Category: Armed Merchant Cruisers

A slightly vague account of her career by her radio officer.

Describes the role of Armed Merchant Cruisers on the Northern Patrol in both world wars. About two-thirds is devoted to WWII.

A series of essays on the RN fighting auxiliaries used in WWII. All are listed and discussed, with some technical and operational details. Also contains an essay on Italian AMCs.

A beautifully produced volume which is probably the definitive work on these converted vessels. Packed with information and individual ships details.

Half on WWII. A competent account of their role and actions.

A popular view of lower deck life on an AMC, cast in the form of a novel-cum-diary.

PARKER, Charles Joseph. Red Duster to White Ensign: My Life at Sea in Peace and War. xiv, 112p., illus. Spiderwize: Peterborough, 2018. ISBN: 9781912694747.

Written in the 1970’s and as edited by his son in the 1990’s, this is his autobiography. He joined the Merchant Navy in 1921, aged fifteen. In 1940 he transferred to the RN where he served as a Steward. He was first on the minelayer Port Napier until her grounding and sinking that November. In March 1941 he joined the AMC Laconia, but when she was returned to the Merchant Navy as a troopship in September 1941, he joined the A/A ship Alynbank until the end of 1943, first on Arctic convoys and then in the Mediterranean. In May 1944 he joined the carrier Speaker briefly for six months then finally joined the LSI Keren where he served until discharged in 1946.

MURRAY, Allan A. HMS Arawa: The Dramatic War Service of an Unglamorous Armed Merchant Cruiser. vii,46p., illus. [n.p.], The Family Murray Trust, 2016. ISBN: 9781519027436.

Built as the ss Esperance Bay she was converted to an AMC in Sydney in the autumn of 1939. She served firstly on the China Station then in late 1940 moved to Freetown and the South Atlantic Station. In July 1941 she was decommissioned and converted to a troopship.