Built as a passenger vessel under yard No 510 by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Scotland for the Great Western Railway Co., London.
26 March 1925 launched as the ST HELIER one sister ST JULIEN.
Tonnage 1,885 grt, 811 nrt, dim. 291.3 x 42.6 x 16.4ft., draught 13.1ft.
Powered by two Parsons single reduction geared steam turbines, manufactured by shipbuilder, 4,350 shp., twin shafts, speed 19.5 knots, during trials, service speed 18 knots.
Accommodation for 1,004 passengers in two classes, 140 persons in cabins.
Two funnel ship the aft one was a dummy.
June 1925 completed.
Used in the service between Weymouth and the British Channel Islands.
1928 Was her dummy funnel removed.
1937 Her funnel was 5 feet shortened.
09 September 1939 she arrived at Weymouth with passengers from the Channel Islands, then laid up in Weymouth after closure of the service.
19 September 1939 sailed from Weymouth to replace the ST ANDREW in the Fishguard to Rosslare service, but she was only used for a short time in this service.
Requisitioned as troopship, to bring troops from the U.K. to France. First voyage from Southampton on 24 November 1939 bound for Cherbourg.
From 22 May till 03 June 1940 used in “Operation Dynamo” in the evacuation of the British troops from Dunkirk.
03 June she arrived Folkestone with on board 1,227 troops.
04 June she sailed from Folkestone bound for Southampton for repairs.
After repairs used in “Operation Cycle and Aerial the evacuation of troops from NW France until 21 June.
25 June sailed from the Plymouth Sound to Liverpool from where she made two voyages with detainees to the Island of Man in July and August.
She was then directed to the Clyde then ad the end of October to Penarth for a refit and taken over for Combined Operations duty.
07 November 1940 commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS ST HELIER.
Armament 6 – 20mm guns.
15 November she arrived at Milford Haven with troops on a training exercise.
08 December she sailed for the Clyde to be used as a tender at Inveraray until 9 February 1941.
In use as a Combined Operation Base and Accommodation Ship at Dartmouth for 13 months moored in the River Dart.
04 September 1942 arrived at Inveraray after she at the Clyde underwent a conversion to a Landing Ship, Infantry (Hand-hoisting), she was kept in that area for most of the next 16th months.
01 February 1944 she sailed from the Clyde for the South Coast of England.
Took part in ‘Operation Neptune”, 05 June 1944 she sailed from the Solent as part of Assault Convoy J10.
Landing her troops at June Beach the next morning.
Then she was used for the transport of reinforcement troops between the U.K to France, later to Belgium.
She was then used for “Operation Nestegg) the liberation of the Channel Islands.
11 May 1945 she sailed to Guernsey as part of Group I. anchored off the St Peter Port Castle breakwater.
16 May made an other trip from the Solent with reinforcements for Jersey.
After her return on 22 May she was used as troopship between Tilbury and Ostend, Belgium.
16 July in collision with the freighter LICHTFOOT in which HMS ST HELIER extensively damaged her port shaft tunnel, which flooded, without power she was towed by the tugs STOKE and PERSIA to Gravesend.
During her repairs she was decommissioned on 14 August 1945.
15 November, after her repairs used again in the transport of troops from Harwich to Hook of Holland.
15 March 1946 arrived for the last time in this service in Harwich.
Was refitted in Newport for her service to the Channel Islands, where she arrived on 16 June after reopening the service between Weymouth and the Channel Islands.
After the nationalisation of the British Railways she was transferred to the Southern Region of the British Railways.
14 September 1960 she made her last sailing to Jersey, where after she was laid up.
December 1960 sold to breakers in Antwerp, towed to Antwerp where she arrived on 19 December 1960 where after she was broken up by J de Smedt & Co.
Jersey 1989 13p sg507, scott522.
Source: http://www.miramarshipindex.co.nz Short Sea Long War by John de S. Winser. Railway and other Steamers by Duckworth & Langmuir. http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/v ... sp?id=2239