Official Number: 164273
Laid down:
Builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan
Launched: 14 June 1936
Pennant No: F78
Into Service: 14 October 1939
Out of service: October 1946
Fate: 1964 broken up
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:
14 June 1935 launched by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd., Govan as Yard Nr: 653 named Derbyshire for Bibby Line Ltd., Liverpool
October 1935 completed. 291 x 1st class passengers
8 November 1935 maiden voyage from Liverpool to Rangoon
14 February 1936 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
12 March 1937 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
5 May 1939 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
15 August 1939 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
14 October 1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser
4 December 1939 commissioned at HMS Derbyshire
2 January 1942 at Simonstown at anchor
3 January 1942 sailed Simonstown to rendezvous with convoy WS14
8 January 1942 arrived Durban escorting convoy WS14 with other RN warships – immediately sailed for Cape Town
10 January 1942 arrived at Cape Town
11 January 1942 sailed Cape Town for Simonstown
14 January 1942 sailed Simonstown to patrol an area from 40 degrees to 42 degrees South and from 20 degrees to 21.50E to intercept Vichy French merchant ships and blockade runners
30 January 1942 arrived East London
3 February 1942 sailed East London for rendezvous with HMT Orduna at the outer end of Durban searched channel
8 February 1942 sailed Cape Town escorting HMT Orduna for Freetown
19 February 1942 returned to her owners as Derbyshire and fitted out as a Troopship under MoWT auspices – name unchange
1943 briefly served as a Landing Ship then reverted to a Troopshipe – name unchanged
October 1946 released from Transport service. Modernised with two masts removed. 115 x 1st Class passengers
1947 after her refit
1948 resumed her commercial Liverpool to Rangoon service
27 November 1948 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
8 July 1949 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
17 February 1950 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
7 May 1950 berthed at the Port of London from Rangoon
18 September 1950 sailed Liverpool for Colombo, Ceylon and Rangoon
11 September 1951 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
19 June 1959 sailed Liverpool for Rangoon
1963 announced that she was to be chartered by Marketing & Mercantile Exhibitions & Promotions Ltd., for service as an Exhibition Ship – name unchanged. Between April 1964 and August 1964 she was supposed to have visited Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Lisbon, Barcelona, Genoa and Naples while future plans included exhibition tours to South America, Australia and New Zealand. These plans all fell through as the ship was not available in time and she was instead sold for scrap
18 February 1964 arrived Hong Kong for demolition by Four Seas Enterprises
12 March 1964 demolition began