Kerwood was built as the merchant ship SS Budapest at Thornaby-on-Tees, England, by Richardson, Duck and Company.[1] She was later renamed SS Kerwood. The U.S. Navy acquired Kerwood for World War I service on 5 November 1918, assigned her the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 1489, and commissioned her the same day as USS Kerwood.
Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, Kerwood commenced coaling runs from Cardiff, Wales, to French ports. She continued these operations until 28 December 1918, when she arrived at Bordeaux, France with 1,000 tons of United States Army stores. From Bordeaux, she proceeded to Cardiff before departing for the U.S. on 29 January 1919. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia on 27 February.
Once again SS Kerwood, the ship returned to commercial service. On 12 December 1919, with 40 troops on board, she struck a naval mine laid during World War I[2] and sank 20 nmi (37 km) north of Terschelling Island, in the Frisian Islands on the northern coast of the Netherlands. The transport Edilyn arrived in New York Harbor on 1 January 1920 with 25 members of the Kerwood crew aboard.[3]
Notes
^ abc"Budapest". Teesbuiltships. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
