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Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth at her
current home in Dunkerque, France, on November 3rd 2010. Photo by kind courtesy of Phil Barnes. Click here for more photos
Launched on June 2nd, 1927 by
Day, Summers & Co at Northam, Southampton
Engines : Compound diagonal, by builders
Dimensions : 195 ft x 24.2 ft
388 Gross Registered Tons
Operated on a mixture of excursion and packet
sailings from Southampton and Bournemouth.
Requisitioned in September 1939 as a minesweeper.
Made four trips to Dunkirk at the end of May 1940, rescuing 1673
soldiers from the beaches as allied troops evacuated mainland Europe
Between 1942 and 1944 she was used as an anti-aircraft vessel
Reconditioned and fitted with an oil-burning boiler she re-entered
service in 1946.
At Easter 1952, she became the last vessel of her fleet to operate
from Bournemouth.
In reserve from 1953 to 1957 and used for short excursion work in
1958.
Sold in 1959 to Torbay Steamers Ltd, operating out of Torquay in 1960
and 1961.
Reappeared briefly at Bournemouth in 1962.
Placed at Weymouth in the 1963 to 1965 seasons for Coastal Steamers
(Weymouth) Ltd.
Sold to Mr A W Render in 1966 for planned use as a casino.
The venture did not materialise and in 1967 she was in the ownership
of Newhaven-based shipbreakers.
Resold to Ferry Services and Supplies Ltd of Southampton. Engines
removed at this stage.
Taken to Northney Yacht Marina on Hayling Island in 1968 for Mr H
Butler.
Sold the following year to Mr D Hickman.
Established in 1970 as a floating restaurant on the Thames in London slightly
upstream of Tower Bridge on the north bank.
Moved in December 1987 to the River Seine in Paris at Pont Mirabeau
and used as an art gallery.
Moved to Dunkerque harbour in 1999 and established as a tourism and conference
centre moored alongside the "Pole Marine" shopping centre.
She is now a restaurant ship
https://www.princesselizabeth.eu/en/home/
Above : In poor condition at Woolston in October 1967, she was to be re-sold a number
of times before she finally received a full refurbishment and appeared on the
Thames as a restaurant. Photo by kind courtesy of Nigel Lawrence.
In
1971 Paul Thallon captured Princess Elizabeth at the British &
Foreign wharf on the Thames at Wapping in London. Note the unusual
livery.
Above : Princess Elizabeth moored in London in the early 1970s. Photo
by kind courtesy of Roy Lambeth
Princess Elizabeth in London 1976. Photo by kind courtesy of Kevin Hoggett
IN PRESERVATION : FRANCE
For more photos of Princess Elizabeth taken by Phil Barnes on 3rd November 2010, click here
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