Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History I never knew that

Just been looking for something on Wikki and came across this. I knew about the first world war heroics but not this. Doesn't seem to be acknowledged as much as the Zeebrugge thing.

Royal Daffodil: the River Mersey ferry evacuated 7,461 service personnel from Dunkirk in five trips between 28 May and 2 June, among them the French historian Marc Bloch, who served as a captain in the campaign. This was the largest number evacuated by a single passenger vessel in the operation. On 2 June, she was attacked by six German aircraft. A bomb dropped by one of them penetrated two of her decks and blew a hole below the water line, but she managed to limp back to port

That, of course, was a much earlier boat. Wallasey ferries replaced her. The later one used to have a commemorative plaque recording this event on her companionway; I don't know wether it was transferred to the latest boat Isn't she really "The Woodchurch"?

There is a lot of confusion over the role of the Royal Daffodil at Dunkirk.

After the ferry boat Daffodil returned from Zebrugge and gained her 'Royal' prefix, she was refitted and continued in service until 1933 when she was sold to New Medway Steam Packet Co. A new ferry was built for Wallasey Corporation and this was called Royal Daffodil II, the suffix being necessary as the original boat was still named Royal Daffodil.

In 1936 the New Medway Steam Packet Co became part of the General Steam Navigation Co and in 1938 the original Royal Daffodil was sold and broken up, however a new ship, built by William Denny & Bros Dumbarton in 1939, was controversially given the name Royal Daffodil, so the Wallasey ferry remained Royal Daffodil II.

It was the GSN Royal Daffodil which took part in Operation Dynamo, not the Wallasey ferry.

The Royal Daffodil returned to service travelling between Tilbury and France after the war and was finally broken up in 1967.

So Wikki are way out when they say Mersey ferry! Thought I would have heard of it before. Thanks for setting the record straight.

Some shots of The Royal Daffodil,( Dunkirk )

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=33796