King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Troopships - HMT Malabar

HMT Malabar in Malta Harbour, 1895.
Accession Number: KO0738/15

HMT Malabar - the last of the Indian Troopships - took the 1st Battalion from Portsmouth to Malta in 1895.
Accession Number: KO0623/01-01

Troopships HMT Crocodile, Malabar, Euphrates, Jumna and Serapis
These were five troopships built in 1866 after some difficulties were experienced transporting troops during the Crimean War (1854-56) and in the Indian Mutiny (1857). The Royal Navy was charged with building and operating these ships on behalf of the Indian Government. The Star of India was emblazoned on each bow. The ships were painted white with a yellow funnel and for distinction each had a different coloured riband round the hull. Euphrates, blue, which later became the colour for all British troopships, Jumna, red, Crocodile, yellow, Malabar, black and Serapis, green. Each ship could accommodate a full infantry battalion and married families, or about 1200 people. They were in service for more than thirty years by which time they were far behind many of the vessels of the Merchant Navy. Before the opening of the Suez Canal the Crocodile and Serapis ran between England and Alexandria, whilst the other three ran from Suez to Bombay. Malabar was the last of the ships to be disposed of in 1896.