Built to replace the three "V" class passenger liners in World War I, she was the second of two vessels to come from the Belfast yard of Workman Clarke & Co. Ltd., after the Vandyck. Comprising five holds for refrigerated and general cargo, and accommodation for 300 First, 150 Second and 230 Third Class passengers. She entered the New York - South America trade, bringing the passenger fleet up to five ships, on a fortnightly service on the route.

After the tragic loss of the Vestris (12th November 1928) some 300 miles off Hampton Roads, with the loss of 112 passenger and crew and the depression increasing. She was laid up in the River Blackwater in 1929. Brought out of lay up in the spring of 1932, she sailed on a series of cruises from Southampton and Liverpool. These proved extremely successful that she was specially fitted out for this purpose and the hulls painted white as shown in the postcard above. She was employed cruising to just before the outbreak of  World War II, cruising to the Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands, West Africa, West Indies, Norwegian Fjords and Baltic.

It was at this time, in recognition of the trade and employment brought to the Port of Liverpool, that Lamport & Holts were presented with the City of Liverpool colours, being the only company privileged to fly the Liverpool civic flag from the jackstaff. This was continued right through to the Churchill.

Shortly after the outbreak of World War II she was taken up by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser and renamed HMS Voltaire. On the early morning of  9^th April 1941, while en route for Freetown to escort a North Atlantic convoy as HMS Voltaire, she met up with the German Raider Thor. After a heavy battle and outgunned, she was sunk. Some 197 survivors were picked up, to spend the remainder of the war as POW's.