Via double reduction gearing and a Föttinger fluid coupling the turbine drove the same propeller shaft as her piston engine.

Over the next two years Gray built three sister ships for Ellerman & Papayanni Lines: Belgravian in 1937, Ionian in 1938 and Florian in 1939–40.

[6] On 29 May 1941 HMS Malvernian intercepted and captured the German weather ship WBS 8 August Wriedt in the Bay of Biscay.

Malvernian sent a prize crew aboard, which took August Wriedt to St John's, Newfoundland.

[6] The sloop HMS Scarborough searched for survivors, found one lifeboat and rescued its 57 occupants.

One, carrying Malvernian's commander, Cdr JWB Robertson, RNR and 31 of his crew and reached A Coruña in on 21 July.