Warsailors Forums

The prefix "HMCS" (His/Her Majesty's Colonial Ship) seems to have been used by government run vessels in British colonies dependent on the open sea, rivers or lakes still administered by the Colonial Office in London. In peacetime they appear to have periodically conveyed the Governors on tour but acted as cargo/passenger ships the bulk of the time. In wartime they were armed and became auxiliary warships.

I can find reference to them during WWII in Fiji, Nyassaland, The Gambia and Falkland Islands.

Does anyone know of any other colonies possessing the "His Majesty's Colonial Ship" designation in WWII? The British West Indies seems like an obvious possibility, but I can't find any reference to any such vessels there.

Many thanks.

Further to the above:

On the internet there are earlier references to an HMCS in the West Indies in the Napoleonic Wars and two such vessels in the colony of South Australia in the 19thy Century, before unification of Australia into a Commonwealth in 1901.

The designation "His/Her Majesty's Colonial Ship" seems to have been an administrative one indicating vessels owned by the Colonial Office in London for use in non-self governing territories still administered by it.

Cheers,

Sid.