Official Number:                     105590

Builder:                                    Caird & Co Ltd., Greenock

Pennant No:              Y.4.23

Launched:                               9 April 1898

Into Service:                            18 June 1915

Out of service:                        23 January 1920

Fate:                                        17 March 1926  broken up at Genoa

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:

 9 April 1898 launched by Caird & Co Ltd., Greenock as Yard Nr: 287 named Isis for Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co Ltd. The Greenock Telegraph newspaper reported –

8 June 1898 completed for her owners Brindisi – Alexandria – Port Said Express Mail and Passenger service with accommodation for 78 x 1st Class passengers

6 July 1898 arrived at Brindisi from Southampton

10 July 1898 sailed Brindisi for Port Said

13 July 1898 arrived at Port Said sailing the same day for Brindisi

20 July 1898 sailed Port Said for Brindisi

24 July 1898 sailed Brindisi

27 July 1898 arrived at Port Said from Brindisi

August 1914 was at Port Said on the outbreak of WW1 and the service was abandoned and she was ordered to Malta

18 June 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a Fleet Messenger while laid up at Malta – name unchanged

January 1916 renamed HMS ISONZO by the Admiralty as there was already an old cruiser with the previous name

18 September 1916 at Malta undocked from No: 3 dock

24 October 1916 at Grand Harbour, Malta with HMS SAPPHIRE berthed alongside

HMS SAPPIRE

3 November 1916 arrived at Taranto

30 November 1916 arrived at Taranto

22 February 1917 Leading Seaman John Thomson discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial

7 May 1918 Leading Seaman Leonard Frederick Packer, Chief Steward William Hewson, Senior Writer William George Gale MMR 907622 and Carpenter Valentine Herbert Clark all discharged dead – all drowned. They are variously remembered with pride on the Chatham and Plymouth Naval Memorials

17 August 1918 Able Seaman John Mowat discharged dead. He is buried in Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles in grave III A 48

20 September 1918 sighted by HMS USK sailing from Malta

HMS USK

15 March 1919 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta

7 May 1919 at Grand Harbour, Malta with HMS MOTH berthed alongside

23 January 1920 finally arrived at Falmouth at the end of her Admiralty service and was laid up

10 March 1920 returned to her owners and her name reverted to ISIS

June 1920 purchased for £42,500 by M H Bland & Co Ltd., Gibraltar

26 August 1920 after an overhaul she sailed Falmouth renamed as Gibel Sarsar

ss Gibel Sarsar

30 August 1920 arrived at Gibraltar for further work to be carried out locally

October 1920 commenced sailing between Gibraltar, Tangiers and Casablanca

The crew of ss Gibel Sarsar

January 1922 commenced a weekly passenger and cargo service between Casablanca, Tangiers, Gibraltar, Oran, ALgiers and Alicante

November 1922 service was running at a loss

January 1923 sailings were severely cut back

January 1924 a major overhaul was required but was deemed uneconomical so she was laid up at Gibraltar

17 March 1926 sailed Gibraltar in tow of tug Italia for demolition at Genoe by Italian ship breakers having realised £4,200 in scrap value

Notes: – sister to Osiris