Official Number: 124139
Laid down:
Builder: Alex. Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse
Launched: 17 September 1906
Into Service: 3 August 1914
Out of service: 23 January 1915
Fate: Wrecked November 1942
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA
Career Data:
17 September 1906 launched by Alex. Stephen & Sons Ltd., Linthouse as Yard Nr: 416 named CROWN OF GALICIA for Crown SS Co Ltd., (Prentice, Service & Henderson, Managers) Glasgow
18 September 1906 the Scotsman newspaper reported …
October 1906 completed
15 December 1906 passed Cape Henry
29 December 1906 arrived at Liverpool from Galveston
4 January 1907 arrived at Tail of the Bank
10 January 1907 sailed from Greenock
12 January 1907 passed Portland Bill sailing east bound
13 December 1907 berthed at Auckland, New Zealand
19 January 1909 sailed Glasgow to Barbados, Trinidad & Tobaggo and Demerara with seven passengers. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
17 April 1909 sailed Glasgow to Barbados, Trinidad & Tobaggo and Demerara with six passengers. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
7 November 1909 berthed at Brisbane, Australia
14 November 1909 one Chinese Seaman Cha Ah Ching from the ship was found missing. He had last been seen on board the day before. The Captain signed a bond of £100 plus £1 7s 6d the cost of a cable gram to the owners. The Seaman was not found and did not return on board and the owners agents paid the money due through the bond
16 November 1909 sailed Brisbane to Sydney, NSW with Captain Alexander S Halliday was Master
27 November 1909 sailed Melbourne, Australia
20 July 1910 sailed Greenock for Cuba
13 December 1910 arrived at at New York from Buenos Ayres
19 January 1911 the Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, Queensland reported that –
21 December 1911 arrived at San Francisco from London
16 July 1912 sailed Glasgow to San Pedro, San Francisco and Vancouver with one passenger. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
3 August 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Supply Ship, name unchanged
5 August 1914 at Portsmouth
8 August 1914 Lieutenant Alexander S Halliday RNR appointed in Command and Engineer Arthur Barrie RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. Ship commissioned the same day
30 September 1914 Steward Patrick John Cyril Mackin discharged dead – drowned. He is remembered with pride on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial
15 October 1914 arrived at Abrochos Rocks
16 October 1914 and 17 October 1914 at Abrochos Rocks provisioned HMS BRISTOL
HMS BRISTOL
19 October 1914 at Abrochos Rocks provisioned HMS CORNWALL alongside
21 October 1914 at Abrochos Rocks provisioned HMS MACEDONIA (Armed Merchant Cruiser) and then sailed for the Falkland Islands
21 November 1914 arrived at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands and delivered 50 bags of mail to HMS CANOPUS
23 November 1914 moved berth to alongside HMS CANOPUS. Sailors from HMS CANOPUS onboard moving stores from the ship holds
24 November 1914 cast off from HMS CANOPUS and anchored
25 November 1914, 26 November 1914, 28 November 1914 and 30 November 1914 working party from HMS CANOPUS onboard
1 December 1914 & 2 December 1914 coaling party from HMS CANOPUS onboard
12 December 1914 received onboard one officer and 13 Royal Marines from HMS CANOPUS
13 December 1914 at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands received German prisoners (10 officers and 51 men) from HMS INVINCEABLE who had been discharged originally from HMS INFLEXIBLE after being captured at the Battle of the Falkland Islands
14 December 1914 sailed Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
23 January 1915 returned to her owners
30 January 1915 at Birkenhead
13 March 1915 at New Orleans Seaman M J Moss jumped ship – reported as a Deserter to the US authorities
7 June 1915 berthed at Barry Docks
20 November 1915 sailed Glasgow to Martinique, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobaggo and Demerara with two passengers. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
20 March 1916 sailed Glasgow to Barbados, Trinidad & Tobaggo and Demerara with six passengers. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
23 May 1916 berthed at London from Barbados. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master with two passengers
29 December 1916 sailed Glasgow to Dominica with one passenger. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
7 August 1918 berthed at London from West Indies. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master with one DBS
5 November 1918 in the North Atlantic in a convoy of 17 merchant ships
23 April 1919 berthed at London from Barbados. Captain Alexander S Halliday was the ships Master
2 July 1919 arrived Balboa from San Francisco
26 November 1919 transitted the Panama Canal
7 January 1920 arrived at San Francisco from Liverpool
May 1920 purchased by Charente SS Co Ltd (T & J Harrison, Managers) Liverpool for £216,911
19 November 1920 renamed CENTURION by her owners
9 May 1925 suffered a serious fire at Liverpool
25 May 1925 purchased by Eftikhia SS Co Ltd (P. Wigham, Richardson, Manager) London and renamed Bito
25 July 1925 struck and seriously damaged by the German steamer SCHEER while lying at buoys at Rotterdam
19 October 1925 ran aground when outward bound from the River Plate
26 October 1925 was finally refloated and docked at Buenos Aires.
1926 purchased by Rickmers Rheederi Akt. Ges, Hamburg and renamed ETHA RICKMERS.
19 January 1933 in collision with the German steamer ELSTER 10 miles west of Borkum Lt Vessel and sustained bow damage.
1938 purchased by Moller Line Ltd, Shanghai and renamed GLADYS MOLLER
7 November 1942 wrecked on Baker Rocks on the east coast of Ceylon in position 07.55.50 N 81.35.30E while on passage from Safaga to Vizagapatnam and Calcutta with a cargo of salt.