Roman name for Jersey

28 May 1910 the Lloyds List newspaper reported – 

September 1910 completed. Carried 980 passengers in two classes

14 September 1910 maiden voyage to the Channel Islands

6 October 1910 sailed from Southampton for Jersey

8 January 1911 arrived at Southampton from Le Havre

10 August 1912 the Wigton Advertiser newspaper reported …

19 October 1912 the Lloyds List newspaper reported ..

21 October 1914 requisitioned for service as an Armed Boarding Steamer and commissioned as HMS CAESAREA, based at Scapa Flow

30 December 1914 arrived at Scapa Flow

4 January 1915 passed Peterhead

11 February 1915 off the Butt of Lewis challenged HMS ESKIMO

18 February 1915 at Hoy Sound transferred one cell prisoner to HMS CRESCENT

March 1915 moved to the Aegean – name unchanged and served as a Troop Transport

7 January 1919 Captain Robert James Large, the ships Master,  appointed a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)

15 March 1919 the Hampshire Advertiser newspaper reported …

1919 after the WW1 she served for a year making Garrison Relief Trooping Voyages

October 1919 decommissioned and was returned to her owners as CAESAREA after refurbishment at Dundee

1 January 1923 became part of the Southern Railway Co, London name unchanged

7 July 1923 while rounding the Island of Jersey bound for St Helier, struck rocks of Noirmont Point and had to be beached. After patching up she was towed back to Southampton for permanent repairs

12 November 1923 sold to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co Ltd, Douglas, Isle of Man

5 December 1923 renamed Manx Maid by her new owners

14 December 1923 was sent to Barrow where she was converted to oil fuel burning

1 August 1924 the Derby Telegraph reported –

11 August 1928 grounded when sailing from Fleetwood for Douglas, Isle of Man. Towed off at high tide and with the help of the harbour tug Fylde

13 August 1928 the Yorkshire Post reported –

1 August 1933 when on passage to Dublin, Ireland met very heavy weather which caused damage to her bulwalks and carried away part of her deck structure

1941 was again requisitioned for Admiralty service, initially as an Armed Boarding Steamer and commissioned as HMS BRUCE before becoming a Royal Air Force Auxiliary where she was classed as an Anti-Aircraft Guard Ship

1945 decommissioned and returned to her owners as Manx Maid

1946 switched to her owners’ Fleetwood to Douglas route

12 November 1950 arrived at Barrow for demolition by T W Ward Ltd.