She was then refitted as a hospital ship and dispatched to North Russia in October 1918.

There she acted as a temporary base hospital for British, Canadian, French, Italian, Chinese and Russian sick and wounded.

[2] The ship remained there throughout the winter, with ice having to be broken each day to prevent damage through "pinching".

Many of her crew were Muslim Lascars who had problems during Ramadan 1919, as they were above the Arctic Circle and the sun did not set.

General Ironside gave them dispensation from observing the Ramadan fast.