Background
The Zamzam had not always been named Zamzam. In fact, that was her third name. When she had been built in 1909, she was given the name Leicestershire. As was her later sister ship, the El Nil, the Leicestershire had been built by Harland and Wolff of Belfast as a passenger ship for the Bibby Line. She had accommodations for 230 single class passengers.
Measurements of the ship have been reported as follows: 8,059 gross tons, length 467.2 ft x beam 54.3 ft x depth 31.7 ft. She was characterized by one funnel, four masts, a twin screw, and a speed of 15 knots. The four masts were her most distinctive feature.
The history of the Zamzam's service was varied and complex. As the Leicestershire, her maiden voyage took place in September 1909, when she sailed from Birkenhead to India as a passenger ship. In 1914 she was taken over as an Indian Expeditionary Force transport ship but was soon returned to her owners. By 1917, however, she was again serving as a troop transport ship. In 1918 she even carried troops to North Russia to fight the Bolsheviks. Among other trips, she made a voyage to Melbourne, repatriating Australian troops.
Following those wartime years of transport service, the Leicestershire was returned to the Bibby Line and rebuilt; she was converted from being coal-burning to oil-burning. Now modernized, she resumed passenger service on the Rangoon route (Britain to Burma) until 1930, when she was sold to the British National Exhibition Ship Company Ltd.