Laburnum loses mobility for a headquarters role

After the war, Laburnum served with the Royal Navy's New Zealand Division, exercising with cruisers and visiting Pacific ports. She later became a drill and headquarters ship for the Straits Settlements Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, gaining communications spaces, offices, and accommodation. Removing her engines created much of that extra room but sacrificed propulsion. The immobilized hull could therefore neither contribute to Singapore's mobile defence nor join the evacuation in 1942. She was scuttled, later raised, and ultimately used in a breakwater before scrapping.