British Escort Carrier HMS Rajah

British Escort Carrier HMS Rajah D10

Laid down on 17 December 1942 as USS Prince AVG-45 (later CVE-45) a Bogue-class escort carrier, she was allocated to Britain under Lend Lease and renamed HMS Rajah. Commissioned into the Royal Navy on 17 January 1944.

After her first Atlantic crossing, when she carried the aircraft of 1842 NAS, Rajah became a Deck Landing Training Carrier. During this period, 618 Squadron RAF used Barracudas for landing training in preparation for using their Mosquitoes in the Pacific with High Ball bouncing bombs. Other squadrons to use HMS Rajah for training included 769 and 767 Deck Landing Training Squadrons.

HMS Rajah resumed ferry duties in September 1944, transporting 12 Avenger aircraft of 849 squadron, 21 Avengers of 857 squadron and 6 Photo recon Hellcats of 888 squadron, to southern India and Ceylon. After arriving home on 10 November 1944, it was agreed to loan her to the US as an aircraft transport in the Pacific. She operated in this role until July 1945.

On returning to the UK, she was modified as a troop transport to return service personnel from overseas. She was returned to US Navy custody at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia on December 13th 1946. As CVE-45, she was stricken for disposal on February 7th 1947 and was sold. She entered merchant service as the S.S. Drente in 1948. She was renamed Lambros in 1966 and, further renamed Ulysses in 1969. She was scrapped in Taiwan starting in June 1975.