MV Royal Daffodil (1939)

MV "Royal Daffodil" was built in 1939 and scrapped in 1967. In the late 50s and early to mid 60s she was used for "no passport" trips to France, which enabled people to drink outside normal licensing hours as these did not apply at sea.

History

"Royal Daffodil" was launched in 1939, and quickly requisitioned for war service. Initially she was used for the evacuation of children from South East England to East Anglia.cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/69/a3608769.shtml| publisher = BBC| title = An Evacuee to Wymondham| accessdate = 2008-03-28] cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/23/a2001123.shtml| publisher = BBC| title = Jean's War - Evacuated from Gravesend to Dartington Hall| accessdate = 2008-03-28] She was one of the ships that took part in Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. She rescued 9.500 men in seven trips. On 2 June 1840, a bomb passed straight through her and exploded under her. The explosion caused a hole in the starboard side, and the Master ordered everyone to port side, which raised the hole out of the water and enabled a temporary patch to be applied. "Royal Daffodil" made it safely to Ramsgate and disembarked the evacuees. Later she was sailed to Deptford under her own power and repaired.cite web | url = http://freespace.virgin.net/tom.lee/daffodilimg.htm| publisher = Tom Lee| title = M V Royal Daffodil| accessdate = 2008-03-28] cite web | url = http://gihs.gold.ac.uk/gihs48.html| publisher = GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SOCIETY| title = GREENWICH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY Volume 10, Issue 1, April 2006| accessdate = 2008-03-28] As well as the bomb, "Royal Daffodil" also survived machine gun and torpedo attacks.cite web | url = http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Themes/DocklandsWar/Docklandsatwar1.htm| publisher = Museum in Docklands| title = Docklands at War - The Blitz| accessdate = 2008-03-28]

After the war, "Royal Daffodil" was refitted, and was used on sailings from Gravesend or Tilbury to France, also calling at Southend and Deal after a few seasons on this route. From 1955, she was used on sailings to France with live musical entertainment provided by top stars of the day. These included Gene Vincent in 1962 and Jerry Lee Lewis in 1963. Unfortunately these trips proved to be unprofitable and in 1966 "Royal Daffodil" made her last crossing. She was sold for scrap in the Netherlands in 1967, making the journey to the scrapyard under her own power.

References