Sister of the Afric, Persic was launched on 7th September, 1899 and handed over to WS on 16th November. She commenced her maiden voyage to Sydney on 7th December. On her first voyage she carried 500 troops to Cape Town where her rudder stock broke and she had to wait there until a replacement was shipped out from Harland & Wolff's (Belfast). When the voyage resumed in 1900 she repatriated wounded and sick Australian troops

On 26th October of that same year, she rescued the crew of the burning schooner Madura. During the period 1917 - 1919 she operated with the Medic under the Liner Requisition Scheme as a troop transport. In September, 1918, she  was attacked and torpedoed by the german submarine U-87 off of the Isles Of Scilly. Persic was able to move off under her own steam and leave the area. She reached port and was repaired.

In 1920 she was returned to WS and refitted and modernised. In 1926 Persic was refitted at Govan but unrepairable engine wear was diagnosed at that time. She left Liverpool on 26th September of that same year on her final voyage before being laid up. On 7th July, 1927, she was sold for £25,000 and left the Mersey for Hendrik Ido Ambacht in Holland where she was broken up.