September Under final stage of preparation
for mercantile service.
(Note: Work may have been
suspended immediately after outbreak of war
with Germany, if not earlier in anticipation of requisition for naval use
as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.).
October Under conversion for
deployment
2nd Formal
requisition by Admiralty for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
11th Commissioned for service as HMS PRETORIA CASTLE.
Nominated for deployment in South Atlantic based at Freetown.
Commenced storing
November Under conversion for deployment
December Carried out sea trials on
completion of conversion.
21st Sailed from Belfast,
(Note: It may be assumed
that ship would have embarked ammunition before
taking passage to Freetown.)
1 9 4 0
January Arrived at Freetown for Atlantic convoy defence
February Freetown deployment in continuation.
to (Note: Escorts for Convoys on passage to and from West Africa and Indian Ocean were
September provided by addition escort during
entry and departure from Freetown.
During this period enemy commerce raiders were active
in South Atlantic)
October Nominated to join military
convoy WS4 in position 23.47N, 22.15W
to supplement
escort during passage into Freetown.
11th Joined
WS4 before it divi9ded into FAST and SLOW Sections.
Deployed as escort during passage
into Freetown for six mercantiles. designated
WS4 Slow
15th Detached
from WS4 Slow on arrival.
17th Deployed with HM Cruiser CORNWALL as Ocean Escort for WS4 as Ocean Escort
during passage to Cape Town
26th Detached from WS4 with ss SCYTHIA and ss WARWICK CASTLE as escort for
passage into Cape Town.
29th Rejoined WS4 with same ships to rejoin
WS4
November
2nd Detached from WS4 with four mercantiles designated WS4 SLOW and took passage
as escort into Durban.
3rd Detached
from WS4 SLOW on arrival at Durban.
December Passage to Freetown.
(Note: It may be assumed
that ship was deployed either as escort or for cover of
passage of routine convoys to Cape Town and Freetown.
1 9 4 1
January Deployed at Freetown for Atlantic Trade defence.
to
April
May Deployed with HM Battlecruiser REPULSE and HM
Cruiser MAURITIUS as part of
Ocean Escort for military Convoy WS8A during passage
into Freetown.
9th Detached
from WS8A on arrival at Freetown.
June Freetown deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Freetown deployment in continuation
to Nominated
for conversion for use as an Escort Aircraft Carrier (CVE) in a commercial
April shipyard
May Passage to UK to prepare for Paying-off and
conversion.
Outright purchase of ship from Union Castle under consideration.
June
30th Arrived
in Tyne.
July Under conversion for
use as an Escort Carrier (CVE).
16th Ship purchased by Admiralty,
August Under Conversion
to (Note:
Work included:
December Removal of all upper structure to
enable fitting of strengthened
flight deck with new design prototype cordite fired
catapult.
Addition of more ballast to compensate
for additional top weight.
Installation of suitable British radar and
communications for control and
direction of aircraft and ship navigation.
1 9 4 3
January Under
conversion
to
June
W a r S e r v i c e a s a n
E s c o r t A i r c r a f t C a r r i e r
July Carried
out harbour trials
29th Commissioned for service as a Trials
Carrier in Western Approaches Command
August Carried out
Sea Trials in North Sea
9th Shipyard work completed.
10th Sailed for shakedown and passage to
Rosyth
12th Arrived at Rosyth to complete trials
16th Passage
to Clyde for completion of trials including
first aircraft deck landings.
to Based in Clyde
and anchored off Rothesay between trials.
28th
September Trials in continuation
October Trials
in continuation
Nominated for first operational duty and embarked 825
Squadron aircraft and
personnel.
27th Deployed with military Convoy DS46 to
provide air cover during passage to
Reykjavik
29th At Reykjavik
30th Deployed
with military Convoy SD46 to provide air cover during passage to Clyde.
November Detached from DS46 on arrival and
resumed trials duties in Clyde area.
29th Involved
in collision in Clyde
with HM Escort Aircraft RAVAGER, which
sustained damage.
(Note: HMS RAVAGER was
deployed in Clyde area for Deck Landing Trials.)
December Clyde trials deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 4
January Deployed
in Clyde and nominated for HOOKED HARVARD Trials
20th Carried out HOOKED HARVARD Trials
(Note: These may have been
trials to establish effective Deck Landing by
HARVARD aircraft using existing Arrestor wires - to be
confirmed)
February Carried out Deck Landing trials
with SEAFIRE, HELLCAT, AVENGER,
and WILDCAT aircraft in Clyde.
March Deployed for
SEAFIRE aircraft Deck Landing Trials in Clyde
April Deployed
for CORSAIR aircraft Deck Landing Trials in Clyde.
Nominated for routing docking and assisted Maintenance
25th Under
docking and essential repair and maintenance in AFD IV.
May Docking
and repair in continuation.
On completion resumed Trials duties in Clyde.
June
2nd Deployed
for Radar Interception trials with SEAFIRE aircraft.
(Note: Ship would probably
have been deployed in NW Approaches
clear of land.)
July Trials
duties in continuation
14th Involved in collision with Mercantile
EDITH in Clyde and sustained serious
structural damage
Withdrawn from service and took passage to Clyde
for repair in commercial
shipyard
August Passage
to Forth for completion of repair by HM
Dockyard Rosyth.
Taken hand for completion of repair.
September Under repair.
On completion took passage to Clyde
to resume trials duties.
October
1st Resumed service in Clyde
5th Carried
out check of equipment on Degaussing Range in Clyde.
16th Carried
out trials with SEAFIRE aircraft.
18th Carried out Deck landing trials with
AVENGER, HELLCAT and
SWORDFISH aircraft.
23rd Carried
out aerodynamic trials with WILDCAT aircraft.
30th Carried
out Deck landing trials with SEA OTTER amphibian aircraft.
November
1st Deployed as Target for torpedo
attacks by RAF BEAUFIGHTER aircraft.
(Note: These aircraft were
used for attacks on coastal shipping in Channel
and North
Sea.)
6th Carried
out Deck landing trials with FIREFLY aircraft.
13th Carried
out aerodynamic trials with BARRACUDA aircraft.
21st Carried out landing trials with
SPITFIRE aircraft fitted with Hooks for use
when using aircraft carrier arrester wires.
December Deployed in Clyde
19th Withdrawn from service for machinery
repair and took passage to Belfast
1 9 4 5
January Repair
work to be completed in Clyde commercial shipyard and took passage to
Glasgow.
February Under repair
March On
completion of repair and post refit trials resumed trials duties in Clyde.
April
3rd Carried out catapult trials to establish
techniques to be used for “Tail Down”
launch of aircraft.
May Not
deployed for trials.
to Flight deck lighting improved to
allow landings by night.
July (Note: It is assumed that future deployment was under
consideration during
this period.)
July Ship
may have returned to suitable alongside berth.
(continued)Nominated for special trials to evaluate use of METEOR
aircraft for sea
service and trial using improved flight deck lighting to
allow night landings
August Deployed in Clyde
11th Carried out landing trials with METEOR
aircraft fitted with hook.
23rd Carried out trials at night using
improved flight deck lighting to establish
suitability for landings
September Transferred to Portsmouth Command
Passage to Portsmouth.
11th Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard.
October Deployed
at Portsmouth
to Future deployment under
consideration
December If retained in service to be
refitted.
(Note: Ships company to be
reduced in view of RN manning
problems due to discharge of men from Conscripted service.)
1 9 4 6
January Deployed
at Portsmouth.
Placed on Disposal List and negotiations carried out
with Union Castle
to determine whether ship was required for return to
trade.
26th Sold back to Union Castle and to be converted back to intended use when
requisitioned.
(Note: When HM Escort
Carrier VINDEX was returned to Port Line the
cost of her conversion to suit earlier intended use was
met by the
Admiralty.
It is assumed the same applied to this ship.)
To be de-stored at Portsmouth before passage with Steaming Crew only
to Belfast
for handover.
February
4th Commenced de-storing and removal of
Admiralty equipment.
March Steaming
crew joined and prepared for passage on completion of de-storing.
Passage to Belfast
21st Paid-off
and returned to Union Castle.
Taken in hand for conversion to suit original intended
use as a passenger
liner.
