SS Robin Doncaster was a 7,101 GRT cargo liner that was built in 1940 as a Type C2-S cargo ship by Bethlehem Steel Co, Sparrows Point, Maryland, United States for the United States Maritime Commission (USMC).

On completion in April 1941, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Curlew.

She was rebuilt as a troop transport, and entered service with the War Shipping Administration in January 1944.

She departed two days later,[11] and joined Convoy SA 1, which formed at sea on 30 April and arrived at the Clyde on 3 May.

[14] She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough and then sailed to Liverpool, Lancashire, arriving on 13 November.

A voyage was made to Abadan, Iran, from where she departed on 16 February for Bombay, India, arriving four days later.

[16] Conversion to a transport ship by Sullivan Drydock and Repair Corporation, New York was completed in January 1944.

The survivors were rescued by HMSAS Africana on 10 November and transferred to the RAF crash boat Navigator.

Plaudit had been on a voyage from Colombo, Ceylon to the United States via Cape Town, South Africa.

[17] She also carried six survivors from the American liberty ship Anne Hutchinson, which had been torpedoed by U-504 with the loss of three crew.

Ann Hutchinson was subsequently divided in two parts by explosive charges in an attempt to salvage her cargo of 8,000 barrels of crude oil.

[18] In April 1944, Robin Doncaster transported troops from Camp Matthews, San Diego, California to Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving on 6 May.

[19] In September 1944 Robin Doncaster was on a voyage from San Francisco, California to Okinawa, Japan when she suffered two breakdowns at sea.

[20] On 29 September 1944, Robin Doncaster transported troops of the 165th Infantry Regiment who had been involved in Operation Forager from Tanapag Harbor, Saipan Mariana Islands to the Enewetak Atoll and then to Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, arriving on 4 October.

On 4 April 1946, Robin Doncaster was placed in the Reserve Fleet pending re-conversion to a cargo vessel.

[16][21] The planned conversion of Robin Doncaster back to a cargo ship was canceled due to a lack of funds.

[23] On 9 January 1952, Robin Doncaster collided with the tug Ruth, which was towing the barge Agram in the Delaware River, Philadelphia.

The collision occurred because of confusion over signals given, and the presence of Mormacpenn which was also attempting to pass Ruth.

Robert B. Wathen, the owner of Ruth was successful in his appeal to be exonerated from blame for the collision, which was placed squarely on the Robin Doncaster.

[5] About this time, Flying Gull was involved in a collision when she was hit by Batus at Kobe, Japan.