Entering traffic at Stewarts Lane in November 1929 on the Continental services, E864 Sir Martin Frobisher was moved to Nine Elms in November 1937 on Link 1 duties for the Southampton Docks and Bournemouth express services, swapping places with 857 Lord Howe. In January 1939 Sir Martin Frobisher was modified with the Lemaitre exhaust and a modified chimney, raising the performance level of the locomotive, a welcomed development as by 1945, somewhat surprisingly, wartime holiday traffic on the Western Section had reached pre-war levels and the introduction of the Merchant Navy class meant that Sir Martin Frobisher could be sent to Bournemouth shed to augment the Lord Nelsons already based there.