Official Number: 156189
Laid down:
Builder: Vickers Armstrong Ltd., Barrow
Pennant Nr: F 73
Launched: 1 September 1932
Into Service: 29 August 1939
Out of service: 1947
Fate: 6 December 1966 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 serve as Armed Merchant Cruisers
Career Data:
1 September 1932 launched by Vickers Armstrong Ltd., Barrow as Yard Nr: 681 named Queen of Bermuda for Furness, Withy & Co Ltd., London
14 February 1933 completed - 700 1st Class & 31 x 2nd Class passengers
21 February 1933 sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York thence on her owners New York to Bermuda service
26 April 1933 sailed New York for Bermuda
13 May 1933 berthed at New York from Bermuda
20 May 1933 sailed New York for Bermuda
10 June 1933 berthed at New York from Bermuda
10 July 1933 berthed at New York from Bermuda
21 September 1933 at sea at 36.50N 69.21W passenger William H Allen discharged dead from heart failure
29 August 1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser
31 August 1939 sailed New York independently to Belfast arriving 8 September 1939
28 October 1939 commissioned as HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA
as HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA
7 November 1939 sailed Belfast to Portsmouth arriving 10 November 1939
1940 her 3rd funnel was removed
24 January 1940 sailed Portsmouth to Portland arriving the same day
3 February 1940 sailed Portland for Freetown arriving 11 February 1940
12 February 1940 sailed Freetown on patrol to Rio de Janeiro arriving 23 February 1940
24 February 1940 sailed Rio de Janeiro on patrol to Montevideo arriving 11 April 1940
12 April 1940 sailed Montevideo on patrol to Buenos Aires arriving 10 May 1940
12 May 1940 sailed Buenos Aires on patrol to Rio de Janeiro arriving 10 June 1940
11 June 1940 sailed Rio de Janeiro on patrol and then on passage to Durban arriving 13 July 1940
14 August 1940 sailed Durban on passage to Cape Town arriving 17 August 1940
19 August 1940 sailed Cape Town on patrol and then berthing at Montevideo on 12 September 1940
14 September 1940 sailed Montevideo on patrol and then berthing at Rio de Janerio on 11 October 1940
12 October 1940 sailed Rio de Janerio on patrol and then berthing at Buenos Aires on 8 November 1940. Sailed Buenos Aires on patrol, berthing at Montevideo and sailing on 18 December 1941 and then berthing at Rio de Janerio on 7 January 1941 with Captain G A B Hawkins MVO, DSC, Royal Navy in command and with Captain A T G C Peachey Royal Navy from 1 February 1941
8 January 1941 Rio de Janerio on patrol and then berthing at South Georgia on 29 March 1941
16 January 1941 Fireman Harvey S Fowlow and 2nd Steward John Hayes (alias William B Day) both discharged dead
5 April 1941 sailed South Georgia on patrol and then berthing at Freetown on 23 April 1941
3 May 1941 sailed Freetown on patrol and then berthing back at Freetown on 3 June 1941
18 June 1941 sailed Freetown on patrol
29 June 1941 sailed St Helena with Captain A T G C Peachey Royal Navy in Command and then berthing at Cape Town on 21 July 1941 after patrolling off Lobito
30 July 1941 sailed Capetown escorting the Capetown portion of convoy WS 9 B (PULASKI, CLAN FORBES, PAMPAS, ELIZABETH BAKKE) to rendezvous with HMS GALATEA and Durban portion of same convoy off Durban, 12 knots. HMS GALATEA escorting Durban portion of convoy SW 9 B (MATAROA, TAMAROA, ORONSAY, ARUNDEL CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, ATHLONE CASTLE) arrived Durban
3 August 1941 arrived Durban
21 August 1941 sailed Durban for Cape Town escorting convoy CF 2 (DURBAN CASTLE, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, NIEUW ZEELAND, SELANDIA)
24 August 1941 arrived with her convoy at Cape Town
18 May 1942 off Jamestown, St Helena alongside Requisitioned tanker mv Nyholm refuelling
25 November 1942 Petty Officer Telegraphist Robert N Jelly P/JX 139535 discharged dead following an accident
31 December 1942 arrived at Bermuda for refit and repairs. Act/Capt the Hon Sir D Cochrane KCSI, GCMG, DSO Rtd was in Command
12 January 1943 sailed Simonstown for Durban
24 January 1943 arrived at Aden from Durban
1 February 1943 sailed Suez for Aden
2 March 1943 sailed Fremantle escorting convoy OW2
13 March 1943 arrived at Mauritius having been relieved from escort duties
May 1943 returned to her owners as Queen of Bermuda and fitted out as Troopship under MoWT auspices - name unchanged
1 October 1943 Petty Officer William A Pilmore P/J 105845 discharged dead from illness
13 November 1945 sailed Suez independently to Bombay arriving 23 November 1945
30 November 1945 sailed Bombay independently to Suez arriving 8 December 1945
9 December 1945 sailed Port Said independently to Liverpool arriving 20 December 1945
9 January 1946 Greaser John Lightfoot awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the New Years Honours List and published in the London Gazette this day
28 July 1946 sailed Liverpool for Naples with 2,500 Italian prisoners of war being repatriated
4 September 1946 berthed at Liverpool from the Far East with British military passengers returning home for release
10 November 1946 sailed Port Said for Liverpool when on passage from Singapore
15 November 1946 passed Gibraltar west bound for Liverpool
5 December 1946 sailed Liverpool for Bombay
7 December 1946 stood by the Union Castle Liner Rustenburg Castle which had broken down off the northern coast of Spain and was drifting towards the Spanish shore. After temporary repairs resumed passage from Durban towards Southampton slowly
8 December 1946 passed Gibraltar east bound
24 December 1946 sailed Bombay for Singapore
1947 returned to her owners on release from war service and went for a complete overhaul during which her 3rd funnel was replaced
February 1949 resumed her commercial service between New York and Bermuda
October 1961 arrived at Harland & Wolff, Belfast for reconstruction during which she was lengthened and a new single funnel was fitted in place of the originals
after the reconstruction
23 February 1962 ran trials after her reconstruction
7 April 1962 resumed the New York to Bermuda service
6 December 1966 arrived Fasland for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries Ltd