Official Number:                  135590

Laid down:                          

Builder:                              Cammell Laird & Co Ltd., Birkenhead

Pennant No:                       

Launched:                          7 March 1914

Into Service:                       August 1914 & 1917

Out of service:                    1915 & 1918

Fate:                                 1942 scrapped

Background Data:

One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

1913 ordered as one of six ships – named KANDAHAR

7 March 1914 launched at Cammell, Laid & Co Ltd., Birkenhead as Yard Nr: 798 named KARMALA for P & O Steam Navigation Co. London

22 June 1914 completed at a cost of £196.274. Carried 80 x 1st class & 60 2nd class passengers

August 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service and acted as HQ ship for the Indian Expeditionary Force during Tanga operations – name unchanged

24 October 1914 at sea Crews Cook Joaquim Cadero de Souza discharged dead from natural causes

30 October 1914 off Mombassa sighted by HMS FOX

24 November 1914 at the Civil Hospital Mombassa Surgeon John William Jackson discharged dead from heart failure

1915 returned for commercial service – name unchanged

4 June 1915 arrived at Hong Kong from Yokohama

23 January 1916 sailed from Sydney, NSW

25 February 1916 arrived at Port Said

28 April 1916 at sea at 35.25S 124.16E passenger Walter Henry Holt discharged dead from natural causes

16 September 1916 sailed Sydney, NSW

21 September 1916 arrived at Adelaide

6 October 1916 arrived Colombo while on passage from Sydney, NSW to London mainly occupier in conducting trans Atlantic runs carrying vital food stuffs

24 February 1917 at Bombay

25 June 1917 at New York Paniwalla Meerzoola Ozal discharged dead from TB

19 October 1917 at New York Paniwalla Fazaldad Maloob discharged dead from meningitis

1918 returned to her owners – name unchanged

15 January 1918 at Bombay

13 September 1918 at sea Private William Lewis, US Army discharged dead from pneumonia

14 September 1918 at sea Private William Harrell, US Army discharged dead from pneumonia

15 October 1918 at Montreal, Canada Greaser James Kinsella discharged dead as a result of an accident

1 November 1918 at sea Scullion Custalio Vaz discharged dead from pneumonia

8 February 1919 arrived at Fremantle with members of the Australian Imperial Defence Force on board

19 February 1919 sailed Fremantle for Hobart

3 July 1919 sailed Plymouth with 40 Officers and 1,100 men of the Australian Imperial Defence Forces

19 August 1919 arrived at Brisbane

22 January 1922 sailed London for Bombay and Karachi while under contract of HM Government

10 July 1926 sailed Hong Kong for London

February 1927 loaded troops, horses and supplies at Liverpool for Hong Kong and Shanghai during the China Affair. Proceeded at full speed all the way there apart from a 12 hour refuelling stop at Port Said. Was accompanied by the Blue Funnel BELLEROPHON and the Aberdeen Line HERMINIUS

4 March 1927 arrived Hong Kong with RFA MAINE (3)

8 March 1927 at Shanghai with Colonel Sir James Burnett of Leys, Brigade Commander of the 14th Infantry Brigade landed with his heradquarters staff and two sections of armoured cars

21 March 1927 sailed Woosung for Hong Kong

19 June 1928 arrived at Fremantle

April 1932 sold for scrap

30 June 1942 arrived Yokohama for demolition by Amakasu GK