A History of HMS Rajah

Laid down 17 December 1942, at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. Tacoma, Washington, a C3-S-A1 type freighter, Maritime Commission hull number 256, Seattle-Tacoma hull number 40; purchased by the US navy to be the USS McCLURE AVG–45 but her name was to PRINCE on 13 November 1942. Whilst still under construction it had been decided that AVG 45 was to be transferred to the Admiralty on loan on her completion as an aircraft carrier. AVG-45 was launched on 18 May 1943 by her sponsor Mrs. J. L. McGuigan and was assigned to Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, Oregon, for the completion of her construction as an escort carrier. Her US navy designation change d to CVE-45 on July 13th 1943. She was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend Lease on 17 October 1943 and was delivered on January 17th 1944, and commissioned into RN service as HMS RAJAH (D10), Commander Philip Baker RN in command.

After completing her builder’s sea trials Rajah sailed for Vancouver Island, British Colombia, entering Burrard Drydock to begin modification to bring equipment to RN standards and to outfit her as a transport carrier. Whilst moored in Esquimalt, Vancouver Island, during her modification and storing ship routine shoe was visited by two officers from 7 Radio Detachment RCAF, Patricia Bay, on April 11th; they were shown around the ship, and in particular the operations room.

UK Bound; Rajah's First Ferry Load

On completion of her work-up and short crew familiarisation period HMS Rajah sailed for the Panama Canal, and then on to Norfolk, Virginia, to embark more stores and aircraft on the 29th of June 1944, including the Avengers of 857 squadron and the Corsairs of 1842 squadron for transit to the UK, disembarking 857 at Belfast, Northern Ireland, and 1842 to RNAS Stretton on July 13th . She immediately set sail back to Norfolk where she embarked the aircraft of 1853 squadron on July 24th

In August 1944 Rajah provided a carrier deck for Deck Landing Training, including training for the pilots of No. 618 squadron, Royal Air Force; normally they flew mosquitoes but carried out their DLTs in Barracudas. This was in preparation for operations in the pacific theatre were it was hoped they would be able to employ their ‘bouncing’ anti-ship mine developed from the famous dam busting bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallace.

In September 1944 Rajah embarked two squadrons for passage to the East Indies, the larger 857, now operating 21 Avenger IIs and 888 squadron’s six photo reconnaissance Hellcat II(PR) aircraft; 857 embarking on the 8th, 888 on the 9th. Rajah disembarked both squadrons on October 11th 1944; 857 to RNARY Coimbatore, Southern India and 888 to RNAS China Bay, Trincomalee, Ceylon.

Loan to the US Navy as a Transport Carrier

HMS Rajah was loaned to US Navy as a transport and aircraft ferry carrier with the US Pacific fleet from 20 December 1944; Rajah carried aircraft and personal from San Diego California to Guam in the Mariana Islands, via Pearl Harbour. On her return passage to San Diego she carried passengers and evacuated injured US personnel. Rajah was to operate in this role until early August 1945. Her RN designation changed from D10 to R310 for service in the Pacific but this may not have been worn.

Rajah receives a Conversion;  Operations as a Troop Ship

in HMS Rajah arrived in the Clyde from New York on August 5th 1945 and the following day went upstream to Meadowside Quay for her conversion to a troop ship; this work was undertaken by Messrs Alex Stevens Ltd. During this period almost all of the ship’s company changed. The work consisted of converting the hangar deck into accommodation spaces; about 600 bunks were installed along with additional mess decks and heads.

Work complete Rajah left Meadowside Quay on November 13th and moved downstream to X4 buoy off Rosneath Patch where she was to store ship, embark passengers and carry out post conversion trials.

On November 22nd Rajah sailed for a round trip trooping voyage to Gibraltar, Colombo and Bombay; she arrived at Bombay on December 20th and embarked a contingent of Combined Operations personnel for return to UK. Rajah sailed from Bombay two days later. Christmas day was spent at sea and in temperatures of over 90 degrees F - massed voices on the flight deck could be heard singing, ‘when the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.’ Rajah reached Plymouth on January 11th and disembarked her first passengers, then on to Portsmouth and Sheerness, arriving there on the 13th and finally berthed at Chatham on the 14th. Leave was granted once the ship was secured.  HMS Rajah was to make two more runs of this sort before being prepared for return to the US in December 1946.

CVE 45 was returned to US Navy custody at Norfolk, Virginia on December 13th 1946, and was stricken for disposal on February 7th 1947. She was sold to the Waterman Steamship Corp., on July 7th 1947.

Entered  merchant service as ‘Drente’ in 1948. Renamed ‘Lambros’ in 1966 and, further renamed ‘Ulysses’ in 1969. She was scrapped in Taiwan starting in June 1975.