She was the fifth ship built in the Barrow yard for the Isle of Man Steam Packet, and was launched by Mrs. J. T. Cowell at 13:45hrs on Monday 23 March 1908.

During the early part of the 20th century, speed of service was very much at the fore for shipping companies plying the Irish Sea routes to the Isle of Man; an article in the Daily Mail of July 1908 stated: What the Lusitania is to the Atlantic the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's new steamer Ben-my-Chree will probably be to the Irish Sea.

There can, of course, be no comparison as to size between the leviathan Cunarders and the speedy little Manx boats, but for years there has been a quiet, determined contest between the vessels of the two Companies for sea-going speed honours.

The diminutive boats plying from Liverpool to Douglas claimed pride of place until the advent of the Lusitania and Mauritania.

Infected by the competitive spirit, the Directors of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company resolved that their next vessel should not be far behind the race.

The Ben-my-Chree, it is asserted, can reach over 25 knots and it is expected to reduce the record time (2hrs 56 mins) from Liverpool to Douglas, at present held by the turbine steamer Viking, by six minutes at least.

Apart from the contest for speed honours there are many points of similarity between the Manx vessels and the new Cunard liners.Ben-my-Chree resulted from the great success of the Viking, which was built three years earlier and employed on the Steam Packet's Douglas - Fleetwood schedule.

[4] Ben-my-Chree was built under special survey from Lloyd's of London and also in accordance with the Board of Trade for their passenger certificates.

[4] Two condensers were fitted, one on each side of the turbine run, and were supplied with circulating water by two large centrifugal pumps.

[4] Steam was supplied at a pressure of 170 lb per square inch by four double-ended cylindrical boilers, arranged to work under forced draught with closed stokeholds.

[4] A combined steam and hand steering engine was also located aft, and this was controlled by a telemotor gear from the navigating bridge.

[4] There was also a powerful steering gear situated forward, the purpose of which was to operate a bow rudder so as to facilitate the quick turning and manoeuvring of the vessel when entering or leaving port.

[6] A large party of Steam Packet Company directors had travelled to Ardrossan on board the Tynwald and joined the Ben-my-Chree at Greenock.

[6] Slipping her moorings, the Ben-my-Chree made her way down the Clyde to a point a few miles above the Cumbrae Lighthouse, gathering full speed as she went.

[6] Ben-my-Chree crossed the mark in excess of 24 knots (28 mph), employing lookouts on various vantage points on board, she kept her speed for a period of approximately 3 hours.

[6] By this time the fog horn on the Skull Martin Lightship could be clearly heard, but with visibility reported to be down to less than a mile, it was proving impossible to make the required visual reference to calibrate the speed.

[6] The prevailing conditions coupled to the high density of shipping traffic in the area forced an abandonment of the trial.

At the aft end of the dining saloon there was a large pantry fitted up with Bain Maries, carving tables and linked by lifts to the main galley, which was situated above.

[4] Fitted with two funnels and two masts which were schooner rigged a fine sheer and smart rake, the vessel was said to look as if she was at speed, even when at anchor.

Under the command of commodore of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Captain Thomas Keig, the Ben-my-Chree made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Douglas on Wednesday 15 July 1908.

[6] At 10:45 she passed the Fort Perch Lighthouse and entered the Victoria Channel, by which time she was making 20 knots (23 mph).

[6] At 13:34 Ben-my-Chree arrived off Douglas Head and slowed for the last quarter of a mile as she approached her moorings at the Victoria Pier.

[6] Over the course of the maiden voyage, four records were established:[6] Ben-my-Chree's exceptional service speed caused several stories to circulate about her.

She used 95 tons of coal in one day's steaming, and these high running costs resulted in her appearing on station only during the peak periods of the summer months; during the rest of the time she was invariably laid up.

Ben-my-Chree was the flagship of the Steam Packet Fleet when the Great War broke out in the summer of 1914, carrying more passengers than any other company ship.

[9] During 1915, when she was first in action, The Ben also carried Sopwith Schneider floatplane fighters which were tasked with intercepting Zeppelins over the North Sea.

[9] The Sopwith Schneiders also proved difficult to get airborne from the flying off platform, so to overcome this two-wheeled dollies were fitted beneath the floats.

[9] From then she started her support of the Gallipoli Campaign by using her aircraft to spot for naval gunners as they bombarded the Turkish positions.

[9] HMS Ben-my-Chree continued service in the Mediterranean into 1916, staging air raids into Bulgaria and spotting for naval gunners.

On 11 January 1917 HMS Ben-my-Chree was anchored off Kastellorizo when a Turkish battery opened up on her, demolishing the aft hangar and holing the petrol store, setting light to the ship.