MV ROYAL SCOTSMAN
built by Harland and Wolf in Belfast for Burns and Laird Lines Ltd
and launched on 11th March 1936 as Yard No. 964. The ship was
completed on 29th May 1936 and entered service for use as a
Passenger and Cargo liner in the Irish Sea. She was requisitioned by
the Admiralty in October 1940 for use as a Stores Carrier but later
converted for use as a Landing Ship Infantry. This name had not previously been used
for an RN ship and she was commissioned as HMS ROYAL
SCOTSMAN.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - SICILY 1943 - NORTH AFRICA
1942-43 - SALERNO 1943
H e r a l d i c D
a t a
None is recorded in the Official List as this
ship was an Auxiliary Warship..
General Information as Landing Ship Infantry
Displacement
3244grt
Dimensions
340ft Length Overall
48ft
Beam
17ft Draught
(Deep)
Propulsion
7,500 SHP Twin Diesel
Engines
Armament
1 x 12pdr, 4 x 20mm
Oerlikon
Complement
236 plus 830
Troops
S u m m
a r y o f W
a r S e r v i c
e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 4
0
October
Requisitioned by Admiralty for use as a
Store Carrier
November
Commissioned as HMS ROYAL
SCOTSMAN
to
Future deployment as Landing Ship
Infantry decided
December
Taken in hand for modifications to suit
deployment as a Landing Ship Infantry.
1 9 4
1
January
On completion carried out Acceptance Trials and prepared for
operational service.
to
Ship storing and naval specialist complement
joined
May
(Note: The majority of the ship's company was merchant navy
personnel serving under a
T124X Engagement, not
subject to the Naval Discipline Act.
The captain and some specialist officers were RN, RNR or RNVR
personnel with
specialist ratings.)
June
Deployed in Home waters
to
Nominated for service in planned British Occupation of the
Azores
(Operation GREY)
July
August
Embarked troops for
GREY.
9th
Passage from Clyde
to Scapa Flow with Landing Ships, RFA Tankers and
mercantiles
carrying
troops and transport. Escort was provided by HM Destroyers
BULLDOG, CASTLETON,
CHARLESTOWN,
ECHO, INTREPID, WHITEHALL,
WINCHELSEA
and WITCH as military convoy
WS8C.
(Note: Ships taking part in GREY
were to assemble at Scapa
Flow
prior to escort by Home
Fleet
warships during passage to Azores.
10th
Arrived at Scapa Flow with WS8C.
15th
Operation GREY cancelled and ships of WS8C took return passage to
Clyde escorted by HM
Destroyers ANTELOPE, CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN,
DOUGLAS,
GEORGETOWN,
INTREPID, LEAMINGTON,
SALADIN and HM Auxiliary AA Ship POZARICA
17th
Arrived in Clyde and disembarked troops.
September
Nominated for transport of
reinforcement military personnel to Gibraltar.
17th Joined military
convoy WS11X in Clyde
and took passage to Gibraltar
escorted by HM Destroyers
HARVESTER, HAVELOCK,
BLANKNEY, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, ORIBI, WHITEHALL,
WITCH, Polish ORP GARLAND,
Polish PIORUN, Dutch ISAAC SWEERS, HM Battleship PRINCE
OF WALES,
HM Cruisers EURYALUS and KENYA
(Note: WS11X was a Malta
relief Convoy
(Operation HALBERD))
25th
Detached from WS11X with four other mercantiles carrying troops to
Gibraltar.
October
Took
return passage to UK
from Gibraltar
November
Resumed Home waters deployment for training with Combined Operations
personnel.
to
December
Deployed for transport of
troops and equipment in Mediterranean.
1 9 4
2
January
Home waters deployment in
continuation.
to
(Note: During this period extensive exercises and planning were
carried out for planned
September
amphibious
operations involving use of this type of
ship.
October
Nominated for service in
planned operation to North African landings (Operation
TORCH.)
26th Passage to
Gibraltar
as part of military Convoy KMF1 carry troops to
TORCH.
November
6th At
Gibraltar
7th Passage to
Algeria for
assault landings
8th Landed
troops at Arzew.
(For details see
Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C
Barnett.)
December
Deployed for transport of troops and equipment in western
Mediterranean.
1
9 4 3
January
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
to
(Note: Troops were landed in Tunisia during
this period.)
April
May
Prepared for support of planned
landings and service as transport in
continuation.
(Note: Landings were made on
Pantalleria in May.)
June
Nominated for planned
assault landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY).
Took part in preparatory exercises prior to
landings.
July
Sailed from Malta to take part
in landings on BARK SOUTH Beach head in
Sicily
10th Landed troops on BARK
SOUTH Beach Head.
August
Nominated for transport of troops for planned allied landings at
Salerno.
Took part in preparatory exercises.
September
Passage to Tripoli.
Embarked troops.
6th Took
passage from Tripoli to join
military Convoy TSF1.
9th On arrival
at Salerno
disembarked troops for assault landings.
October
On release from AVALANCHE
nominated for return to UK.
November
Passage to UK.
to
Deployed in Home waters.
December
1 9 4
4
January
Home waters deployment in continuation.
to
(Note:
Did not take part in any of the landing operations at Anzio
(Operation SHINGLE)
December
in January, in Normandy
landings during June (Operation NEPTUNE) or in
assault on Walcheren (Operation INFATUATE) in November
Further research
is required to confirm whether ship was damaged or only used for
training purposes.
1
9 4 5
January
Home waters deployment in continuation.
to
Withdrawn from service and Paid-off.
February
March
Returned to Trade.