This fine vessel was the product of William Denny of Gourock. Unusually for Booth Line at the time, she was a steam turbine vessel, after the builders had convinced Booth that it would be more economic than a steam reciprocating engine with an exhaust turbine only. Like her sisters, however she was still coal fired. Coal was retained by Booth Line as the main fuel, long after other companies had gone over to fuel oil. This was because the south-bound passages had little bulk cargo, so there was room for extra coal-bunkers making the carriage of expensive fuel oil unnecessary. 

Launched only five years before  WWII, she became a troopship at the outbreak of hostilities. On the 25^th December 1940 while part of convoy WS.5A she was attached by the German Cruiser Admiral Hipper, which was driven off by the escorting cruisers.

On the 5^th July 1941 while on passage between Gourock (Scotland) and Freetown (West Africa) she was torpedoed by U-96 some 300 miles off the Azores. The U-96 had fired a spread of torpedoes at the Armed Merchant Cruiser Cathy (P&O) and the surveying vessel HMS Challenger. All four torpedoes missed their targets and unfortunately two hit the Anselm. 94 crew, 3 gunners and 960 troops were rescued by the Cathy and the Challenger. The Anselm sank vertically with the loss of 4 crew and about 250 troops.