Snaefell, despite her modest size, being a dual vessel was of some importance of marine evolution in the company's list.

This work was undertaken by the yards at Cammell Laird, and she left the Mersey in Christmas week 1914, to embark on her war service.

The record of Snaefell is typical of the work of the steam packet company's ships in World War I.

In April 1915, the Snaefell had a minor brush with a German submarine but failed to find her target, despite being able to discharge a shot at the enemy from what seemed to be close range.

During June of that year, she received orders concerning more desperate matters, and the Sanefell was tasked to escort the monitor Ragalan to Gallipoli.

Early in August she was damaged by shellfire, after which she was switched to shore patrol work, closely watching the Turkish movements.

This work entailed danger from floating mines, shore batteries and Bulgarian aircraft, against which at first, the Snaefell had little or no defence.

Snafell then assisted in the evacuation of the British Forces from Gallipoli, after which the ship was given troop-carrying duties for several months, on one occasion being heavily shelled by a submarine when laden with Turkish prisoners of war which she had embarked in Cyprus.

Re-fitted in Alexandria in the spring of 1918, and after being held up by a serious fire that broke out while she was in harbour, she was finally able to leave for Malta early in June.