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.