Official Number:                        124195

Builder:                                    Russell & Co., Port Glasgow

Pennant No:                             Y.3 744

Signal Letters:                                    HKWB

Launched:                                3 June 1907

Into Service:                            19 November 1915

Out of service:                         19 November 1915

Fate:                                      Torpedoed & sunk 19 November 1915

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:

3 June 1907 launched by Russell & Co., Port Glasgow as Yard Nr: 565 named Hallamshire  for Helmsdale Steamship Co Ltd., (J & A Roxburgh, Managers) Glasgow

8 June 1907 the Lloyds List newspaper reported

June 1907 completed

11 July 1907 at New York

4 October 1907 arrived at Port Jackson from Melbourne

11 October 1907 sailed Sydney, NSW

22 October 1907 sailed Wellington, New Zealand for South Island ports

28 November 1907 sailed Sydney, NSW for Colombo, Ceylon

21 January 1908 sailed from Colombo, Ceylon

21 March 1908 pass St Catherine’s Point sailing westbound when on passage from Bremen to Cardiff

29 March 1908 sailed Cardiff for New York

5 October 1908 sailed from Hong Kong for Newcastle NSW, Australia

28 October 1908 arrived at Newcastle NSW, Australia

4 August 1909 in Alexandra Docks, Newport, South Wales

15 December 1909 the NSW Police Gazette reported

11 August 1910 sailed New York for Japan

12 August 1910 passed the Delaware Breakwater

18 January 1911 arrived at Vancouver from Yokohama

3 August 1911 sailed Norfolk for Rotterdam

14 November 1911 arrived at Rio de Janerio from Las Pallice

1 December 1911 sailed Buenos Aires for a UK port

6 March 1912 arrived Rio de Janerio from Swansea for Bahia Blanca

14 September 1912 sailed Montreal for Nantucket

24 January 1913 at Swansea

2 March 1913 arrived at Valparaiso from Barry, South Wales

21 January 1914 sailed Runcorn for Calcutta

21 May 1914 grounded in the vicinity of Victoria Harbour, Labuan. HMS MERLIN went to her assistance

23 May 1914 towed off by HMS MERLIN

26 May 1914 at Victoria Harbour, Labuan a diving party from HMS MERLIN examined the hull of the Hallamshire

12 October 1914 off the Eddystone Lighthouse challenged by HMS CAESAR and allowed to proceed

HMS CAESAR

17 November 1914 sailed Avonmouth for New Zealand ports

30 May 1915 arrived at London from Auckland, New Zealand

23 June 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – name unchanged until 27 August 1915

28 August 1915 re-deployed as a Transport carrying sugar from the United States until 18 October 1915

19 October 1915 re-deployed as a Collier until …

19 November 1915 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-34 (Claus Rucker) in the Mediterranean 20 miles SW x S from Cerrigotto Island, Greece in position 35°38N 23°10E while on passage from Cardiff to Malta and Milo Island, Greece with a cargo of 5,600 tons of coal