In June 1941 Glala was retired from the Navy and became a hospital tender in Belfast with a civilian crew. Other than the naval records there is little to document this period. The bombing of Belfast was over, it is possible that she was servicing the Atlantic convoys that now arrived from the US and Canada.

In May 1943 her status changed from requisitioned to compulsorily acquired. In July 1943 she was sailed to Glasson Dock, Lancashire for maintenance work.

In October 1943 Glala joined the National Fire Service. She was one of 23 fireboats in Fire Force 26 (Liverpool). She was equipped with two pumps with an output of about 750 gallons per minute each. These photographs, from the archives of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, show her in a very damaged state. It's not clear what had happened to her but it looks like a gas explosion.

Glala, nearest. The two machines in the accommodation area are pumps. The boat alongside is slightly damaged too. [MF&RS]  [enlarge]  [detail 1]  [detail 2]

The cause of this damage is unknown, but it may be worth noting that AEC had installed a calor gas cooker in the galley, which was located roughly in the centre of this picture. [MF&RS]  [enlarge]

The boat alongside is probably the fireboat Namouna. [MF&RS]  [enlarge]