Ulster Monarch was the first of three 3700ton motorships built by Harland and Wolff for the Belfast Steamship Co. between 1929 and 1930.
[3] Ulster Monarch was requisitioned by Admiralty in October 1940, initially as a stores carrier.
[4] Ulster Monarch's war record included a circumnavigation of Africa.
[4] The ship was returned to her owners in October 1945,[1] the only one of the trio to resume the Irish Sea service after the war.
Her funnels were shortened in an attempt to improve stability by reducing top weight.