HMHS Rewa

HMHS Rewa was a British hospital ship that served during both World War I and World War II. Originally built as a passenger liner for the British India Steam Navigation Company, she was requisitioned by the British Admiralty and converted into a hospital ship in 1915.

During World War I, Rewa served in the Mediterranean, transporting wounded soldiers from Gallipoli and other theaters of war back to Britain. After the war, she was returned to her owners and resumed her passenger service.

With the outbreak of World War II, Rewa was once again requisitioned and converted back into a hospital ship. On January 4, 1918, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-55 in the Bristol Channel. Although severely damaged, she remained afloat long enough for all the patients and crew to be safely evacuated before she sank. The sinking of Rewa was a significant loss of life, even with the successful evacuation, and served as a reminder of the dangers faced by hospital ships during wartime. Her wreck is now a protected site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.